Obiano not colluding with Amaechi against Jonathan, says APGA youth

The youth wing of the All Progres­sives Grand Alli­ance (APGA) has expressed disgust over a report that Governors Wil­lie Obiano and Chibuike Amaechi of Anambra and Rivers states have been meeting with a view to un­dermining the government and aspirations of President Goodluck Jonathan, saying it was complete false.

Under the aegis of APGA Greater Tomorrow for Good Governance (AGTGG), the youth group, which addressed journalists in Awka stated also, “no member of APGA at any level is or has been meeting with or working closely with Governor Amaechi or even his proxies.”
Reading out a three-page document, copies of which were distributed to journalists, spokesman of the group, Mr. Emenike Sunday, stated, “nei­ther Mr. Dozie Nwankwo nor Governor Obiano as individu­als or in concert with each oth­er has ever been with Amaechi in same political party at any time at all.
“When Amaechi was in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Nwankwo was in Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now that Nwankwo has since moved on to APGA, Amaechi is in All Progressives Congress (APC). That they all have their minds fixed on par­ticular ideological goals for their constituents,” he said.
Emenike blamed, “political prostitutes who have been shut­tling from one political party to the other for all the confusion and sponsorship of the smear article.”
He said: “Amaechi’s wife has no political involvement outside Rivers State. Also, he pointed out that in Kwara State, the Saraki political dynasty has different colourations.” He not­ed that Senator Bukola Saraki, a two-time governor of the state, belonged to the APC whereas his sister, Gbemisola Saraki is of the PDP.
AGTGG, according to Eme­nike, was set up to foster posi­tive leadership attitude among members and mobilise popular support for APGA candidates. They fingered some senatorial and House of Representatives aspirants in the PDP who they said were very jittery “that the revolutionary popularity” of Dozie Nwankwo, Chief Victor Umeh and Obiano would defeat them, as the brains behind the campaign of calumny.
He described as “infantile stunt the false accusations and misleading publications being circulated against Nwankwo, Umeh and Obiano,” stressing that the PDP aspirants know they stand no chance in the 2015 general elections in the state. So, they now resorted to cheap blackmail against APGA and her very outstanding candidates.
Umeh, according to the group, has stated it repeatedly that the APGA revolution in the country was now going beyond the Anambra political space.
“We are going to present the best candidates in each state of the federation, whose image and political stature would win election landslide anywhere,” he pledged.
The group accused a state deputy governor and his al­leged puppet (names withheld) as well as a House of Repre­sentatives member urging all to eschew trouble-making but to play by the rules, in the spirit of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda.

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Arrest Okwu for impersonating APGA national chairman -Umeh’s aide

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) crisis has taken a worrisome dimension as the Senior Special Assistant to the party’s National Chair­man, Mr. Stan Okeke called on the security op­eratives to arrest Chief Maxi Okwu for allegedly impersonating the nation­al chairman of the party.

This call came on the heels of a media report that the Maxi Okwu-led APGA had started selling the ex­pression of interest forms to aspirants ahead of 2015 general elections and also planning for congress of the APGA faction.
Okeke described Chief Okwu’s action as the big­gest joke of the year. He insisted that the Indepen­dent National Electoral Commission (INEC) knew the APGA it is dealing with and that the Supreme Court had already decided on the true leadership of the party. He noted that Okwu was dissipating his energy on mere propaganda, which he said would lead him to nowhere.
“If it is true that Okwu is selling forms for ex­pression of interest, on what platform will those who buy the form con­test. I know that the man is only seeking attention. Pertinently, where is Mazi Okwu selling the forms? Is the media covering it? You can clearly see it is one of the gimmicks Okwu is known for.

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Oil’s Tumble Continues to Hurt Nigeria

Nigeria, which is dependent on oil and natural gas for 96% of export revenues and 80% of government revenues, has been slammed hard by a slump prices over the last weeks and on Thursday hit yet another all-time low against the dollar – a veritable kick in the teeth for the central bank after it just last week intervened by selling dollars and buying the Naira after the dollar soared above 172 naira.

The intervention initially triggered some respite, but today the dollar climbed above the previous peak, to above 173, traders said.
The Naira’s drop puts Nigeria among the worst hit of the word’s oil producers, but the ruble, Norwegian krone and Canadian dollar have all taken hits. It’s economy is also cited as one of the most promising growth stories in Africa, based in no small part on its massive oil reserves, but also its burgeoning middle class.
Year-to-date, the currency has now lost 8% against the dollar and more than 4% since the start of November, and in the short term at least, traders say they see no relief. The ICE Brent Crude Index was down 0.6% at $79.90 per barrel according to Factset Thursday, taking its year-to-date loss to over 27% and Deutsche Bank economists wrote in a note that at least in the near term, they see risk to the downside.
“Although a seasonal pickup in crude oil demand will be triggered by refinery turnarounds concluding in November, we expect renewed weakness in 2015 owing to the medium-term trend of non-OPEC supply growth expanding at a faster rate than total demand growth, even at current oil prices,” they wrote.
The central bank is attempting to curtail its currency’s fall against the dollar, barring imports of goods paid for in dollars and limiting deposits in its Standing Deposit Facility to 7.5 billion naira, or about $45 million to boosy the amount of naira in circulation to pay for goods and services.
But its foreign currency reserves recently stood at $39.5 billion, much smaller than Russia’s $454 billion as of the end of September for example, limiting Nigeria’s ability to hold back the decline with interventions.
Nigeria’s All-Share Index on Thursday recouped some of losses recorded in previous sessions, rising 0.8% in early European trade, but is still down almost 18% so far this year and almost 10% since the start of November alone.
Amid all the concerns surrounding the currency and other oil-dependent assets Nigeria’s Debt Management Office said on Thursday that it had issued 55 billion naira ($325 million) worth of sovereign bonds at a regular auction on Wednesday, with maturities of three, 10 and 20 years respectively. All bonds were heavily oversubscribed according to the DMO but one banking source said that the amounts issued were slightly smaller than what the government would have done under usual conditions, and the yields moderately higher, showing the “proactive stance of the government” against an adverse backdrop.

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There’s room for improvement in N’Assembly, says Raji, Fashola’s aide

Lateef Raji, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is the Special Adviser on Infor­mation and Strategy to Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN). Raji, who wants to represent Oshodi/ Isolo Federal Constituency 1 at the National Assembly, spoke with NKIRU ODIN­KEMELU on his aspiration and other matters of general importance. Excerpts:

What is your reaction to the position of the Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP) that the loan collected by the Lagos State government has been converted for personal and party use?
That is a position that is not sup­ported by any shred of reasoning or evidence. Lagosians cannot be taken on such a cheap ride. What the loans were taken for are evident everywhere you turn to in Lagos.
Lagosians applaud the Lagos State Government efforts in these areas: We have the reconstruction of Lagos- Badagry dual carriageway, construction of Ijegun-Isheri-Oshun-Isolo (Jakande Estate) road works in Alimosho. We also have ongoing, the reconstruction of Ishasi road, Ojo LGA, reconstruc­tion of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Project, Reconstruction of Mushin- Isolo Road, Mushin LGA, Upgrading of Roads within Apapa LGA, Marina Road, Bombay Crescent, Randle Road, Ibikunle Akintoye, Commercial Road and Burma Road, Shoreline Protection Works – Goshen Estate to Alpha Beach, Eti-osa LGA. It will also interest you to know that the acquisition of Asset/ Liability of the LCC is essentially an infrastructure development of 47km Lekki-Epe Expressway road, Blue Line Rail Project, Okokomaiko – Marina, Adiyan Water Project II 70 Millenium Development Goals (MGD), comple­tion of Ayinke House, General Hospital Ikeja – Equipment. I can go on and on but the loan is meant to develop Lagos State.
But was there a need for the loan in the first place?
When you consider the volume of the essay on the infrastructure deficit in the state, you would agree that there is need to approach the financial market for funds to bridge the gap. I know saying this alone would not satisfy you, but let me put it this way. Out there, the impression is that Lagos State makes so much money from its Internally Gener­ated Revenue (IGR) and does not need any external loan to fund its programs.
But, let us put things into perspective. Assuming Lagos realizes N30billion monthly with over 21million people to cater for, divide that figure and let’s find out the share per head. Taking the result, would the ratio accruable to each resident be sufficient for each one of us to provide security, water, bridges, healthcare services, schools, roads, traf­fic light, dispose refuse?
By and large, the essence of bor­rowing is to address infrastructure deficit and the way to go about it is to approach institutions that have enough money in their pool. What Lagos has done is to look for the best alternative that offers a low pay back rate. The loan collectively matures at different times.
The opposition also accused the APC-led government of inflating cost of projects. How true is this?
Again, that is another wild allegation that cannot be substantiated. Ordinarily, we would not respond to this, but since they have continued to exhibit this high level ignorance, we would not stop edu­cating them on acceptable best practices which have been the hallmark of this administration. No two projects with the same design at two different states would ever attract the same price.
You cannot expect the construction of 1km of a road in the Niger Delta area to be the same price with what obtains in some parts of Northern Nigeria. Sim­ply because the terrain and topography are different. Lagos is one meter below sea level, and to construct; it requires more pilings than other states who are on higher grounds. And, come to think of it, all governments in Nigeria, includ­ing the federal government use a pool of the same contractor for their project execution. That argument is only fit for the beer parlour.
Governor Fashola’s tenure will come to an end in a couple of months, do you think your party is capable of recording victory at the polls, especially with the bickering within your party over his successor?
The APC still remains the party of choice for Lagosians. The reason for this is simple. We set the pace of gov­ernance for the remaining 35 states and the FG. Our financial stability was rated higher than the national.
Under our party, Lagos is the first and best in all indices. We contribute more to the GDP than any other state; we brought pride and dignity to the way Nigerians are seen in the wider world. Lagosians are very proud of this status, and would not exchange this for the failure these critiques in the PDP are known for.
We are united around the broom which is the symbol of our party.
You are aspiring to go to the House of Representatives, what informed this?
You will recollect that I contested for this position in 2011 but was advised to step down for the incumbent to run a second term.
The idea of a representative is one that is hinged on personal efforts and disposition to issues. I want to use my representation to address problems in my constituency, promote the general welfare, and ensure the development of the people and residents of Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency 1.
Would you say the House of Reps has lived up to the expecta­tions of Nigerians?
Well, there is always room for im­provement. Whatever, gains or deficits that have been recorded, I believe there is still room for improvement. For me, I believe there are some issues that have national implications that were not properly handled by the House of Representatives. Equally, there are some things the House has done that are beneficial to the people. There is room for improvement.

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Kalu commiserates with govt, people of Yobe

Eminent businessman and former gover­nor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Kalu, has sympathised with the fami­lies of the students who were killed in Monday bomb at­tack at the Government Sci­ence Secondary School in Potiskum, Yobe State.

Kalu, in a statement signed by his aide, Mr. Sam Amster­dam, said: “It is with a heavy heart that I send my condolenc­es, my thoughts and prayers, to the victims of Potiskum and their families, those whose lives are forever altered, following the devastating attack of yester­day (Monday). We need to be ever-vigilant over the depraved tactics of this militant cabal.
“While I implore our citizen­ry to have faith in the diligent efforts and words of our gov­ernment, we must continue to support our security operatives with timely information on the perpetrators of this ugly act that has already affected the daily lives of Nigerians on the whole.
In the interim, our hearts again go out to those lost so far before their time in Yobe.”

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‘Jonathan deserves 2nd term’

in this interview with AKEEB ALARAPE, the National Coordinator, G15 Victory Platform, Mr. Igbasan Emmanuel, ex­plains why President Good­luck Jonathan deserves a second term in office.

What is the agenda of G15?
The purpose is for us to promote and project the good policies of this administration and position our people to benefit; as it is now, there is a disconnect between what is happening in Abuja and the common people. For example, my mother doesn’t know what the Minister of Agri­culture, Dr. Akinwumi is doing in the agricultural sector. My uncle doesn’t know how to benefit from the N220billion lying fallow in the Bank of Agriculture. We try to organize our people to know that there is something good in this administration.
Nonetheless, in the South-West, there is a disconnect between the leadership and the masses. That is the gap we want to bridge.
What is your take on GEJ’s endorsement?
Well, the endorsement of Mr. President is a confirmation that nobody, no group throws away a winning team. Every nation has its own brand of democracy depend­ing on the peculiarity of the situa­tion. The kind of the situation we have in Nigeria today demands that we have our own homegrown democracy that will help democ­racy and consolidate on the gains of the past. I see Mr. President as a foundation builder, who is laying a solid foundation for the greatness of this nation. And if you are going to build a tower, the structure doesn’t come out until the foundation is well entrenched underneath. And the foundation is usually not seen. So, we need some time for us to consolidate on the laudable achievements of this Goodluck administration. So, his endorsement gave credence to our clamour that this man must continue and consolidate some of the gains of this transformation agenda and policies until they begin to materialize. Then, others that are coming after him can now build on it. So, we have been vindicated and it is our own brand of democracy, which is good for the country.
Why the move to gather 4 million votes for Mr. Presi­dent.
We have it all mapped out in the eight states that we cover, where we have our state directors and we have given our people target. For example, the last meet­ing I held with my directors in Ondo State, we have 1.4million registered voters in the state and we have asked them to target to mobilize 400, 000 voters across the 3, 231units.
Our structure is such that at the state level, we have the state direc­tors, at local government level, we have local coordinators, at the ward levels, we have the supervi­sors; at unit level, we have the leaders. So, what we do is just to mandate the lead­ers to get so and so numbers of people.
For example, in Ondo State, we just need to mobilize 125 people; not party members, that is what differ­entiates us from other groups; but voters with voters’ cards and registration numbers.
So, we have given our group target. When we sum it up, Ondo State is to mobilize 400,000; Ekiti State is to mobilize 600, 000 of 1.7million voters; Oyo State is to mobilize 800,000 out of 2.4mil­lion voters, and so on. We have our statistics ready and we have structure in place to actually deliver.
Why South-west people must vote Jonathan
One of the closest officers to Mr. President today, in person of the Chief of Staff, who organizes everything, is from South West. Though a domestic staff, he is also a powerful mobiliser. He may not have a ministry or budget but he organizes things around the President. He’s a highly influential officer from the South West in the present administration.
The grudges of the past is borne out of the selfish interest of some powerful individuals, whose political interest is entrenched but now in jeopardy in South West; who connived with others to deny the people the rights that belong to us for their own selfish gain. We all know that the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives ordinarily should be for the South West. And we all know how this position was shifted away from us thereby denying us the No. 4 position. So, the problem of South West was not orchestrated by Mr. President but homegrown by us.
That is what we stand to correct by coming out to say we deserve a better treatment; we deserve to educate our people that it doesn’t pay anybody to be in the opposi­tion; it doesn’t pay anybody to be selfish for their selfish interest and deny millions of people their rights. In the second dispensation, I expect South West to be treated fairly.
How do you feel about the PDP in South West and its crises?
Yes, while we are using this medium to urge our leaders to speak with one voice. We know that in politics, it is all about self interest.
Is pecuniary interest among members of the party the cause of the crisis?
I have heard that severally. But our people have a timid way of condemning what is not achiev­able or inconceivable by them. In politics, everybody is involved because you are involved. So, one way or the other, you must be in­volved in a process that will make somebody embark on policies that will affect one and his generation. You have a right to the emergence of such person.
So, nobody is being driven by pecuniary reason. It is either they are afraid to go into the murky water they call politics or they are afraid to voice out their opinion. And in any situation, there are always actors, there are commen­tators and there are watchers. So, theirs is the work of commenta­tors. They are free to comment.
But we know why our group has come out. This is because there is a disconnect between peo­ple in government and the masses. The masses do not truly know the importance of the far-reaching decisions President Jonathan has made upon their lives and upon their children. So, this is why we say let us educate our people; let them see something good with Jonathan.
Do you think President Jonathan is overwhelmed by the challenges facing him?
Many people are ignorant of the enormity of problems confronting Nigeria. Our people have an adage that if trees fell over themselves, a sensible person will first of all cut the one that is on top. I have taken my time to study and examine our President and I think we have one of the most intelligent Presidents that we ever had in Nigeria. He is not a Mr. Quick-Fix but surely a Mr. Sure-Fix. At any point in time, I will not subscribe to it that the President is overwhelmed. Many of those criticising him cannot even manage their own home not to talk of managing a volatile country such as Nigeria.
He is handling the issue if security; he is handling the issue of unemployment; he is handling the issue of power. Look at how he dealt with the issue of power. In the next four, five years, power will never be a problem with Nigeria because some past admin­istration spent billions of dollars with nothing to show for it. Within four years, we have marginally moved from 2, 000 megawatts to 4, 500 megawatts but we’re targeting 5, 000 megawatts before the end of the year which is achievable going by the structure on ground.

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CAF touts Angola, Gabon, Nigeria as new hosts

Previous hosts Ango­la, Gabon and Nige­ria are now widely speculated to stage next year’s AFCON following Morocco’s disqualifica­tion by CAF on Tuesday.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has said it will soon name the new hosts of AFCON 2015 after Morocco insisted the tournament be staged on a later date on account of their concerns over the Ebola Vi­rus Disease. On Tuesday, CAF executives disqualified Morocco from the competi­tion and also stated they had by November 10 received some applications to host the tournament from Janu­ary 7 to February 8, 2015, as originally scheduled.
“These applications are currently under review, and the Executive Committee will finalize the selection of the successful National As­sociation shortly and con­firm the place and date of the draw of the final tourna­ment at the same time,” said CAF on Tuesday. This state­ment means that a proposal of four countries hosting the competition at the same time because of the short notice will now not see the light of day. South Africa and Ghana have announced they will not be hosting next year’s competition, but speculations have been rife about likely new hosts with Angola, Gabon and Nigeria widely mentioned.
Angola hosted the 2010 edition of the tournament and still have most of their facilities intact, so too Ga­bon, who co-hosted the biennial competition two years ago.

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EVD may force AFCON 2015 out of Africa

Tuesday’s disqualifi­cation of Morocco from the AFCON 2015 finals for failing to host the championship in January as scheduled by the Confederation of African Football over fears of the Ebola virus, has taken a new twist as the soccer ruling body is contemplating tak­ing the event outside of Africa if all other ar­rangements currently on fail to yet any positive outcome.

This new line of action according to French press reports states that the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup has been ap­proached by CAF to host the championship as a shift in the date already set will alter the plans for other continental championship lined up for 2015. If the plans of CAF goes ahead, it would mean that Qatar are the surprise candidate to host the Africa Cup of Nations starting in Janu­ary, according to French press reports. Though, Nigeria and Egypt are candidates to replace Mo­rocco who pulled out of staging the event in Janu­ary because of the Ebola outbreak, L’Equipe and Le Parisien reported Wednes­day that Qatar has been approached by the Confed­eration of African Football to see if it would be willing to step in.
However, the Gulf State of Qatar last night refuted reports it offered to host the AFCON 2015.
“It is illogical,” said Saud al-muhannadi, vice president of the Qatar Football Association, re­ferring to the report.

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Keshi: Win or lose in Congo, I dey kampe

Super Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi, has declared that his future with the team does not depend on the outcome of this weekend’s game against Congo.

Keshi who spoke after yesterday’s workout in Abuja ahead of the team’s departure today for Pointe Noire said he is not banking on getting a result in Congo to keep his job.
Hear him: “I totally disagree with you that the out­come of the game against Congo has something to do with my future as Eagles manager. I am not depending on the match to be given a new contract and it is wrong to think that I will die without Nigeria’s job. Yes, I want to work for Nigeria as my country but I am not so des­perate about it. It is wrong for anybody to think that I cannot exist without Super Eagles job. Don’t forget that I came from somewhere.”
Keshi who spoke on the absence of Victor Moses said he decided not to call up the England based player because he is not fully fit: “We decided not to invite Victor Moses because he is not fully fit. More over, we are going to play on artificial turf which wont suit him.”
Meanwhile, returnee striker, Ikechukwu Uche, says he is not under any pressure to deliver, even as he pledged to do his best for the country.
Uche pointed out that the round leather game is a team event and not an individual game.
“It will be wrong to assume that I am going to do the job alone.”

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AFCON 2015: Postponing tourney deadlier than Ebola –Hayatou

CAF president Issa Hayatou has de­clared that post­poning the AFCON 2015 Nations Cup initially billed for Morocco would be deadlier for the Af­rican soccer governing body than the Ebola dis­ease that is raving parts of West Africa.

Hayatou who spoke to a France-based TV outfit- France 24 said shifting the tournament which is Af­rica’s biggest soccer com­petition would amount to CAF signing its death war­rant.
His words: “We cannot sign our death warrant, be­cause if we postpone this event, it will be very dead­ly for African football. For 57-years, we have patiently built this house, which to­day is the pride of all Afri­cans. We have this festival every two-years and we are not about to leave the opportunity to anyone to destroy the work we have patiently developed over the years.”
Hayatou stressed that CAF would be hurting her sponsors if she goes ahead to shift the 57-year old tournament adding that that would also amount to set­ting a very dangerous pre­cedence.
“A shift in date is impos­sible for reasons you know. We will hurt our sponsors and partners and once you postpone this event, it will open the door for every­body to ask for a delay of any competition and we will no longer be credible and cannot organize any­thing. Everyone will say we are not ready and finally it is CAF that will pay the piper. That is what I told the Moroccans,” Hayatou said.
The ageing CAF boss ex­pressed confidence that the competition billed for early next year will go ahead as planned despite the ebola induced setback. He dis­closed that some soccer federations have indicated interest in taking over from Morocco and that the new hosts will be announced in a matter of days.
CAF has since disquali­fied Morocco from the competition billed to run from January 17 to Febru­ary 8, 2015.

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Ebola death toll tops 5,000; Mali quarantines 90

The death of a nurse in Mali from Ebola prompted on Wednesday the quarantine of more than 90 people in the West African country’s capital, as the World Health Organization said the disease had now claimed at least 5,160 lives.

The worst outbreak of the virus on record has ravaged the impoverished West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea and led to a global watch for cases outside the region.
Mali must now trace other people who had contact with the 25-year-old nurse and three others infected, just as an initial group of people linked to its first case completed their 21-day quarantine on Tuesday. Ebola’s maximum incubation period is 21 days.
The more than 90 quarantined in Bamako included about 20 United Nations peacekeepers being treated at the capital’s Pasteur Clinic, where the nurse worked, officials said. Police locked down the clinic on Tuesday night.
In Sierra Leone, more than 400 health workers at one of its few Ebola treatment centres went on strike over unpaid risk allowances, officials said. Some returned later in the day.
Echoing that walkout were protests and strikes by nurses across the United States over what they characterized as insufficient protection for health workers dealing with potential Ebola patients. Two nurses, who treated a Liberian man who died of the disease at a Dallas hospital in October, contracted the virus but recovered.
California-based National Nurses United had expected about 100,000 nurses nationwide to participate in the protest, but officials from the union could not say how many people participated.
In Washington, the Obama administration tried to assure sceptical U.S. senators that its efforts to combat Ebola were making progress and urged lawmakers to approve $6.2 billion in new emergency funds to contain the virus.
“We believe we have the right strategy in place, both at home and abroad,” U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell told the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Separately, the general leading the Ebola fight said the U.S. military force being sent to Liberia to build treatment facilities was expected to top out at about 3,000 troops in December, 1,000 less than initially approved.
Ebola has killed at least 5,160 people out of at least 14,098 infected since March, predominantly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, the WHO said in its latest status report from Geneva.
However, in a rare piece of good news, the WHO said there were signs that the incidence of new cases was declining in Guinea and Liberia, although it reported steep increases in Sierra Leone.
In Bamako, the nurse died after treating a Guinea man who died with Ebola-like symptoms that were not initially recognised, the government said.
The man, a Muslim imam from the border town of Kouremale, was never tested for the virus. In a series of rites that may have exposed many mourners to infection, his highly contagious body was washed in a Bamako mosque and returned to Guinea for burial without precautions.
The WHO said there were now four confirmed and probable Ebola deaths in Mali, adding that one was a friend who had visited the imam in the hospital. The group did not immediately give details on the fourth case.
A doctor at the Pasteur Clinic, one of Bamako’s leading medical centres and the default clinic for expatriates, was also suspected of having Ebola and was being monitored.
The U.N. peacekeepers, who were at the clinic for injuries sustained while serving in Mali’s turbulent north, were quarantined as a precaution, the U.N. mission said, without specifying their nationalities.
The government said the nurse was confirmed with Ebola on Tuesday and died later that evening. All necessary steps to identify people who had contact with the nurse were taken, it said.
Liberia, hardest hit of all with 2,836 deaths out of 6,822 cases, was another focal point on Wednesday in the battle against Ebola.
U.S. Army General Gary Volesky, who is heading up the U.S. military Ebola effort in Liberia, told a Pentagon telephone briefing that fewer U.S. troops were needed there than initially expected because the military had discovered greater-than-anticipated local capacity for building treatment centres.
In the capital, Monrovia, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair met with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on a tour of that country, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Blair said $2 billion would be needed over the next few years to build more resilient public services, provide basic infrastructure and create jobs in Liberia, according to a statement from Sirleaf’s office.
Despite the epidemic, the United Nations is not seeing signs of deteriorating security in Liberia, and some public authorities are even showing strength after years of post-civil war rebuilding, U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said.
“There is some good news in the midst of this serious crisis,” Ladsous told the Security Council in New York.

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Boko Haram Insurgency: Tribal Hunters Kill Dozens of Islamic Militants

Dozens of Boko Haram militants have been killed by local hunters of Maiha Government area, Adamawa State.

The hunters ambushed and killed the militants following months of violence which claimed thousands of lives in Adamawa, one of the three states that mostly bears the brunt of Boko Haram’s violent insurgence.
“The hunters mobilised and gave the insurgents hot chase during which many Boko Haram sect members were killed,” Bello Ya’u, a resident of Maiha, told local newspaper Premium Times.
”We commend them for the gallant fight.”
A local hunter said: “We had to wake up and fight the bastards that keep plaguing our societies killing innocents souls.
“People should brace up and start fighting them, we killed many of them. We are not afraid of being killed,” he added.
Following the attack, some residents of Maiha now fear reprisal attacks and are moving in droves to the capital of Adamawa, Yola.
The insurgents have taken over many towns and villages in Adamawa State, including Madagali, Michika, Mubi North and South.
The news of the killing came as Boko Haram has intensified its attacks across northern and central Nigeria.
On Wednesday (12 November) a female suicide bomber killed at least 10 students after she detonated a bomb in a college in Kontagora, in Nigeria’s central Niger State.
Although no one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, it is believed that it might have been carried out by Boko Haram.
Just days before this, a suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber disguised in school uniform detonated a blast in the middle of a school assembly in the north-east Nigerian town of Potiskum, killing 48 students and wounding 79 people.
The militants earned global attention after they kidnapped some 220 girls in Chibok, Borno State, last April. Weeks after the mass abduction, reports alleged that the girls were being used by the militants to carry out suicide attacks.
In November, Boko Haram carried out another suicide bomb attack in Potiskum, supposedly targeting Shia Muslims celebrating Ashura, killing at least 32 people.
The group’s fresh attacks came weeks after the Nigerian government announced it had reached a ceasefire with the terror group.
Critics cast doubts over the ceasefire, as Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau did not release any official statement regarding the truce.

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Nigeria Now Seeking Russian Arms After US Embarg

After the recent embargo placed by the United States on Nigeria from buying arms, reports are stating that Nigeria is now looking to Russia.

According to a TheNation report, Nigeria has turned her eyes towards Russia to supply her with better weapons to fight off the terrorist organization called Boko Haram.
Russia is yet to agree to Nigeria’s request as the military has opted for more aerial bombardments of insurgents than infantry encounters.
The aerial strikes have been helpful in taking out insurgents who are said to be good in ambush and guerrilla warfare.
A delegation has already been flown to Russia to negotiate a deal for the equipments and machines.
A source said that Nigeria aims to order for war planes, helicopters plus other equipment.
The source said: “The US has refused to sell arms and lethal equipment to Nigeria to prosecute the war against Boko Haram.
“The US, instead, prefers to concentrate on assistance to Nigeria to consolidate its democracy.
“We have had pilots trained in the US. We train our military pilots in the US. They come to Nigeria for conversion.
The Federal Government has no choice than to look elsewhere for war planes, helicopters and lethal equipment against Boko Haram insurgents.
“We have opened up negotiation with Russia for arms bailout. We want to buy military hardwares from them.”
Nigeria has been battling Boko Haram since 2009.
Boko Haram has killed over 5000 innocent civilians in the country alone since 2009.

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Female suicide bomber hits Niger school, kills one

A female suicide bomber and one student of the Federal Col­lege of Education (FCE), Kontagora, Niger State lost their lives in a bomb attack that would have claimed the lives of over 200 students of the college writing their examina­tions at the college’ audi­torium.

Eyewitness account re­vealed that the female bomber was on her way to the audito­rium where the students were already gathered, waiting for the commencement of their examinations when the bomb went off, killing the carrier and one student close to the scene.
The incident happened at about 12:45 p.m. The exami­nation was billed to start at 1p.m. Police Public Relations Officer in Niger State com­mand, DSP Ibrahim Gambari told Daily Sun that only the female bomber lost her life in the incident while four per­sons sustained injuries.
According to Gambari, one ‘Okada’ rider and three students were injured. The ‘Okada’ rider, he said had been treated and discharged while the three students were still in the hospital receiving treatment.
“The incident happened. I can confirm that to you, but it is not true that many peo­ple died. God did it in such a way that only the carrier lost her life and four people were injured. She could not reach her target before the bomb detonated. I think she was tar­geting the library or the audi­torium.
“We have been there, even my commissioner was there and our bomb experts as well as the Area Commander in Kontagora.”
Policemen and other secu­rity operatives cordoned off the scene of the incident while students ran out of the school.
Sadly, the incident coin­cided with the 59th birthday of the state Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu. The governor was at the Jus­tice Idris Legbo Kutigi Inter­national Conference Centre, Minna as guest of honour at the fourth Muazu Babangida Aliyu Colloquium when the news of the bomb blast fil­tered into the hall.

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Graphic photo: 10 killed at Niger College ofEducation blast today

At least 10 people were killed today after a
female suicide bomber blew herself up at the
Federal College of Education Kontagora in
Niger state today November 12th.
One of the students of the school, Mary Okafor
who spoke with AFP, said they were all at the
library reading for their semester examinations
when they heard the bomb go off
"We saw bodies on the ground between the
library and the female hostel. Among the
bodies were two dismembered women who we
believe were the bombers. At least 10
students were killed and several others
injured. They have all been moved to the
general hospital. We have all been asked to
vacate the school. The authorities in the
town have asked all schools to close." she
said
See a pic from the scene today. Not sure if it's
the body of the suicide bomber or one of the
victims but it's quite graphic so be warned...

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Photos: President Jonathan unveils new N100notes

The new N100 note designed to commemorate
Nigeria's 100 years of amalgamation was
unveiled by President Jonathan today Nov.
12th at the state house during the Federal
Executive Council meeting.
While presenting the notes to other members
of the Council, the president said it was a
laudable gesture by the CBN to produce the
notes which would serve as a reminder of
Nigeria's centenary celebration.
Speaking on the new notes, Central Bank
governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele said the notes
will be in circulation from December 2014

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Former beauty queen and architect Kessiana Salubi dies at 34

Not many of you will know her but she was
quite popular many years ago. Her death is
shocking to me personally because we used to
be friends when we were both students in
UNILAG, though I hadn't seen or spoken to her
in a while. Kessiana Salubi was a model, Miss
UNILAG 2001, first runner up Miss Nigeria
2002, an Architect and an Interior Designer.
She died on Friday November 7th in her sleep.
According to a family source, she came back
from an outing, had dinner, had a bath and
went to bed in her Lekki home. She didn't
wake up the next morning. She was just 34
years old. She's survived by her parents and
siblings. May her beautiful soul rest in peace.
Amen.

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Turn up Abuja! Femi Kuti Live in Concert withM.I & Burna Boy

It’s set to be a massive throw-down in the
Federal Capital territory come November 22nd
as music legend and multiple Grammy
nominee Femi Kuti turns up the heat in
concert at the BMO event arena, River Plate
Park, Wuse 2, time, 8:00pm Prompt.
Fresh out of his captivating performances at
Felabration 2014, Lovers of Live afrobeat will
witness the icon, complete with a 25-man
band, “tear it up” alongside his very talented
female dancers!
Organizers have also announced that rap
phenomenon Mr incredible, M.I will share the
same stage, delivering tracks off his latest
(2014) album The Chairman, for the first time
ever!
Fans are further in for an electric experience
as self styled “Don gorgon” Burna Boy has
also signed up to thrill the Abuja audience
with energetic performances of his hit singles!
Femi Kuti Live in Abuja is put together by
Good Vibrations Nigeria Limited. The Company
has also promised many more concerts as
they ultimately plan to change the
entertainment landscape of Abuja. For tickets
and reservations call: 08188047820,
09031773341, 08152510546

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CAF drops Morocco as host of 2015 AfricanCup of Nations, throws out Morrocan team

The Confederation of African Football CAF
today dropped Morocco as host of the 2015
African Cup of Nations which is billed to start
from Jan 17th-Feb 9th 2015. At an executive
committee meeting which held this morning in
Cairo Egypt, CAF's leadership said the
decision to drop Morocco was as a result of
the Moroccan authority's request to postpone
the competition due to Ebola fears.
CAF leadership says they cannot postpone the
competition and have withdrawn the rights of
Morroco to host it. The Morrocan national
team was also flung out of the competition.
Find the statement from CAF as posted on
their website after the cut...
At its meeting on 11th November 2014 in
Cairo, the Executive Committee of the
Confederation of African Football (CAF) has
taken note of the response of the Minister of
Youth and Sports of the Kingdom of Morocco
in a letter dated 8 November 2014 requesting
the postponement of the Orange Africa Cup of
Nations in 2015.
This response clearly indicates that the Royal
Moroccan Football Federation reiterated its
refusal to hold the competition on the dates
indicated (January 17-February 8, 2015).
Therefore, having firmly and unanimously
notified on 3 November its decision to keep
the competition on the dates indicated, the
Executive Committee confirmed that the
Orange Africa Cup of Nations 2015 will not
take place in Morocco.
The Organising Committee of the Orange Africa
Cup of Nations will later apply the statutory
provisions that are required due to a breach of
the Royal Moroccan Football Federation
regulatory and contractual provisions,
including those set out in the Host
Association Agreement signed between CAF
and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation
in April 2014.
The Executive Committee took note of receipt
by 10 November, 2014 of some applications of
national associations confirming their desire
to host the 2015 competition on the dates
agreed. These applications are currently under
review, and the Executive Committee will
finalize the selection of the successful
National Association shortly and confirm the
place and date of the draw of the final
tournament at the same time.
The Executive Committee confirms the
continuation of qualifiers match-days 5 & 6,
which will be held during the month (14/15
November and 19 November), paving the way
for the qualification of the 15 teams that will
be joining the team of the host country.
Accordingly, and following the refusal of the
Moroccan party, the Executive Committee has
decided that the national team of Morocco is
automatically disqualified and will not take
part in the 30th edition of the Orange Africa
Cup of Nations in 2015.

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Toolz, Eku, Dakore, Osas cover November issue of Genevieve mag

This year’s post Pink Ball issue features
exclusive and exciting coverage from the
Genevieve Pink Ball. The issue also includes
exclusive interviews with the official designers
this year: Mai Atafo and Lanre Da Silva Ajayi
and the celebrities who took part in the
catwalk. From Dakore Akande, Eku Edewor,
Toolz, Seyi Shay, Osas Ighodaro to Fade
Ogunro, the cover girls this month dazzle in
LDA Couture as they reunite for a good cause.
Photography: Yetunde Baba Eko Fashion
Editor: Dimeji Alara Make-up: Bimpe Onakoya
for Maybelline Hair: Michael Ikebuwa @
Gypsys Salon Clothes: Lanre Da Silva Ajayi
Couture Accessories and Location: Polo
Avenue

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Pics: See who Solange Knowles is gettingmarried to this weekend

Solange Knowles is set to marry her longtime
boyfriend, music video director, Alan Ferguson,
in New Orleans this weekend. The two have
been engaged for a while now. Alan has
directed music videos for Beyoncé, Jay-Z,
Katy Perry, Natasha Bedingfield, Nelly
Furtado and so many others.
The wedding, according to Us Weekly will take
place near her home in New Orleans this
Sunday.
Though much of the details of the event are
being kept secret, Friday, November 14, will
see them enjoying a movie night together
before Saturday’s rehearsal dinner. Then on
Sunday, November 16, Solange and Alan will
make it official in front of friends and family.

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Ruggedman denies dating Halima Abubakar,says he has a crush on Monalisa Chinda

Rapper Ruggedman has denied reports that
he's dating actress Halima Abubakar &
Monalisa Chinda. In an interview with
Encomium magazine, Rugged said he isn't
dating the women but has a crush on
Monalisa. He also revealed he is currently
seeing someone who is not in the
entertainment industry.
"You see they always hook me with someone.
The same way they hooked me with Maheeda
because she wore my cloth for a photo
shoot. Before, they said I was dating
Maheeda but now it is Monalisa. I am not
dating Halima Abubakar also. I have spoken
about my relationship with her. We are not
dating but trust me, I am in a relationship
but not with someone in the industry.
Asked all of the ladies he has been
romantically linked, which of them he has a
crush on, Rugged said
"I would have loved Monalisa Chinda. Have
you seen her live? She is so fresh" he said

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Lol... US Scientists discover virus that makespeople more stupid

Have you ever wondered what is responsible
for unspeakable stupidity? Well some US
scientists might have the answer, having
discovered an algae virus which some call
“stupid virus” that infects human brains and
makes people more stupid. The surprise virus
discovery was made by a team at the Johns
Hopkins Medical School and the University of
Nebraska while undertaking a study into
throat micro-organisms.
90 people participated in the study and 40
tested positive for the stupid virus. It was
then proved that those who had tested
positive performed worse on tests that were
designed to measure visual processing and
attention spans.
Although human bodies contain a multitude of
bacteria and fungi, the study has shown that
specific micro-organisms can have a negative
effect on intelligent processing.
The study was led by Dr Robert Yolken, a
virologist, who said:
‘This is a striking example showing that the
“innocuous” microorganisms we carry can
affect behaviour and cognition. Many
physiological differences between person A
and person B are encoded in the set of genes
each inherits from parents, yet some of these
differences are fueled by the various
microorganisms we harbour and the way they
interact with our genes.’
Picture: University of Nebraska

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Captain of capsized South Korean ship thatkilled 300 people gets 36 years in prison

The captain of the South Korean Sewol ferry
that sank on April 16th killing over 300
students on their way to a field trip and other
passengers on board, has been sentenced to
36 years in prison.
Lee Joon-seok, was sentenced today
November 11th after a 6-month trial, after
being found guilty of violating 'Seamen's law'
and abandonment causing death and injury.
He was accused of abandoning his ship and
leaping to safety while hundreds of his
passengers remained inside the ferry as it
sank. Prosecutors said he failed to use
available equipments in his ship such as life
rafts, life vests and announcements to
evacuate the passengers.
The Ferry's chief engineer was found guilty of
murder and sentenced to 30 years, while the
remaining 13 crew members were sentenced
five to 20 years.

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Full text of President Jonathan'sDeclaration Speech today

Below is the full text of president Jonathan's
declaration speech today Nov. 11 at the
Eagle's Square
Dear Compatriots:
1. Four years ago, precisely September
18, 2010; I stood in this Eagle
Square, to offer myself for election
as the President of our beloved
country on the platform of our great
party; the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP).
2. Seven months after that
declaration, you elected me to lead
this country with overwhelming
support from all parts of our
Nation. I remain grateful for the
trust you reposed in me to lead our
Nation through uncommon
challenges in our march of progress
as a united and democratic country.
3. Over the years, the Almighty God
has made it possible for me to
develop a bond with you and I am
grateful for your support and
understanding in the difficult
periods we have journeyed through.
4. Distinguished ladies and
gentlemen, our stewardship has not
been without challenges. We have
had to deal with the wave of
insurgency that has swept through
some parts of our dear country.
Only yesterday, Government Science
Secondary School in YobeState was
bombed by insurgents, killing our
promising young children who were
seeking education to build the
country and support their parents.
Many Nigerians have lost their lives
and property to these mindless
killings. Let me crave the
indulgence of all present here to
stand up to observe a minutes
silence in honour of these young
lads wholost their lives. Clearly, this
has cast a dark cloud on our
Nation but we will surely win the
war against terror. A number of
young men and women have been
kidnapped by these criminal
elements including our daughters
from Chibok. We will free our
daughters and defeat terrorism.
5. We are equipping the armed forces
and deploying special forces to
engage the terrorist and end this
senseless war. We must protect our
country. We must save our people. I
will do everything humanly possible
to end this criminal violence in our
Nation.
6. To ensure the long term stability
and development of the affected
areas, government has launched
three programmes: The Presidential
Initiative for the North East, the
Victim Support Fund and the Safe
School Initiative. The Presidential
Initiative for the Northeast is focused
on improving infrastructure and
economic growth in the region. The
Safe School Initiative is centred on
creating a safe environment to
encourage our children in the
communities to acquire education.
The Victim Support Fund , a
partnership with the Private Sector,
has raised about 60 billion Naira,
which will help to empower and
rehabilitate victims of terror. I
promise the victims of these
dastardly acts that we will continue
to stand with you.
7. I am grateful to all Nigerians for
standing with me.
8. Let me also thank the leaders and
elders of our great party, the
Peoples Democratic Party, for the
opportunity you have given to me to
serve our country, Nigeria.
9. I am overwhelmed by the trust,
confidence and support of the
various organs of our party, the
Board of Trustees, the National
Caucus, the National Executive
Committee, the National Working
Committee, the PDP Governors
Forum, members of the
PDPCaucuses of the National
Assembly, and others.
10. This day affords me the opportunity
to continue the conversation of
development we started together.
11. Infrastructure has been a major focus
area of my administrationand so,
we pursued the power sector reform
to this point of irreversible progress.
Nigeria has undertaken a most
transparent and corruption free
bidding process, attracting global
commendation. The on-going
450MW Azura Power Plant in Edo
State is a testimony to the success
of this transformation.
12. We have also resumed development
of our Hydro-Power potential, with
the construction of the 700MW
Zungeru Hydro-Power Plant, while
construction work on the 3,050MW
Mambilla Hydro-Power Plant is
about to take off.
13. Our power generation and distribution
companies have now been
privatized. We are firmly on the
road to guaranteed regular power
supply in the months ahead. This
our bold move, is paying off!
14. We are committed to environmental
protection and conservation and
reducing vulnerability to climate
change. In this regard, we have
embarked on a number of projects
across the country. Of particular
note is the AfricanGreat Green Wall
Programmed, where we have
released about 16 billionnaira for
implementation. The project will
create a green belt across 11 states
from Kebbi to Borno.
15. In the past three and half years, the
water sector has witnessed
unprecedented improvement.
Access to potable water is now 67%,
up from 58% in 2010, while
sanitation coverage is 41%, from
32% within the same period.
16. Major developments in water include
the completion of 37 Dams and
rehabilitation of 10, with several
others on-going construction. The
flagship Kashimbila Multipurpose
Dam which is being built to contain
flood from Lake Nyos, is now at
90% completion. We have also
completed about 5,000 rural and
semi urban water schemes.
17. We are reforming the National Urban
Water supply programmes in 12
states, with 385 formal and
informal irrigation projects,
covering a total land area of
118000 ha, cultivated mostly by
small holder farmers. This has
yielded over 3 million metric tons of
assorted grains and vegetables,
with a market value of about
45billion naira.
18. Before the advent of this
administration, the Railway system
was practically dead. Today, we
have revived the rail sector. The
narrow gauge line from Lagos to
Kano has been rehabilitated with
improved coaches providing regular
services. The rehabilitation of the
Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line is
progressing with the Port Harcourt-
Gombe segment as well as the
branch line from Kafanchan to
Kaduna expected to be completed
and fully operational by December
2014.
19. Already, work on the Abuja-Kaduna
standard gauge rail line, is
progressing. The tracks of the rail
line will be completed by December
this year 2014. Upon completion of
the project in the first quarter of
2015, itwill be possible for
Nigerians to live in Kaduna and
work in Abuja. The Itape-Ajaokuta-
Wari standard gauge line has
attained an advanced stage, with
the track completely laid. We hope
to commence full operation before
the end of 2015.
20. Other segments of the new standard
gauge speed train network are
planned with contract already
awarded for the Lagos –Ibadan
Segment. There will be more of such
modern and faster rail connections
in the coming years. Already,
discussions are now at advanced
stage, for the Coastal rail line that
will traverse through 10 states, from
Lagos through the South-Southand
South-East, all the way to Calabar.
21. My administration has successfully
completed the dredging of the lower
River Niger from Baro in Niger State
to Warriin in Delta State. The
cheering news is that over 6.7
million passengers and over 1.6
million tonnes of cargo have been
moved through this channel in less
than three years.
22. I am happy to also report that our
ports now operate 24 hour service,
which has led to the reduction of
clearing time and improved
efficiency.
23. When I assumed office in 2010, out of
the 35,000km of federal roads
nationwide, only about 5,000km
were motorable. Today, that number
has increased to about 25,000km.
We expect to complete the
remaining 10,000kmin three years
while initiating new ones.
24. I made a commitment to build two
new major bridges across the River
Niger and River Benue. Today, the
new bridge over the River Benue,
connecting Loko in Nassarawa
State to Oweto in Benue State has
reached an advance stage of
completion, while work has
commenced on the Second Niger
Bridge.
25. Beyond these, my administration has
concluded plans to re-commence
the construction of Bodo-Bonny
Road with three major bridges on
the alignment that will link the
Island of Bonny with Rivers
mainland.
26. Preliminary works have started on my
administration’s planned re-
construction and expansion of the
MurtalaMuhammed International
Airport Road in Lagos to a world
class entry point into our country.
Only a few months ago, work
started on the dualization of Kano-
Katsina Road. While many Nigerians
are celebrating the marked
improvements on our roads, I want
to assure that it will get even better
as we move forward.
27. In the pursuit of an integrated
transportation system, we embarked
on the construction of five new
Airport Terminal Buildings and Air-
field facilities. We are alsore-
constructing existing ones.The re-
construction upon completion, will
lead to improved passenger
processing, increased cargo
handling capacity and enhancedAir-
field facilities that meet
international standard and improves
safety. These efforts have been met
with global acknowledgement
including the attainment and
retention of the FAA Category One
status.
28. In housing, we signed the National
Housing Policy to kick-start the
framework for providing more
affordable homes for our people.
We have also expanded the
National Housing Fund to
accommodate more Nigerians. We
have started a revolution in the
housing sector with the start of
the NigerianMortgage and
Refinanced Company(NMRC) a new
initiative of my administration, that
will enable more citizens in the
lower income bracket to become
first time home owners.
29. Our partners such as the World Bank
group are supporting this with
US300million dollars interest free
credit, while my administration will
back it with over 100billion naira in
bonds. We are already processing
66,000 mortgage applications for
our young people. We have
amended the PENCOM Act to
enable thepension funds invest
inhousing sector bonds. This will
create a boom in the housing
sector.
30. In the Federal Capital Territory, we
are rapidly building a befitting
National Capital by expanding and
providing new infrastructure,
developing ten new districts and
Satellite Towns to cater for the ever
increasing population. In no distant
future, you will be able to arrive at
the NnamdiAzikiwe International
Airport and proceed to the city
using the Abuja Light Rail. In
addition to providing durable
health, educational and
transportation services, we are also
collaborating with Organized
Labour to build functional,
affordable and social housing in
Abuja.
31. Other critical capital developments
that are being packaged by this
Administration include the
development of the Ultra-Modern
World Trade Centre , the Abuja Town
Centre , the Jabi Lake
Comprehensive Centre , the
Centenary City and the Land Swap
Districts . This private sector driven
infrastructural development will
positively change the skyline of the
city and provide the required office
and residential accommodation,
shopping and recreation as well as
tourism and entertainment facilities
of the FCT.
32. In our determination to encourage
much greater participation of
Nigerians in the oil and gas
industry, one of the first actions I
took, was the enactmentof the
Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry
Content Development Act . As a
result of this law, indigenous
Nigerian participation levels, in
upstream and downstream activities
of the oil and gas industry have
increased by over 45%, thereby
increasing employment
opportunities for our youth.
33. We have also succeeded in
eliminating the long queues that
previously characterisedour filling
stations, through regular and
sustained product supply.
34. Gas infrastructure to ensure adequate
Gas to Power and Gas to Industry , is
being aggressively put in place.Over
450km of gas pipelines have been
installed over the last 3years.
Another 2,000km is planned over
the next 4years. Critical
petrochemical andfertilizerfacilities
have commenced including the gas
industrial park in Delta State, for
which I am scheduled to perform
the ground-breaking this Friday.
This will create millionsof jobs and
make Nigeria a regional hub.
35. In addition, as a result of government
favourable policies the private
sector is investing over 12 billion
dollars in the petrochemical sector,
over the next 4years. This will
surely create millions of jobs for our
people.
36. In terms of gas supply, we have
grown from less than500million
cubic feet per day, 4years ago, to
about 1.5 billion cubic feet per day
currently. Our goal is to attain 4
billion cubic feet per day, over the
next 4years .
37. We have changed the face of
agriculture. We moved agriculture
away from a development
Programme to agriculture as a
business. My vision is to create
wealth for our people through
agriculture.
38. We have focused on encouraging the
private sector to boost investments
in the agricultural sector. As a
result, the number of seed
companies rose from five to eighty
in the past three years. Private
sector investment in the agricultural
sector expanded by $ US 5.6 billion
across the Agricultural value chain.
39. We ended decades of corruption in
the fertilizer and seed sectors. We
developed a transparent and
efficient system of reaching farmers
directly with subsidized farm inputs.
Before our reforms, fertilizer
procurement and distribution took
from the needy and gave to the
greedy . We restored dignity back to
farmers. Today, 14 million farmers,
of which 2 million are women,
access fertilizers with their mobile
phones, through an e-wallet
system. Nigeria is the first country
in the world to develop an e-wallet
system to reach farmers with
subsidized farm inputs on their
mobile phones. Several African
countries are now borrowing this
transparent and efficient e-wallet
system for their own countries.
40. Our national food production
expanded by an additional 21
million metric tons between 2011
and 2014, a record, exceeding our
set target of 20 million metric tons
set for 2015.The Dangote Group,
has committed to invest $US 1
billion in commercial rice
production and processing. With all
these developments, we are
expected to be an exporter of rice in
the next five years. This will be a
new dawn!
41. The benefits are showing on our food
imports. Our food import bill has
declined from 1.1 trillion Naira in
2009 to 684 billion Naira by
December 2013, even with our
increasing population, a reduction
of 40%.
42. Nigeria met its Millennium
Development Goal One on reducing
hunger and extreme poverty, two
years ahead of 2015 target set by
the United Nations, and was given
an award by the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations.
43. To sustain this trend, we are
encouraging young graduates
through the Nagropreneurs
Programme to go into commercial
Agriculture. We are also
encouraging our students in Post
Primary Schools to embrace
commercial Agriculture through the
National School Agriculture
Programme.
44. My dear people, corruption remains
a big challenge in our national life.
It corrodes our efforts at
development and at motivating
competence in critical sectors of our
national growth. We have
eradicated it in the agricultural
sector and we will surely eradicate
it in other sectors of our economy.
45. Going forward, my focus is to
continue to reinforce institutions,
systems, and processes to tackle
corruption, and also to bring to
justice those that perpetrate
corruption. Through the Integrated
Payroll and Personnel Information
System(IPPIS), we have weeded out
56,000 ghost workers from the
Federal Civil Service, saving 162
billion naira.
46. I have directed ICPC to bring the
perpetrators of this criminal act to
book. Let this be very clear, public
officers must live by example, fully
accounting for the national trust
and resources in their care.
47. In our journey to progress, knowledge
is indispensable. Knowledge is
power! This is why my
administration established 14 new
Universities out of which 12 are
conventional and two are
specializedPolice and Maritime
Universities. Under my watch, every
state in Nigeria, now has a Federal
University.
48. In addition, over 500billion naira
have been spent, through the
Tertiary Education Trust Fund
(TETFund) and the special NEEDS
assessment fund on various
projects to increase access and
improve the quality of infrastructure
at the tertiary level of our education
system.
49. To provide equal access and
opportunities in education and
ensure that no Nigerian child is left
behind, we have established and
equipped 150 Almajiri Schools
across the Northern states and the
Out-of-School-Children Programme
including Specialized Boys and Girls
Schools across the country.
50. Fellow Nigerians, our country was
faced with a major National
security, humanitarian, and
economic threat in the form of the
Ebola Virus Disease, which arrived
in the country on July 20, 2014, by
way of a foreign national, Mr
Patrick Sawyer.
51. Realizing the imminent threat, I
declared a national emergency,
pulling states, local and federal
government into action as well as
individual Nigerians to combat this
disease. Without the quick action of
patriotic Nigerians in the First
Consultant Hospital, as well as the
co-operation of Lagos and Rivers
State, where the disease occurred,
working with the Federal Ministry of
Health and the co-operation of all
Nigerians we could not have
succeeded in overcoming this
deadly disease. Fellow Nigerians we
stopped Ebola together.
52. Just as we stopped Ebola, we are on
our way to eradicating the Polio
Virus in our country. We have
reduced the incident of new Polio
Virus from 300 in 2010, to 6 today.
53. My brothers and sisters, to encourage
entrepreneurship and self-reliance
among our teeming graduates, we
have developed creative
opportunities for enterprise for our
young people.
54. Programmes such as YouWIN, the
Graduate Internship Scheme, the
Nagropreneurs Initiative, the 220
Billion Naira Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises Development
Fund and the 3 Billion Naira Grant to
Nollywoodare empowering our
graduates, the creative industry and
other young people to start up their
own businesses and employ others.
55. We have supported the growth of
industry through policy and action.
We launched The National industrial
Revolution Plan (NIRP) , and the
National Enterprise Development
Programme as key drivers to bring
about our desires in the industrial
sectors and to diversify our
economy. Our new National
Automobile Policy is transforming
Nigeria into a vibrant hub for the
automobile industry. Our own
Innoson Motors is producing world
standard vehicles, and Nissan,
Hyundai, and Kia, have set up
factories in Nigeria and are
employing thousands of our people.
56. Our support for cement production is
unprecedented. We have increased
our installed capacity from 16.5
million metric tons per annum in
2011 to 39.5 million metric tons
per annum in 2014. Nigeria is now
exporting cement. We are moving
forward! We must produce what we
consume and consume what we
produce .
57. Our efforts to create an enabling
environment for job creation in
different sectors of the economy
including the MSME sector,
agriculture, housing and
manufacturing have yielded results.
Between the third quarter of 2012,
when we started tracking jobs
created and the end of 2013, 1.9
million jobs were created. To
deepen our success in this area, I
have created a Presidential Jobs
Creation Board headed by the Vice
President with the mandate to
create at least two million jobs a
year.
58. My brothers and sisters, our economy
is heading in the right direction and
our efforts are yielding positive
results. Our economy continues to
grow at the rate of 6 to 7 percent
annually, one of the highest in the
world. Our country is now the top
investment destination and the
largest economy in Africa, with a
GDP of 80trillion naira (510billion
dollars) as well as the 26 th largest
economy in the world.
59. As part of its efforts to support
inclusive growth and economic
development in Nigeriathrough the
CBN, my administration has created
and disbursed the sum of 200billion
naira via the Commercial Agric and
Credit scheme , 300billion naira
Power and Aviation fund , 220billion
naira Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprise Fund , as well as 300
billion naira rail sector refinancing
facilities at single digit interest
rate. We will continue to deepen the
reforms in the financial sector,in
order to sustain thegrowth of our
economy and uplift our people from
poverty to prosperity.
60. Dear Compatriots, I promised as
President,that we wouldsanitizeand
restoreintegrity in our electoral
process, by ensuring that our votes
are not only counted, but truly
count. We have gone to great
length to ensure transparent, free,
fair, and credible elections.
Elections have been conducted
across the country with local and
international election observers
testifying to their transparency.
61. On the international scene, we have
advanced our regional, continental
and global objectives. We have
strengthened our relationships with
our neighbours and in many
instances supported them to protect
their democracy, security and
stability.We are serving for a
second time within a period of
4years at the United Nations
Security Council. This is
unprecedented in our Nation’s
history. My brothers and sister, this
is a growing attestation of our
country’s growing influence.
62. In the first quarter of this year, our
country celebrated its centenary. To
prepare the nation for the
challenges of the next one hundred
years, I convened a National
Conference where recommendations
and resolutions were reached
towards a more perfect union. We
shall implement the report.
63. Four years ago, I made a commitment
to advance the rise and rise of
womanhood. Today, I am glad that
we have made remarkable progress
in this regard, trusting in the
potential of our women and reaping
from their dedication and ingenuity.
I believe that any nation that
ignores womanhood cannot achieve
its full potential. It is in this regard
that I ensured that women were
given more opportunities in
government, and I have notbeen
disappointed.
64. Specifically, I doubled the percentage
of women in the cabinet and gave
them more challenging
assignments.
65. The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA),
is now admitting female cadets as
regular combatants and it is now
possible for a woman to rise
through the ranks to the peak in
military service,and become a full
general.
66. We must continue to sustain the
banner of freedom and justice that
we have held high in our country. I
am proud to say that there are no
political prisoners in Nigeria
today.No Nigerian has been driven
to exile and no one will be, under
my watch .
67. It is in furtherance of a peaceful,
participatory and inclusive
democracy that I signed the
Freedom of Information (FOI)Bill
into law, to expand the frontiers of
our fundamental freedom.
68. Let me re-affirm that under a
Jonathan Presidency, your views, no
matter how freely expressed, will
not send you to prison or into exile.
69. I am convinced that I have kept my
pact with Nigerians, and it is now
time to look to the future. With your
tremendous support, we have
collectively done so much in the
last three and half years, but to
take our country to the next level,
there is still more to be done.
70. History has shown that the path of
honour for any true leader is not to
walk away from his people in
moments of challenges. We must
stand together in adversity and
overcome all threats to our
development. We must defend our
future, for the sake of our children.
71. So many things have inspired me in
the journey to this moment. I want
to appreciate ordinary Nigerians,
especially young people, for the
solidarity shown to me by
contributing their meagre resources
to enable me arrive at this point.
72. I appreciate the kind gesture of the
Cattle Breeders Union, Miyetti Allah,
and the Market Women
Association , who encouraged me by
coming together to contribute to
the purchase of my Nomination
form.
73. In the same vein, I am touched by the
National Association of Widows who
also encouraged me with their
widow’s mite.
74. This labour of love, from ordinary
Nigerians, has increased my
appreciation of your solidarity, my
trust in our joint destiny, and all we
have achieved together these past
three and half years.
75. Therefore, after seeking the face of
God, in quiet reflection with my
family and having listened to the
call of our people nationwide to run,
I, GoodluckEbeleAzikiweJonathan,
have acceptedto re-present myself,
on the platform of The Peoples’
Democratic Party, for re-election as
the President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, in the 2015
general elections.
76. Democracy is a collective action,
energized by individual
responsibility . Your mandate at this
time will inspire in me the strength
to complete the good work we have
started together.
77. My dear people of Nigeria, we must
complete the task of ensuring that
we lift the poor out of the depth of
want, and place their feet firmly on
the ladder of prosperity .
78. In this election season, I appeal to all
of you, not to harm, maim or kill;
and not to incite violence of any
kind. We must never forget our
common bond, one people from the
womb of one Nigeria. Again I say:
My ambition to serve you is not
worth the blood of any Nigerian . I
remain committed to this principle
of non-violence.
79. If you believe that we must build a
country that works for all, where the
strong lift up the weak, and not
trample upon them , where the vote
of every citizen determines who
governs or represents you, where
the democratic space is open to all
citizens to fulfil their aspirations,
irrespective of the circumstance of
birth, your brother,
GoodluckEbeleAzikiweJonathan
stands ready to continue in service
to you.
80. My brothers and sisters, we cannot
go back to the old ways! Our
railways were allowed to rot in
neglect, we have revived and are
modernising them.
81. We cannot go back to the old ways!
Our road infrastructure collapsed.
We are reconstructing, and
expandingfederal roads across the
country.
82. We cannot go back to the old ways !
Our airport terminal buildings were
dilapidated and our airspace
unsafe. We are fixing this.
83. We cannot go back to the old ways!
Our agricultural practices did not
benefit our farmers and our people.
Fertilizer distribution was a major
source of fraud and we were
importing food more than our
budget can carry. Now we are on
our way to self-sufficiency in food
production.
84. Do you want to go back to the old
ways?
85. We cannot go back to the old ways,
where there were long queues at our
filling stations due to irregular
supply of products and our people
were exploited.
86. We cannot go back to the old ways,
when women and youths were
denied opportunities in government
and in responsible positions.
87. Do you want to go back to the old
ways?
88. We cannot go back to the old ways!
We had skewed distribution of
tertiary institutions.Whereas some
states had more than onedegree
awarding institution, some had
none. We have nowmade sure all
states have at least one Federal
University.
89. We cannot go back to the old ways!
Our economy is now the largest in
Africa. Once, we were
virtuallyimporting everything, now
we are exporting several
products,including cement.
90. We cannot go back to the old ways! In
2009, average life expectancy was
47 years, by the end of 2013, it was
52 years. Some of our hospitals
now perform open heart surgeries,
kidney transplants and other
challenging operations as we
reposition our health service to end
decades of medical tourism that
drains our scarce resources.
91. We cannot go back to the old ways!
Together, in unity, we overcame
Ebola, and in the process
demonstrated the strength of the
Nigerian spirit. And together,
united, we must maintain our
vigilance.
92. Do you want to go back to the old
ways?
93. We cannot go back to the old ways
where individual freedoms were
trampled upon and citizens were
locked up for expressing their views
or criticising government.
94. Do you want to go back to the old
ways?
95. We cannot go back to the old ways!
We must continue to have free and
fair elections. We cannot go back to
the era where ballot box snatching
and stuffing became the
norm.Where your votes never
counted.
96. Certainly, we cannot!
97. We have to move forward! Only
forward!!, my dear people,
Forward!!!
98. In moving forward, I see a Nigeria
that thirsts for progress with
children across the nation, eager for
knowledge and safely in schools!
99. I see a Nigeria where all who have
taken up arms, would again
embrace peace!
100. I see a Nigeria where our women can
aspire to any heights, without
hindrance!
101. I see a Nigeria where the flames in the
Eagles will rekindle, and the
Falcons soaring higher in victory!
102. I see a Nigeria where the children
of Mustapha, and Christopher, Ade
and Ada,Timi and Bunmi, Nnamdi
and Namadi, do not go hungry!
103. I see a Nigeria where all, no matter
their beliefs, live in peace and
harmony!
104. I see a Nigeria where the green
passport is accorded a royal
reception the world over!
105. I see a Nigeria where one day the next
generation will take us to outer
space.
106. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
leadership is about staying focused
to achieve goals despite challenges.
I have been faced with many
challenges since coming to office as
President. With your support and
encouragement, we have stayed the
course.
107. We are succeeding, against all odds.
For the young Nigerian child, who
grew up in the rural area, just like
me, we are expanding opportunities
and giving them hope. For the
market woman, we are expanding
opportunities. For our young
entrepreneurs, we are expanding
opportunities. For the right of our
people to vote and for their voices
to be heard, we are expanding
opportunities. For Nigerians to have
the right to free speech, we are
expanding opportunities. For the
job seekers, against all odds, we
are expanding opportunities.
108. While serving our people, I will always
ensure the rule of law. I do not
intimidate, I expand the democratic
space. I give voice to the voiceless
and uphold the weak, for the nation
belongs to us all. Fellow Nigerians,
as we build our democracy, leaders
must show temperance at all times.
That is a virtue, one which I
treasure, and will always uphold.
109. My people, Nigeria is destined for
greatness. Today, here at Eagle
Square, I say to Nigeria, that
working together in love, in strength
and in faith, we will build a nation
of one people, united in purpose
and in action.
110. Fellow Nigerians, it is forward ever! We
must put our hopes to work!
Together, we will realize our
collective destiny.
111. Thank you!!
112. God bless Nigeria!!

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Kris Jenner's new BF dates rich celeb women& takes their money?

This is according to a report by
MediaTakeOut. MTO has no chill at all..lol.
According to their report, Kris Jenner's 33
year old new man, Corey Gamble used to date
Sheree Buchanon from R&B exes.
Below is a report they claim they got from one
of Sheree's friends:
Corey Gamble used to date Atlanta exes star
Sheree Buchanan for 3 yrs and according to
her he was an opportunist who preyed on
divorce women with money. He was extremely
possessive and would follow her when she
was out with her girlfriends.
He used his connections with celebrities such
as P. Diddy to move up into the inner circles
to get close to certain women. And according
to Sheree when she ended things with him he
informed her that his next girl would be a
rich older white woman.

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Graphic pics from scene of the blast atYobe secondary school

AP has obtained some photos from the scene
of today's blast at the Government Science
Secondary School Potiskum in Yobe state.
Above are some injured students being
attended to by doctors at the Potiskum
General Hospital. 47 students have been
confirmed dead, while 79 were injured. See
more pics from the scene after the
cut...*graphic content when you continue*...

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25 people buried en-masse after herdsmenattack in Nasarawa

25 people, including women and children, were
killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen at
Arikya-Soni, a boundary area between
Nasarawa-Eggon and Lafia LGAs of Nasarawa
State yesterday Sunday November 9 in the
morning.
A mass burial was conducted for the victims
after their remains were recovered at Umme, at
about 1 pm, same day.
The victims, who are all from Eggon ethnic
community, were from Umme, Arugbadu and
Bakyano villages of Nasarawa Eggon local
government areas.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations
Officer, PPRO, of Nasarawa State command,
confirmed the incident and said investigation
had commenced to unravel the perpetrators of
the criminal act.
A survivor, Mrs. Saratu Mustapha, told
newsmen at Ashangbo clinic in the locality
where she is receiving treatment for gun shot
wounds, that she was returning from the farm
in company of her husband and sister on a
motorcycle when the gunmen attacked them.
She managed to escape into the bush but her
husband and her sister were among those
killed during the attack.
Photo credit: Vanguard

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Military helicopter on surveillance crashes in Adamawa state

A Nigerian military helicopter on surveillance
mission has crashed in Damariea in Girei
Local Government Area of the state. Residents
of the area said the helicopter crashed close
to the temporary camp of the National Youth
Service Corps, NYSC, which is now being used
as a camp for Internally Displaced people in
the state. Details later.

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