Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan says rebels in Mali must be contained, or it could threaten the security of Africa.
Related stories: Nigeria deploys 900 troops to Mali
Friday, January 25, 2013
Video - President Jonathan talks to Al Jazeera about sending troops to Mali
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan says rebels in Mali must be contained, or it could threaten the security of Africa.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
President Jonathan believes citizens are happy with progress made in power supply
President Goodluck Jonathan has said that his government has done well in turning around the deficit in the power sector and that he believes that Nigerians are pleased with his government.
Speaking in an interview with Christiana Amanpour on CNN last night, Jonathan expressed surprise at her suggestions that 60 per cent of Nigerians were still without stable power supply three years after he had pledged, in another interview with her, to make improvements.
Jonathan also dismissed the notion that the existence of Boko Haram was as a result of government misrule and that the activities of the security agents were aggravating the situation, driving people to the sect, adding that "we should not play politics with Boko Haram."
He also said that if the terrorist rebellion in Mali was left unchecked, it would not only affect Africa but may have repercussions for the rest of the world.
On the power sector, he said, "I would have hoped you would ask an ordinary Nigerian on the streets of Lagos, Abuja or any other city on this issue about power. That is one area that Nigerians are pleased with. And with our commitment, it is working."
Speaking further, he said, "Even if you have the money and the political will to do so (provide stable power), you cannot do it over night. We are working very hard and I promise here that by the end of this year, power will be stable in Nigeria. This is something that has been a problem for years. You cannot correct it overnight."
But available figures showed that while the generation of power peaked in the second half of 2012 to about 4,321megawatts, it did not translate to stable power supply for Nigerians as there were still challenges in the distribution and transmission of generated power.
Available data and PHCN sources have also said that the generation of power which peaked in September had since been declining steadily.
When Amanpour queried Jonathan on the issue of corruption and crude oil theft going on at a massive scale under his administration, estimated at 400,000 barrels daily and $7billion a year, he shifted blame away from his government and challenged the international community to stop buying stolen crude oil from Nigeria. He said the stolen crude was not refined in Nigeria but in refineries in other parts of the world.
Also speaking at a different occasion in Davos, Switzerland, Jonathan warned that if terrorists in Mali were not contained, there would be a spill over effect on some western and African nations.
According to a news agency report, Jonathan told the World Economic Forum yesterday that terrorists "always want to create crisis" and "that's one of the reasons why we will have to move fast."
A military coup in March 2012 led to the takeover of northern Mali by Islamist militants, who recently started moving south, threatening the rest of the West African country.
Jonathan thanked France for sending in troops and aircraft to push back the terrorists.
He said the crisis in Libya, where a weak government is struggling to maintain control, had made things worse in Mali since weapons and fighters from Libya had joined the Mali extremists.
Leadership
Related stories: Electricity supply increases to 20 hours per day in Lagos
President Goodluck Jonathan says Nigeria will conquer current challenges
Speaking in an interview with Christiana Amanpour on CNN last night, Jonathan expressed surprise at her suggestions that 60 per cent of Nigerians were still without stable power supply three years after he had pledged, in another interview with her, to make improvements.
Jonathan also dismissed the notion that the existence of Boko Haram was as a result of government misrule and that the activities of the security agents were aggravating the situation, driving people to the sect, adding that "we should not play politics with Boko Haram."
He also said that if the terrorist rebellion in Mali was left unchecked, it would not only affect Africa but may have repercussions for the rest of the world.
On the power sector, he said, "I would have hoped you would ask an ordinary Nigerian on the streets of Lagos, Abuja or any other city on this issue about power. That is one area that Nigerians are pleased with. And with our commitment, it is working."
Speaking further, he said, "Even if you have the money and the political will to do so (provide stable power), you cannot do it over night. We are working very hard and I promise here that by the end of this year, power will be stable in Nigeria. This is something that has been a problem for years. You cannot correct it overnight."
But available figures showed that while the generation of power peaked in the second half of 2012 to about 4,321megawatts, it did not translate to stable power supply for Nigerians as there were still challenges in the distribution and transmission of generated power.
Available data and PHCN sources have also said that the generation of power which peaked in September had since been declining steadily.
When Amanpour queried Jonathan on the issue of corruption and crude oil theft going on at a massive scale under his administration, estimated at 400,000 barrels daily and $7billion a year, he shifted blame away from his government and challenged the international community to stop buying stolen crude oil from Nigeria. He said the stolen crude was not refined in Nigeria but in refineries in other parts of the world.
Also speaking at a different occasion in Davos, Switzerland, Jonathan warned that if terrorists in Mali were not contained, there would be a spill over effect on some western and African nations.
According to a news agency report, Jonathan told the World Economic Forum yesterday that terrorists "always want to create crisis" and "that's one of the reasons why we will have to move fast."
A military coup in March 2012 led to the takeover of northern Mali by Islamist militants, who recently started moving south, threatening the rest of the West African country.
Jonathan thanked France for sending in troops and aircraft to push back the terrorists.
He said the crisis in Libya, where a weak government is struggling to maintain control, had made things worse in Mali since weapons and fighters from Libya had joined the Mali extremists.
Leadership
Related stories: Electricity supply increases to 20 hours per day in Lagos
President Goodluck Jonathan says Nigeria will conquer current challenges
ACN says that government must refurbish Police Colleges
''If this is one of those ploys to divert attention from a burning issue and then continue with business as usual, the government is in for a rude shock, because Nigerians will definitely hold the Jonathan Administration to its promise to refurbish the police training colleges,'' ACN said in a statement issued in Oyo yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
''To convince Nigerians that this is not the usual government gimmick, the minister must give a time frame within which the government will redeem its pledge. This promise cannot be open-ended if it is to be credible,'' it said.
ACN also queried why the government has chosen to intimidate Channels TV, which decided to expose the rot at the police college in Ikeja as part of a strategy to forge a public-private partnership to help raise the resources needed to refurbish the college.
The announcement by the management of the TV station ''postponing'' the forum, which it had planned to hold in order to actualise its plan, is a direct result of President Jonathan's unnecessary and inexplicable anger at the station, when he should have channelled his energy into reversing the rot.
''Yes, Channels TV has not said publicly that it was forced to 'postpone' the forum, but any discerning person knows the TV station had to retrace its steps after no other personality than the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria left it in no doubt that its public service initiative was meant to 'embarrass' the Administration.''
Related stories: Video - Comparison of the Lagos Police College in Nigeria and the Miami Police College in America
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Video - Comparison of the Lagos Police College in Nigeria and the Miami Police College in America
And here is the Police College of Miami, USA below:
Related stories: President Goodluck Jonathan shocked at decrepit state of police college in Lagos
Four army officers dismissed from military for rape
The Nigerian Army has dismissed four soldiers who were involved in cases of abduction, rape, extortion and assault.
The Commander, Guards Brigade, Brig-Gen Emmanuel Atewe, disclosed this Tuesday at a media briefing at Aguiyi Ironsi Cantonment, Abuja.
Atewe, who was represented by Maj. Peter Elayo, said the allegation was broadcast in one of the nation's broadcast station, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) on Jan 14, 2013.
The soldiers were later handed over to police for prosecution.
Following the incident, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had called on the Chief of Army Staff and the Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command to investigate the allegations that some men in Army uniform abducted and raped some women in Abuja under the guise that they were prostitutes.
The Executive Secretary NHRC, Prof. Bem Angwe further requested that the two concerned security agencies to update the commission with any action taken on the subject matter to enable it take further necessary action in line with its mandate.
The Commander, Guards Brigade, Brig-Gen Emmanuel Atewe, disclosed this Tuesday at a media briefing at Aguiyi Ironsi Cantonment, Abuja.
Atewe, who was represented by Maj. Peter Elayo, said the allegation was broadcast in one of the nation's broadcast station, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) on Jan 14, 2013.
The soldiers were later handed over to police for prosecution.
Following the incident, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had called on the Chief of Army Staff and the Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command to investigate the allegations that some men in Army uniform abducted and raped some women in Abuja under the guise that they were prostitutes.
The Executive Secretary NHRC, Prof. Bem Angwe further requested that the two concerned security agencies to update the commission with any action taken on the subject matter to enable it take further necessary action in line with its mandate.
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