Jonathan will not apologise over Nigeria, Morocco phone row – Minister

President Goodluck Jonathan will not apologise to Nigerians after his administration made a false claim that he spoke via telephone with the King of Morocco, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister has said.
The minister, Aminu Wali, said if ongoing investigations show that there is need for an apology, he, not Mr. Jonathan, will be the one to apologise.
President Jonathan admitted Friday that he did not speak on telephone with the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, as claimed last week by the foreign affairs ministry, a false claim that sparked a diplomatic spat with Morocco recalling its ambassador.
Mr. Jonathan has ordered an investigation into the scandal, and has vowed to punish the officials responsible for it.
But the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, has urged the president to go a step further and apologise to Nigerians for the embarrassment.
The Foreign Minister, Mr. Wali, urged Nigerians not to politicize the face-off, saying Mr. Jonathan has no hand in it.
Speaking at the Presidential Villa Abuja after meeting with President Jonathan, Mr. Wali said he has since commenced investigation, as directed by the president, to fish out the culprits behind the misinformation that has led to diplomatic row.
“I have already taken action on the President’s directive and of course some people are trying to make this whole thing political,” he said.
“And of course, at this level of our diplomacy, a lot of things can happen. So we are trying to find out, and I will like to say that the President has nothing to do with it. This is something that has happened and there is a bit of mix-up somewhere along the line. We are going to unravel it.
“So the President has nothing to do with it. Therefore, people should not, like I hear some senators from the opposition asking the President to apologise to the country. Now this is, if at all there is anybody who is going to apologise, and I being the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will be the one to apologise and not Mr. President”.
Asked if the statement claiming that the president spoke to Mohammed VI of Morocco, when indeed he did not, went out without his knowledge, Mr. Wali said: “It is something that I am digging into. The President asked me to look into it and I am looking into it”.

Alison-Madueke sues PREMIUM TIMES, APC, 9 others over Missing $20bn

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has sued PREMIUM TIMES and 10 other individuals and organizations to restrain them from further reporting on the controversial missing $20billion oil money involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
In an application before Justice AFA Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s lawyer, Godwin Obla, from Obla & Co., sought and obtained an interim injunction restraining PREMIUM TIMES and 10 others from “publishing or causing to be published any further defamatory statements” stating or suggesting that the minister “stole, misappropriate or colluded in the stealing of $20billion crude oil revenue”.
In the application dated March 13, 2015, Mr. Obla warned the persons and organisations to desist from “further publishing any disparaging defamatory or otherwise salacious materia (sic) as it relates to or affects our client.”
Those listed as defendants in the case are the All Progressives Congress, APC, Vanguard Media Limited and its editor, Mideno Bayagbon; Leadership Newspapers Group Limited and its editor Ekele Peter Agbo; Premium Times Services Limited and its editor in chief, Dapo Olorunyomi, and Vintage Press Limited and its editor, Lekan Otufodunrin.
Also joined in the application were the National Broadcasting Corporation and the Nigerian Press Council.
The Court directed the two government regulators to ensure Mrs. Alison-Madueke is not linked in any report regarding the alleged missing $20 billion either on broadcast media, internet, print or radio.
The court specifically ordered the media houses to “desist from publishing any materials or running any programmme alluding to the complicity or collusion” the minister in respect of “$20billion, $49billion or any other figure, howsoever computed or arrived at, which are purportedly/allegedly missing or ‘unaccounted’ for”.
“You are hereby advised to immediately ensure total compliance with the Order of the Hon. Justice Ademola and to further cease and desist forthwith from publishing any material, howsoever titled or presented and irrespective of its form and content, which alludes to any amorous, immoral, salacious and defamatory matters connected to or related with our client, including anything to do with any allegation(s) or insinuation that our client colluded, was involved with or is complicit in the matter of a purportedly/allegedly missing $20billion, $49billion or any other amount whatsoever, until the determination of the substantive suit,” it stated.
Warning that compliance to the court order was not discretionary, but mandatory, Mr. Obla said that any attempt to do otherwise would be tantamount to flouting a subsisting order of a competent court.
“Failure to heed or give effect to the subsisting orders of the court will lead to the full force of the law being brought to bear upon your organization,” he said.
The missing $20 billion oil money was first raised by former Central Bank governor, Lamido Sanusi, who accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, of not accounting for the amount.
As petroleum minister, Mrs. Alison-Madueke is the chairperson of the board of the NNPC.
While the government denied that funds were missing, it ordered a forensic audit of the NNPC, carried out by PriceWaterHouseCoopers Limited.
Several months after the completion of the audit, President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the report be withheld.
Last month, Mrs. Alison-Madueke told the Financial Times of London that the government was sitting on the report to ensure a “rabid” opposition does not exploit every of its detail to ridicule the government ahead of crucial polls March 28.
Under immense pressure from Nigerians, the government released a “highlight” of the report, which indeed proved the NNPC was indebted to the government, but at a much lower rate of $1.49billion.
The petroleum minister has since directed the NNPC to pay the money to the federation account.
Notwithstanding, many Nigerians have continued to demand the release of the full report.
The minister and her finance counterpart, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, have repeatedly flouted the directives of the House of Representatives that the report be made public.

What Jonathan told me by Atiku Abubakar

Former Vice President AtikuAbubakar yesterday recounted his weekend’s meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan.
He spoke to Sahara Reporters.
Atikuwas quoted as saying that he had retired to bed when he was woken up and told that President Jonathan had come to see him, adding that the president was already waiting in his living room.
Denying that he was asked to head an interim government, the former vice president admitted that Dr. Jonathan tried to prevail on him to rejoin the PDP which he rejected.
He said the president also discussed the ongoing war against Boko Haram, seeking his support for Nigerian troops. He said they also discussed the possibility of displaced Nigerians returning to the areas that have been recaptured from Boko Haram.
Asked by Sahara Reporters whether he thought President Jonathan was interested in allowing elections to hold on March 28, the former vice president hesitated before stating that he would not wish to speculate, but he said the president’s body language did not reveal that he was interested in the polls which are less than two weeks to hold.
Atiku said he had always been opposed to an interim government adding that he did so when former military President Ibrahim Babangida set up an interim national government in 1993. He said he was offered a position in the government through the late Gen. Shehu Yar’Adua, which he rejected. The position, he said was given to Lagos politician Dapo Sarumi.
Atiku said he advised President Jonathan to ensure that the elections were free and fair and devoid of the bloodshed that trailed the 2011 general elections

Actress Eniola Badmus Speaks on her new ride, It’s not a gift, I work for it

Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus, made headlines a few weeks back when she showed her off a new wonder-on-wheels, a white Honda Pilot SUV on her instagram page.
She has opened on how she got the toy and also cleared the air on allegations surrounding it in a chat witth Encomium magazine.
Gushing about her SUV Eniola said:
“Yes, it’s true. I just acquired a new Honda Pilot SUV, 2014 model. I thank God for that.”
Asked why she is so much in love with the brand and colour since her first SUV acquired in 2012, was also a white Honda Pilot, she said,
“I just love Honda Pilot and I prefer white. It’s my favourite colour. I always feel comfortable when cruising around with Honda Pilot. It has everything that makes me comfortable.”
On the tale that the car might be a gift from a lover, Badmus reacted,
“Gift? That’s rubbish. No man bought my jeep for me. You’re aware I have another Honda Pilot, 2012 model. I just decided to acquire a new one. That’s why I bought it. No man can ask me for the key.”
“It’s acquired out of my hard work. I do both English and Yoruba movies. Today Asaba, tomorrow Enugu. I think people should know that my hard work must be blessed. I am above the level of living on the mercies of men. I can beat my chest that all I had achieved so far, including my latest ride, are fruits of my labour. I bless God for being on my side all day and night.”
Asked if she has moved out of her Ikoyi, Lagos residence, she stated, “Yes, I am now in Oniru Estate, Lekki, and I feel much more comfortable here.”
On the identity of the man rocking her world at the moment, Gbogbo Bigz Girlz chose to maintain sealed lips, saying, “No comment on that, please. It’s my private business.”

Actress Rukky Sanda Speak Harsh on Instagram…

Rukky Sanda let out a frustrated rant on her Instagram page as she sent out a message to ‘people that are entirely jobless and live off the internet writing dumb’ things.

She wrote:

If Only I Cared Enuf To Engage In A Baseless Conversation With People That Are Entirely Jobless And Live Off The Internet Writing Dumb S**t On Ppls Pages… But Really Tho’, I cud f* less cos my ppl block dumb a**es and delete dat sh**ttt even before I get to c it. Nuisances will not be tolerated here, cos all I do is wish u all well. However if I choose to be a healthy woman, #skinnyb**** All well & good for me. If u choose to be fat+ugly+unhealthy&miserable Well don’t blame me ho!!! #prettygirlGANG #prettyonFLEEK… #embraceurCURVES… #embraceurLIFE… #beurSELF24/7… #me2dyAlldayNeverGivingaBLEEP… #muchLove2myThickSexyLadiesWithTheBigOlBootieOnFLEEK…

Late Flabba’s Girlfriend Granted Bail

The girlfriend of late South African rapper and member of the Skwatta Kamp, Nkululeko Habedi better known as Flabba, Sindiswe Manqele has been granted bail by the Alexandra Magistrates Court.
The 26-year old lady alleged to have stabbed the rapper to death, first appeared in court last week pleading not guilty to the charge but on her return to the court room on Monday, March 16, 2015, said she stabbed the rapper in self defence.
‘The state has a weak case against me; there isn’t one iota of evidence that I intentionally and unlawfully killed him,’ she said.
According to eNCA reports, the court ruled that there was no evidence that she has tried to interfere with witnesses, and her injuries were too extensive to have been self-inflicted, thereby granting her bail to the tune of $800.
Flabba, stabbed to death at his family home in Alexandra on Sunday, March 8, 2015, was buried on Sunday, March 15, 2015 with several government ministers, celebrities and fans in attendance to pay their last respects to the fallen musician.

Nigerian government reduce electricity tariffs by half

The Nigerian government has announced a reduction in electricity tariffs by half.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission on Wednesday announced the immediate review of electricity tariffs by about 50 per cent.
The Chairman of the Commission, Sam Amadi, who announced the review in Abuja, said the reduction, which takes effect from the end of March, followed the regulatory agency’s decision to remove collection losses from customer tariff under the multi-year tariff order.
Mr. Amadi said following the approval of the multi-year tariff order, MYTO 2.1 in January 1, 2015, the Commission had received several complaints and petitions against the decision, which resulted in astronomical increases in tariff across the different consumer categories.
He noted particularly the petition by industrial and commercial consumers under the auspices of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, which demanded a drastic reduction of their tariffs.
The two categories of consumers had cited the negative impact of their increased tariffs, which they said were threatening their businesses, leading to massive job losses.
Following the review of the petitions, Mr. Amadi said the Commission conducted public hearings to gather evidence from all consumer classes on the affordability of the new tariff.
Again, he said the Commission had consulted with the Chief Executive Officers of the Distribution Companies before deciding to intervene by reviewing the tariffs.
Besides, the Chairman said the Commission also decided to review the technical and financial assumptions of multi-year tariff order 2.1.
The reviews, he noted, were in line with the provisions of the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act 2005 and the Business Rules of the Commission’s mandate, which allow such a decision on a petition by an interested party within 60 days.
He said findings from the various reviews showed that the major cause of the spiralling consumer tariffs was the huge aggregate technical commercial and collection losses.
Some distribution companies have complained that the collection losses, which are passed to consumers, raised the final tariffs by as much as an average of 80 and 103 per cent.
“The Commission has been listening to consumers’ complaints and taking full account of the impact of the high tariff on consumers and the Nigerian economy,” Mr. Amadi said.
“Therefore, the Commission has reviewed the basis of the MYTO 2.1 assumptions and has determined that it is inappropriate to transfer to consumers collection losses that are controllable by the DISCOs (distribution companies),” he announced.