REMARKS BY JONATHAN AT THE LAUNCH OF THE BOOK: “REFORMING THE UNREFORMABLE” WRITTEN BY DR. NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA

PROTOCOLS

1.         I am glad to be here today to launch the book entitled: "Reforming The Unreformable: Lessons from Nigeria," written by one of our country's shinning lights,   Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy. 

2.         I would like to commence my remarks by congratulating Dr. Okonjo-Iweala for finding the time, in spite of her busy schedule, to document her experience and in the process, provide insight to the workings of the Economic Management Team.
3.         On a personal note, I see this publication as an attestation of patriotism on the part of the author. As an Administration, we shall always support such enterprise, for the purpose of setting the records straight. 

4.         The central message of this important book is hope - hope that Nigeria can reform, and grow to become one of the world's most dynamic economies. In the past, there was a lot of cynicism about Nigeria. Many people claimed that the political and economic institutions of this country could never be reformed. 

5.         I commend this book for documenting some of the important reforms, which have occurred in Nigeria since our recent democratic transition. Indeed, the CME argues convincingly, in this book, that Nigeria is gradually reforming. She shares her own personal experiences in playing a pivotal role in some of the recent economic reforms. 

6.          As President, one of my major objectives is to build strong institutions and embark on vital and needed reforms that will consolidate our democratic enterprise and guarantee sustainable development.
7.         Sustained reforms flourish better in an atmosphere of democracy and freedom – and we are continuing to work to ensure that sound democratic principles are upheld in the country. Ever since, the 2011 presidential elections adjudged to be one of the freest and fairest in our nation's history, we have successfully held several state and local government elections, which have been equally applauded. 

8.         Just last week, we also conducted a very successful gubernatorial election in Ondo State, where Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who is not from the ruling party at the National level, was declared winner and returned elected. This is a new dawn in our initiative on electoral reform. 

9.         In all successful democracies, the leadership pauses periodically to take stock of changes, which have occurred: what new institutions have been built, what successes have been achieved, and what challenges remain? In the case of Nigeria, this book fills the void created by the dearth of literature and good systematic account of the reforms and institutional changes, which have occurred in the country, since our return to democratic rule in 1999.
10.    Too often Africa's history, economic challenges, and progress have been written and narrated by outsiders. Now, we have a book, written by one of our very own scholars, who is candid about our problems, and also commends us when our reforms are successful. Nigerian and African leaders need to invest more in writing about their experiences, and I commend Dr. Okonjo-Iweala for investing time and resources into writing this book. 

11.    I am aware that many people may have read about Nigeria's debt relief from the Paris Club, about the privatization program, or about the establishment of the excess crude account from newspapers. In this book, you will find a concise, well-organized discussion of all these policy measures without the big, technical, "grammar" and jargon. In each case, you will learn more about what the problem was; what reforms were introduced to address the problem and finally what are the challenges that still remain. 

12.    As the author points out in her book, the challenges of creating jobs, fighting corruption and completing various structural reforms are important task needing urgent attention. I am glad to reiterate that these concerns are already being tackled in the current Transformation Agenda of this Administration. 

13.    Let me assure you that my administration is not only committed to reform, we are indeed building on some of the reform measures initiated by my predecessors. Specifically, we are consolidating the macroeconomic reforms introduced in recent years. We are going further to focus on the various sectoral reforms, which will create jobs in our economy. 

14.    On the governance front, we are going after those who commit various economic crimes and corrupt practices with impunity. As you may be aware, Government is taking every legal measure to ensure that those who defraud the government in the petroleum subsidy scheme are made to pay back the stolen funds, and also are severely punished. 

15.    Let me also use this opportunity to restate this Administration's commitment to diversifying our economy, with particular emphasis on agro-business and value addition in the exploitation of other resources, all aimed at generating employment and creating wealth. 

16.    Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, a book as comprehensive as this will not be without controversy, and will definitely touch some raw nerves. However, I know the author well, and can attest that she is someone with a great deal of objectivity, and also one who means well for Nigeria. I beleive that this book is motivated by an honest desire to provide lessons, which can support our nation's long-term economic future. 

17.    Although this book focuses mostly on the reforms implemented at the Federal Level, I believe it also has many lessons on how reform measures can be implemented at the sub-national levels. I therefore urge State Governors and Local Government Chairmen to avail themselves copies of the book, which I am confident would stimulate robust discussions. 

18.    I also recommend this book to all of you here who are interested in our country's ongoing economic reforms. The practical advice and economic policies that the minister discusses would provide encouragement to policy-makers not only in Nigeria, but also in many other African countries. Reforms are possible, we can build sound and transparent democratic institutions, and we can also fix our economies to transform the lives of our people.
19.    Once again, I congratulate Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for this work and for contributing richly to the advancement of governance scholarship. It is now my pleasure to present to you the book: "Reforming The Unreformable: Lessons from Nigeria" authored by Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. 

20.    Thank you all very much for your attention. 

21.     God bless you. 
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STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE: PRESIDENT JONATHAN NOT INVOLVED IN RIVERS/BAYELSA BORDER DISPUTE

Our attention has been drawn to a publication in some newspapers today about a protest staged by the Kalabari National Forum and some monarchs in Abuja, in which the so-called protesters accused President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of interfering in a boundary dispute between Rivers and Bayelsa states.

The protesters alleged directly and through innuendoes, that there are plans to "cede five Rivers state oil communities to Bayelsa with the connivance of various Federal Government agencies under the watchful eyes and supervision of his Excellency, Mr. President whose home state, most ingloriously, is the direct beneficiary."

 We consider these allegations irresponsible and most unfortunate considering the status of the persons who reportedly championed the protest. The statutory agencies being referred to by the protesters do not take orders from the President; they are independent bodies. Besides, there are laid down procedures for resolving inter-state boundary disputes.

In this particular case, the dispute between Rivers and Bayelsa states predates the Jonathan administration, and has been a matter for consideration by the National Boundary Commission, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and other relevant agencies, long before now. The matter has never at any time been brought before either the President or the Vice President.

The school-boy style protest is an attempt at cheap blackmail. We find the motive deplorable. It is all the more surprising that a man of Alabo Graham Douglas's stature, a former Minister who ought to know what is right, will team up with a group intent on causing disaffection between the President and his Ijaw kinsmen.

 We advise the Kalabari National Forum, its members and hidden sponsors, to avoid the temptation to instigate conflict between the Nembe and Kalabari people of Rivers and Bayelsa states, who are both of the same Ijaw stock. The statutory agencies assigned the responsibility of resolving boundary disputes should be allowed to do their work.

President Jonathan appeals to the good people of Rivers and Bayelsa to refuse to be dragged into the politics of conflict being orchestrated by individuals pursuing a hidden agenda. The Federal Government, under President Jonathan's watchful eyes and supervision, remains committed to the promotion of fairness and justice in the interest of all parties concerned.

REUBEN ABATI
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
October 30, 2012
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President Jonathan and the Floods By Reuben Abati

Barring any other development of equally impactful effect, the great event of the year 2012 for Nigerians would probably be the floods that submerged many communities across the country, forcing a rude awakening about the reality of climate change and Nigeria's share of this global phenomenon. Which is ironic in one sense more than any other, for when President Jonathan travelled to Rio de Janeiro to attend the Earth Summit, known as Rio+20, in June, many had criticized him for paying attention to "an irrelevant subject."

     The principal lesson lies in how Nigeria shares with the rest of the world, the increasing challenge of climate change and its consequences, described in the Rio+20 document as "an immediate and urgent global priority." The floods were caused according to the experts by excess rainfall, which resulted in the overflooding of Rivers Benue and Niger and their tributaries, from Taraba, to Adamawa, Kogi, all the way to the states of Southern Nigeria. Natural disasters had always seemed to the average Nigerian like something that affects other people, and seen on CNN, and if there had been any knowledge of floods, it was regarded as something rare, occurring as a marginal reminder of the Biblical Flood. But this year, the floods reminded us all of how vulnerable our lives have become, and the sameness of both the rich and the poor in the face of natural disaster. Houses were submerged, farmlands were flooded, persons were displaced; the rich and the poor cried.

      This conflict between man and nature playing out on our shores, underscored the pivotal place of environmental challenges in the unmaking of human habitats. With water, an indispensable resource unleashing its power, the ordinariness of every man was exposed. Steven Solomon writes sentiently in his book

Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization (2010),  that "by grasping the lessons of water's pivotal role on our destiny, we will be better prepared to cope with the crisis about to engulf us all." That pivotal role is ambiguous. We had failed to pay attention to this. In many of the affected communities, houses had been built on riverbeds, along flood plains, and reclaimed land, and for decades, persons had gotten used to living in those places, naturally and successfully, having no reason whatsoever to imagine the kind of tragedy that crept upon the land this year. When the floods finally recede, many of the affected houses would no longer be habitable: adjustments have to be made by both people and the authorities.

    In the meantime, we can look back, with pleasure, on the quality leadership that was demonstrated in managing the effect of the floods and in providing immediate relief for the affected persons. The incident brought government closer to the people; it highlighted the value of strategic institutions such as the National Emergency Management Agency, which deployed human and material resources nationwide, and worked with other agencies such as the Red Cross, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the state governments to ameliorate the people's suffering. Deservedly, NEMA has received fulsome praise for its efforts. Needless to state that NEMA and other government agencies were responding to a strong charge from the very top, for as the flooding occurred, President Jonathan immediately directed that all relief measures should be mobilized to assist the states and the people. The moment called for leadership. And the President took charge as expected.

     He also promptly set up an Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee led by the Minister of Environment to go round the country to assess the extent of the floods. That Committee presented its interim report to the President at a meeting attended by state governors and the leadership of the National Assembly. The following day, President Jonathan addressed the nation and announced a 17.6 billion Naira relief fund for all the states, which was immediately made available for their use. All the affected states had set up displaced persons' camps and were actively providing feeding, accommodation and health services. Further, President Jonathan constituted a National Flood Relief and Rehabilitation Committee co-chaired by Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, to raise funds to complement government's efforts in assisting the flood victims, and to mobilise the general public to support the initiative. With these steps, the administration had pushed the management of the flood crisis to the level of high national priority,

 generating nationwide empathy in the process.

    In addition, President Jonathan announced that he and Vice President Namadi Sambo will visit the affected states. In the week that followed, Nigerians saw their President, without his trademark attire. This had given way to simple shirt and trouser, rolled up sleeves, and a face cap.

  The President travelled to Kogi, Rivers, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Taraba, Adamawa, and Benue states. He went from one camp to the other, identifying with the people, empathizing with them. He listened to their stories. He shared their agony. His own village in Bayelsa had also been submerged. When he went home to his village, Otuoke, he met his compound flooded up to chest level.

      In Kogi, he was told that a man who took a loan for his farm, and had lost everything, contemplated suicide. Everywhere he went, the President took a message of hope, advising the victims not to commit suicide, but to remain confident that with government on their side, there is hope. Together with the state governors, he thanked the relief agencies and all the persons who had come to the rescue of the victims. He didn't listen to official versions alone; he personally invited spokespersons of displaced persons to lay their concerns before him. There had been a baby boom in many of the camps: women who had given birth in the camps brought their babies to the President. He carried the babies, and posed for photographs with them and their mothers, the most impressive being a photograph of the President with four new-born babies and their mothers at the Makurdi camp.

     But the visit to the various camps was not without the touch of occasional comedy. In one of the states for example, one gentleman who felt that the spokesperson for the victims did not convey their feelings fully enough insisted on having a say in the matter. Some officials tried to prevent his intrusion. But when it was President Jonathan's turn to speak, he collected the microphone and took it straight to the agitated fellow. Speak! It was with much ceremony that the man proceeded to narrate how people who were not affected by the floods were thronging the displaced persons' camp to collect food meant for the victims and how this was already causing problems.

     He wanted the authorities to share the money that had been sent to the states by the Federal Government, directly among the victims in order to shut out non-victims who want "to shorten their ration". President Jonathan deplored the cruel activities of those seeking to profit from other people's misfortune, but patiently, he told the man that he had not come to discuss food, because all the state governments according to reports were doing a lot to assist the victims, and nobody would die anyway in any of the camps because of food. While government is providing necessary short term relief, the Administration is more concerned about how the people will manage their lives after the flood, how to prevent the outbreak of any kind of epidemic, how to rehabilitate the affected persons and how to prevent a similar tragedy in the future.

       Indeed, there has been so much pre-occupation with the "sharing" of either food or money, and journalistic nitpicking over the ecological fund, whereas the Jonathan administration's response to the crisis is much broader and comprehensive comprising short, medium and long-term measures. From the outset, the President had ordered an informed, multi-perspective analysis of the incident and its aftermath to guide

 interventions. A mapping of the affected areas has been done, the nature and extent of the damage has been properly studied; engineers have been dispatched to the states to assess the infrastructural impact of the floods. On all his visits to the states, President Jonathan was accompanied by the House Committee Chairman on Environment, Hon. Uche Ekwunife and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Special Duties, Senator Clever Ikisikpo.

      He was also joined by the Director of Army Engineering, whose department had gone round to assess the damage and was providing the President with preliminary engineering analysis. Bridges linking communities collapsed, roads were washed away.

  Public infrastructures in the affected communities need to be fixed, and the military was also called in to help.

 In the wake of the floods, fears were expressed about the possibility of drought in the coming year. President Jonathan promptly directed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to intervene, and a National Flood Recovery Production Plan was immediately launched. Under this plan, the Federal Government is providing high-yielding, flood-resistant seedlings and fertilisers for farmers, technical assistance and other incentives to boost the national yield, as well as releases from the national strategic grains reserves. The Ministry of Agriculture has since allayed fears of a food crisis, noting that the bulk of the country's farmlands remain unaffected.

      Similarly, the Federal Ministries of Works, Water Resources, Health and the Environment have been directed to design other relief plans. In all of these, the Federal Government is collaborating with the state governments. The Ministers travelled to each state ahead of the President with their teams, and they were on the ground to provide necessary information. In the few states where there is no State Emergency Management Agency, President Jonathan has asked NEMA to work with the state governments to set up such agencies to further strengthen the country's preparedness to tackle emergencies. When the floods occurred, there were also reports of a certain Cameroonian connection to wit that due to excess volume of water caused by excess rainfall, the Cameroonian authorities had released water from Lagdo dam; some other dams in Nigeria also had to be emptied raising the hydrological level in many places.

     Fact: the floods were predicted as far back as March by the relevant agencies. But we all took the predictions for granted. We are all such lucky people we often imagine that the worst cannot happen here. Even when government advises the people accordingly about likely dangers, the natural response is to resist official wisdom and insist that in a democracy, the people have a right to everything including self-immolation. To prevent artificial contributions to the effect of climate change, nonetheless, the administration has taken the additional step of reviewing available infrastructure that can serve the purpose. To this end, President Jonathan has directed that the dredging of Rivers Niger and Benue be expedited. He has also visited the Kashimbila Dam in Takum LGA, Taraba State, which is under construction. The buffer dam is designed to provide power and irrigation services, but more importantly to hold water released from Lake Nyos in Cameroon with a holding capacity of 18 million cubic litres. There are plans also, as part of long term intervention measures to build dams on the River Benue as well as dykes in identified vulnerable plains.

       President Jonathan has brought to the delivery of all these measures, passion, action and commitment. He asked the engineers in charge of the Kashimbila Dam when they think they are likely to complete the dam. "2013 sir!" He told them he hopes the promise will be kept because the nation cannot wait.

      The promptitude with which he has personally attended to the flood crisis has been commended by many an observer; the actual truth is that this is the nature and character of the man that Nigerians chose as their President in April 2011. He is one of the people, so he understands their feelings, and he speaks their language.

 He is informal, people-committed and devoted to the assignment that Nigerians have given him. He does not see the Presidency as a privilege-posting; he is committed to serving the people and making a difference, and he has removed "do-or-die" inclinations from the country's electoral process.

 Nigerians, this includes those with

 politically determined ocularity, should see that whenever they are looking for someone to stand by them, Goodluck Jonathan is the leader that they can count upon.

Dr Abati is Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to President Goodluck Jonathan

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN ONE DAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO SIERRA LEONE

PIC 1. CROSS SECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE NIGERIAN COMMUNITY  IN SIERRA LEONE DURING THEIR MEETING WITH PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN IN FREE TOWN ON MONDAY.

PIC 2. PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (L) BEING WELCOMED BY NIGERIAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT THE NIGERIAN HIGH COMMISSION IN FREE TOWN ON MONDAY.

PIC 3. PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (R) INAUGURATING THE NIGERIAN HIGH COMMISSION BUILDING IN FREE TOWN ON MONDAY.  WITH HIM ARE: THE NIGERIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SIERRA LEONE, MR EYO ASUQUO (2ND R) PDP NATIONAL SECRETARY, CHIEF OLAGUNSOYE ONYINLOLA AND WIFE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER, MRS EKEI ASUQUO,

PIC 4. PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (L) BEING CONFERRED  WITH THE AWARD OF HONORARY GRAND COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE (GCRSL) BY PRESIDENT ERNEST BAI KOROMA AT THE STATE HOUSE FREE TOWN ON MONDAY

PIC 5. FROM LEFT: PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (2ND L) ADDRESSING LEADERS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF POLITICAL PARTIES ON THE FORTHCOMING GENERAL ELECTION IN SIERRA LEONE ON MONDAY. WITH HIM ARE:  MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AMB OLUGBENGA ASHIRU (L) NIGERIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SIERRA LEONE, MR EYO ASUQUO (2ND R) AND THE COMMISSIONER, NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF SIERRA LEONE, MRS  CHRISTIANA THORP.

PIC 6 PRESIDENT ERNEST BAI KOROMA OF SIERRA LEONE (R) RECEIVING PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN AT THE LUNGI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DURING PRESIDENT JONATHAN'S ONE DAY VISIT TO SIERRA LEONE ON MONDAY
STATE HOUSE PHOTO

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President Jonathan and the Floods

Barring any other development of equally impactful effect, the great event of the year 2012 for Nigerians would probably be the floods that submerged many communities across the country, forcing a rude awakening about the reality of climate change and Nigeria's share of this global phenomenon. Which is ironic in one sense more than any other, for when President Jonathan travelled to Rio de Janeiro to attend the Earth Summit, known as Rio+20, in June, many had criticized him for paying attention to "an irrelevant subject."

The principal lesson lies in how Nigeria shares with the rest of the world, the increasing challenge of climate change and its consequences, described in the Rio+20 document as "an immediate and urgent global priority." The floods were caused according to the experts by excess rainfall, which resulted in the overflooding of Rivers Benue and Niger and their tributaries, from Taraba, to Adamawa, Kogi, all the way to the states of Southern Nigeria. Natural disasters had always seemed to the average Nigerian like something that affects other people, and seen on CNN, and if there had been any knowledge of floods, it was regarded as something rare, occurring as a marginal reminder of the Biblical Flood. But this year, the floods reminded us all of how vulnerable our lives have become, and the sameness of both the rich and the poor in the face of natural disaster. Houses were submerged, farmlands were flooded, persons were displaced; the rich and the poor cried.

This conflict between man and nature playing out on our shores, underscored the pivotal place of environmental challenges in the unmaking of human habitats. With water, an indispensable resource unleashing its power, the ordinariness of every man was exposed. Steven Solomon writes sentiently in his book Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization (2010), that "by grasping the lessons of water's pivotal role on our destiny, we will be better prepared to cope with the crisis about to engulf us all." That pivotal role is ambiguous. We had failed to pay attention to this. In many of the affected communities, houses had been built on riverbeds, along flood plains, and reclaimed land, and for decades, persons had gotten used to living in those places, naturally and successfully, having no reason whatsoever to imagine the kind of tragedy that crept upon the land this year. When the floods finally recede, many of the affected houses would no longer be habitable: adjustments have to be made by both people and the authorities.

In the meantime, we can look back, with pleasure, on the quality leadership that was demonstrated in managing the effect of the floods and in providing immediate relief for the affected persons. The incident brought government closer to the people; it highlighted the value of strategic institutions such as the National Emergency Management Agency, which deployed human and material resources nationwide, and worked with other agencies such as the Red Cross, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the state governments to ameliorate the people's suffering. Deservedly, NEMA has received fulsome praise for its efforts. Needless to state that NEMA and other government agencies were responding to a strong charge from the very top, for as the flooding occurred, President Jonathan immediately directed that all relief measures should be mobilized to assist the states and the people. The moment called for leadership. And the President took charge as expected.

He also promptly set up an Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee led by the Minister of Environment to go round the country to assess the extent of the floods. That Committee presented its interim report to the President at a meeting attended by state governors and the leadership of the National Assembly. The following day, President Jonathan addressed the nation and announced a 17.6 billion Naira relief fund for all the states, which was immediately made available for their use. All the affected states had set up displaced persons' camps and were actively providing feeding, accommodation and health services. Further, President Jonathan constituted a National Flood Relief and Rehabilitation Committee co-chaired by Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, to raise funds to complement government's efforts in assisting the flood victims, and to mobilise the general public to support the initiative. With these steps, the administration had pushed the management of the flood crisis to the level of high national priority, generating nationwide empathy in the process.

In addition, President Jonathan announced that he and Vice President Namadi Sambo will visit the affected states. In the week that followed, Nigerians saw their President, without his trademark attire. This had given way to simple shirt and trouser, rolled up sleeves, and a face cap. The President travelled to Kogi, Rivers, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Taraba, Adamawa, and Benue states. He went from one camp to the other, identifying with the people, empathizing with them. He listened to their stories. He shared their agony. His own village in Bayelsa had also been submerged. When he went home to his village, Otuoke, he met his compound flooded up to chest level.

In Kogi, he was told that a man who took a loan for his farm, and had lost everything, contemplated suicide. Everywhere he went, the President took a message of hope, advising the victims not to commit suicide, but to remain confident that with government on their side, there is hope. Together with the state governors, he thanked the relief agencies and all the persons who had come to the rescue of the victims. He didn't listen to official versions alone; he personally invited spokespersons of displaced persons to lay their concerns before him. There had been a baby boom in many of the camps: women who had given birth in the camps brought their babies to the President.

To be continued.

Dr Abati is Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to President Goodluck Jonathan
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STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE: OTHER OIL INDUSTRY COMMITTEES TO SUBMIT REPORTS TO PRESIDENT JONATHAN

Two other committees set up by the Federal Government earlier this year on different aspects of the country's petroleum industry are to also present their reports to President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday, November 2, 2012.
They are the committee established to design a new corporate governance code for ensuring full transparency, good governance and global best practices in the NNPC and other oil industry parastatals which had Mr. Dotun Sulaiman as its Chairman; and the Committee headed by Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu which was charged with the duty of conducting a high-level assessment of the nation's refineries and recommending ways of improving their efficiency and commercial viability.
President Jonathan will receive the two reports at the Presidential Villa immediately after the presentation of the report of the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force.
 
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
October 29, 2012

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE: OTHER OIL INDUSTRY COMMITTEES TO SUBMIT REPORTS TO PRESIDENT JONATHAN

Two other committees set up by the Federal Government earlier this year on different aspects of the country's petroleum industry are to also present their reports to President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday, November 2, 2012.
They are the committee established to design a new corporate governance code for ensuring full transparency, good governance and global best practices in the NNPC and other oil industry parastatals which had Mr. Dotun Sulaiman as its Chairman; and the Committee headed by Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu which was charged with the duty of conducting a high-level assessment of the nation's refineries and recommending ways of improving their efficiency and commercial viability.
President Jonathan will receive the two reports at the Presidential Villa immediately after the presentation of the report of the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force.
 
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
October 29, 2012

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT JONATHAN DIRECTS THAT RIBADU COMMITTEE REPORT BE SUBMITTED AT PRESIDENTIAL VILLA ON FRIDAY

In furtherance of the administration's commitment to transparency, probity, and accountability in the petroleum sector, President Goodluck Jonathan has directed that a comprehensive report of the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force chaired by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu should be presented to him this week.
The Committee which was set up in February 2012, was required to, among other tasks, determine and verify all petroleum upstream and downstream revenues (taxes and royalties, etc,) due and payable to the Federal Government of Nigeria, and to take all necessary steps to collect all debts due and owed; to obtain agreements and enforce payment terms by all oil industry operators.
 The presentation of the Committee's report will take place on Friday, November 2, at 11 am, at the State House, Abuja.
REUBEN ABATI
Special Adviser (Media &Publicity) to the President
October 29, 2012

Serena Williams wins WTA title, ends year No. 3

ISTANBUL (AP) — Her year filled with titles and trophies over, Serena Williams can at last admit it: This was a title she had her eye on.

Not that any more evidence of her all-consuming, powerful game was needed, but Williams gave it anyway. She dismissed Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-3 Sunday to win the WTA Championships for the third time and finish the year with another title, but not the top ranking.

"Now that I can be honest, I really wanted to win," Williams said. "I wanted it so bad, but I didn't want to say it. ... It was really important for me to end the year with this title in particular."

Williams ended the year with a 59-4 record and seven titles. Since her first-round loss at the French Open, she is 31-1, winning Wimbledon, the Olympic gold medal and the U.S. Open.

The 31-year-old Williams became the oldest player to capture the year-end championships. But she will finish the year ranked No. 3, behind No. 1 Victoria Azarenka and No. 2 Sharapova, because she did not play as well in the first half of the year. Azarenka lost to Sharapova in the semifinals.

"I had such a good year, it was important to end on a good note," Williams said. "It was good for my sanity to win. I really wanted it although I didn't need it."

In 2001 and '09 Williams also won the elite, year-end tournament that brings together the world's top eight players.

A fist-pumping Williams closed the first set with an ace, one of 11 she had in the match. The American broke serve to start the second and was never threatened again. Williams hit a powerful return on her first match point. She finished with 40 winners to Sharapova's 13.

"Today she had another great serving day against me," said Sharapova, who never had a break point.

Williams finished the tournament without dropping a set. She also beat Azarenka in round-robin play, one of her four wins against the No. 1 player this year.

"If I'm playing well and doing everything right, it's pretty difficult to beat me, without trying to sound too full of myself," Williams said. "And I hate to lose."

She has won 12 straight against opponents ranked No. 1 or No. 2 and has not lost to a player ranked in the top 2 since 2007.

Williams was not her mighty self early in the year following injuries and illness. Shortly after winning Wimbledon two years ago, she cut her foot on glass at a restaurant, leading to a series of health problems, including hospitalization for blood clots in her lungs. She also injured her ankle at the start of the year in Brisbane, Australia.

Williams last finished the year as No. 1 in 2009. She has held the No. 1 ranking for 123 weeks.

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASEPRESIDENT JONATHAN CONDEMNS KADUNA CHURCH SUICIDE BOMB ATTACK

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has condemned Sunday's suicide bomb attack on a Catholic Church in Kaduna.The President who was extremely saddened by the explosion, described it as "barbaric, cruel and uncalled for."President Jonathan noted that the apparent objective of the criminal and unpatriotic elements and forces behind the attack is to set back the progress the Administration has made in the fight against terrorism in the country. "It is obvious that these people do not mean well for Nigeria and its unity and development," he said.The President however, expressed confidence that the war against terrorism would become more unrelenting as the nation would never give in to the forces of terror and retardation.  He added that the persistence of messengers of evil will not prevail over the will of the government and the people to secure peace and safety."Our efforts to deal with all acts of terror and violence would only be redoubled even as the security agencies continue to receive all the support they need from government to reverse this unfortunate and unacceptable trend that threatens the peace and stability of our nation," President Jonathan said.

The President commiserated with the Catholic Church, family and friends of the victims of the bombing, assuring them that government's resolve to deal with the threat of terrorism remains strong.

REUBEN ABATI
Special Adviser (Media & Publicity) to the President
October 28, 2012

Satellite images suggest Sudan arms factory was bombed: group

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Analysis of satellite imagery of a Sudanese munitions factory that Khartoum accused Israel of bombing earlier this week suggests the site may have been hit with aerial bombardment as Sudan claims, a monitoring group said on Saturday.

The Satellite Sentinel Project, whose founders include Hollywood actor George Clooney and the Enough Project, said it conducted a comparative analysis of DigitalGlobe imagery of the arms factory in Khartoum, where a huge explosion on Tuesday killed two people and caused a large fire.

"The imagery shows six large craters, each approximately 16 meters across and consistent with impact craters created by air-delivered munitions, centered in a location where, until recently, some 40 shipping containers had been stacked," the group said a statement.

"An October 12 image shows the storage containers stacked next to a 60-meter-long shed," it said. "While (Sentinel) cannot confirm that the containers remained on the site on October 24, analysis of the imagery is consistent with the presence of highly volatile cargo in the epicenter of the explosions."

The images by themselves cannot be taken as clear evidence that the site was bombed and provides no clues as to who might have been responsible for any such bombardment.

A huge fire broke out late on Tuesday at the Yarmouk arms factory in the south of Khartoum, which was rocked by several explosions, witnesses said. Firefighters needed more than two hours to extinguish the fire at Sudan's main factory for ammunition and small arms.

Initially, the governor of Khartoum ruled out external causes of the fire. But Sudanese Information Minister Ahmed Belal Osman later told reporters that four military planes attacked the Yarmouk plant and Israel was behind it.

Israel neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack.

The poor Muslim East African state, with close ties to Iran and Sunni jihadis, has long been seen by Israel as a conduit for weapons smuggled to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, via the Egyptian Sinai desert.

It is not the first time Sudan has accused Israel of attacking it.

In May, Sudan's government said one person had been killed after a car exploded in the eastern city of Port Sudan. It said that explosion resembled a blast last year it had blamed on an Israeli missile strike.

Israel declined to comment on the May incident or the 2011 blast, which killed two people. It also neither admitted nor denied involvement in a similar incident in eastern Sudan in 2009.

EID-EL-KABIR MESSAGE TO NIGERIANS FROM GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR, PRESIDENT, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

My Dear Compatriots,

1.  I extend warm greetings and felicitations to you all as we celebrate this year's Eid-el-Kabir festival. 

2.  I also congratulate all Nigerians who successfully undertook the Hajj this year despite the unforeseen difficulties which developed over the issue of male companions for some of our female pilgrims.3.  Although the problem was eventually resolved with the positive intervention of the Federal Government, I have ordered a thorough post mortem of the incident with a view to ensuring that our Hajj airlift operations are never disrupted by  such problems in future and that no Nigerian pilgrim is ever subjected to such traumatic experience in the Holy Land again. 

4.  Nigerians remain a people of great faith with the vast majority of our people professing belief in God either as Muslims or Christians. 

5.  I believe therefore that we should all seize the opportunity of the Sallah season and the public holidays to reflect on how we can bring the ideals and virtues of our religious beliefs to bear on the positive resolution of the many challenges facing us as a nation. 

6.  There can be no doubt that we will make faster progress towards the attainment of developmental objectives  as a nation if we all resolve to do more to live up to the highest ideals of our religious beliefs including the fear of God, willingness to make personal sacrifices for the collective good, selfless service, respect for laws and constituted authorities, honesty, justice, equity, fairness, dutifulness, peace and harmonious co-existence with others. 

7.  My administration will continue to give dedicated, committed, focused and purposeful leadership towards overcoming old and emerging challenges before the nation. 

8.  While our doors remain open for constructive engagement and dialogue with all Nigerians, we shall continue to aggressively implement all measures deemed necessary for the restoration and maintenance of peace in all parts of the country. 

9.  As we celebrate the Eid-El-Kabir, let us all remember the plight of the many thousands of our compatriots who have been displaced by the floods which recently devastated many communities across the nation and resolve to contribute whatever we can to ameliorate their suffering. 

10.                   I have already announced a relief package of close to N18 billion and constituted a national committee to raise more funds to help victims of the floods. 

11.                   In the true spirit of our major religions which enjoin us to be generous to the needy, I urge all Nigerians who can do so, to donate munificently to the national relief fund for affected persons and communities. 

12.                   We will monitor the disbursement and utilization of the funds released by the Federal Government and those raised by the National Committee very closely to ensure that they are judiciously and expeditiously expended for the benefit of the flood victims. 

13.                   May God bless and reward all who help the flood victims. 

14.                   I wish all Nigerians who undertook the Hajj a safe journey back home. 

15.                   Happy Sallah to all Nigerians. 

 

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR

President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

October 25, 2012

PRESIDENT JONATHAN AT CORONATION OF HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, KING EBITIMI EMMANUEL BANIGO, THE AMANYANABO OF OKPOAMA KINGDOM, BAYELSA STATE

PIC 4 PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (M) ASSISTED BY GOV CHIBUKE AMAECHI OF RIVERS STATE (R) AND THE DEPUTY GOVERNOR OF BAYELSA STATE, REAR ADMIRAL JOHN JONAH (RTD) IN UNVEILING THE CROWN AT THE CORONATION OF HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, KING EBITIMI EMMANUEL BANIGO, THE AMANYANABO OF OKPOAMA KINGDOM, BAYELSA STATE ON SATURDAY (27/10/12).

PIC 5. AMANYANABO OF OKPOAMA KINGDOM, BAYELSA STATE, HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, KING EBITIMI EMMANUEL BANIGO (L), WITH HIS WIFE, PRINCESS EFFIOM BASSEY PELEBO BANIGO DURING THEIR CORONATION ON SATURDAY (27/10/12)

PIC 6 PRESIDENT  GOODLUCK JONATHAN (M) BEING DECORATED BY THE WIFE OF THE AMANYANABO OF OKPOAMA KINGDOM, PRINCESS EFFIOM BASSEY PELEBO BANIGO (L) AT THE CORONATION OF HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, KING EBITIMI EMMANUEL BANIGO ON SATURDAY (27/10/12)WITH THEM IS GOV CHIBUKE AMAECHI OF RIVERS STATE.

STATE HOUSE PHOTO
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President Jonathan's visit to Akwa-Ibom

PIC 1. PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (R) BEING WELCOMED BY GOV GODSWILL AKPABIO OF AKWA-IBOM STATE (M) HIS WIFE, EKAETTE AND THEIR CHILDREN DURING THE ARRIVAL OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN TO UYO ON SATURDAY (27/10/12).

PIC 2. PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (L), SUPPORTED BY GOV GODSWILL AKPABIO OF AKWA IBOM IN PERFORMING THE GROUNDBREAKING/FOUNDATION LAYING CEREMONY OF AKWA-IBOM STADIUM IN UYO ON SATURDAY (27/10/12).

PIC 3. PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (M), INAUGURATING AKWA IBOM GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IN UYO ON  SATURDAY (27/10/12) WITH HIM IS GOV. GODSWILL AKPABIO OF AKWA IBOM (L) AND THE DEPUTY GOVERNOR, OBONG NSIMA EKERE.

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Silvio Berlusconi convicted in Italy of tax fraud

MILAN (AP) — Just two days after announcing he won't run in spring elections, former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was convicted of tax fraud and sentenced to four years in prison Friday in a verdict that could see him barred from public office for five years.

Berlusconi, after dominating Italian politics for nearly two decades, has seen his power weakening in the last year as a sex scandal tarnished his image and he was forced to resign as premier after failing to convince financial markets that he could come up with convincing reforms to shield Italy from Europe's debt woes.

In the latest blow, the 76-year-old billionaire media mogul received the stiffest sentence among the four co-defendants convicted in a scheme that involved inflating the price his media empire paid for TV rights to U.S. movies and pocketing the difference. And the sentence was more than the three years and eight months sought by prosecutors.

The court, which began hearing the case in 2006, also said Berlusconi could not hold public office for five years or manage any company for three years, penalties that would take force only if the conviction is upheld on two levels of appeal.

In a statement, Berlusconi's lawyers condemned the verdict as "absolutely incredible," and said they would appeal. Berlusconi is expected to remain free while two levels of appeal are exhausted.

However, a corruption bill drafted by the technical government headed by Premier Mario Monti, who replaced Berlusconi, would bar anyone convicted at the trial level from seeking office.

Berlusconi denounced the conviction as "unreal" and the case as politically motivated —as he has the numerous charges against him mostly for business dealings since entering political life in 1994. Berlusconi stayed away from the Milan tribunal, where his lawyers on Friday were defending him in a separate courtroom on charges of having paid for sex with an underage Moroccan teen and trying to cover it up.

"It is a political conviction that I can define perfectly well as incredible and intolerable," Berlusconi said in a phone call to his Italia 1 private network Friday evening.

He denied that there was any connection between his decision to step aside and allow another center-right candidate to seek the premiership in spring elections.

"My lawyers and I never thought that such a conviction would be possible," Berlusconi said.

The court read its reasons for the conviction immediately in court, a rare occurrence given they have 90 days to write them. It was a sign that the judges want to speed the case along to the appellate level before the charges expire, sometime next year or early 2014.

"He has been around this particular block more than a few times," said Alexander Stille, who has written several books on Italy. "I don't see — partly given his advanced age and the nature of power in Italy — him doing jail time."

Berlusconi has been convicted in the past at the trial level. But the convictions have always either been overturned on appeal or seen the statute of limitations run out.

Roberto D'Alimonte, a political science professor at Rome's LUISS University, said Italians won't change their minds based on the conviction.

"Foreigners will be surprised, but not Italians," D'Alimonte said.

The real impact will be in whether the provision barring those convicted at the trial level from office will make it through Parliament in the corruption bill. "It is something to monitor," D'Alimonte said.

Prosecutors allege the defendants were behind a scheme to purchase the rights to broadcast U.S. movies on Berlusconi's private television network and falsely declared the payments to avoid taxes. They said the defendants then inflated the price for the TV rights of some 3,000 films as they relicensed them internally to Berlusconi's networks, pocketing the difference amounting to around €250 million.

A total of 11 people were on trial.

Three were acquitted, including a close associate of Berlusconi, Fedele Confalonieri, chairman of Mediaset.

Berlusconi and three others were convicted, including a Hollywood producer, Frank Agrama, who received a three-year sentence. The four convicted must deposit a total of €10 million ($13 million) into a court-ordered fund while the appeals proceed.

Four defendants were cleared because statute of limitations had run out on their charge.

Berlusconi is not the first former Italian premier to be convicted of criminal charges.

Former Socialist Premier Bettino Craxi eluded an arrest warrant and turned up at his villa in Tunisia in 1994 after a court in Italy charged him in a corruption case. He was tried in absentia, convicted and sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison, never returned to Italy and died in exile. Craxi was considered Berlusconi's mentor thanks to his opening to private television in Italy from a state monopoly.

Former seven-time Christian Democrat premier, Giulio Andreotti, was convicted of involvement in a Mafia murder. But he was cleared on appeal and never went to jail.
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Sallah Day Photos

PIC 1. PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (R), RECEIVING A SALLAH GREETING CARD FROM VICE PRESIDENT NAMADI SAMBO, WHO LED MUSLIMS RESIDING IN THE FCT TO PAY A SALLAH HOMAGE TO THE PRESIDENT IN ABUJA ON FRIDAY (26/10/12).

PIC 2. PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (2ND R), IN A HANDSHAKE WITH THE DEPUTY CHIEF IMAM OF ABUJA NATIONAL MOSQUE, MOHAMMED KABIR,DURING A SALLAH HOMAGE TO THE PRESIDENT IN ABUJA ON FRIDAY (26/10/12). RIGHT IS VICE PRESIDENT NAMADI SAMBO, WHO LED MUSLIMS RESIDING IN THE FCT TO PAY THE HOMAGE TO THE PRESIDENT.

PIC 3. MINISTER OF STATE FOR FCT, OLOYE OLAJUMOKE AKINJIDE (L), IN A HANDSHAKE WITH PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN, DURING A SALLAH HOMAGE TO THE PRESIDENT IN ABUJA ON FRIDAY (26/10/12). RIGHT IS VICE PRESIDENT NAMADI SAMBO, WHO LED MUSLIMS RESIDING IN THE FCT TO PAY THE HOMAGE TO THE PRESIDENT.

PIC 4. PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN WITH VICE PRESIDENT NAMADI SAMBO (L)AND SOME OF THE CHILDREN WHO WERE PART OF THE SALLAH HOMAGE TO THE PRESIDENT IN ABUJA ON FRIDAY (26/10/12).
 
PIC 5. PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN ADDRESSING NEWSMEN AT THE NATIONAL HOSPITAL ABUJA AFTER VISITING GOV DAMBABA SUNTAI OF TARABA STATE WHO WAS INVOLVED IN A PLANE CRASH. WITH HIM ARE: MINISTER OF STATE FOR POWER, MR DARIUS ISHAKU (R) AND THE CHIEF MEDICAL DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HOSPITAL ABUJA, PROF BELLO BALA SHEHU
 
STATE HOUSE PHOTO

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EID-EL-KABIR MESSAGE TO NIGERIANS FROM GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR, PRESIDENT, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

My Dear Compatriots,

1.  I extend warm greetings and felicitations to you all as we celebrate this year's Eid-el-Kabir festival. 

2.  I also congratulate all Nigerians who successfully undertook the Hajj this year despite the unforeseen difficulties which developed over the issue of male companions for some of our female pilgrims.3.  Although the problem was eventually resolved with the positive intervention of the Federal Government, I have ordered a thorough post mortem of the incident with a view to ensuring that our Hajj airlift operations are never disrupted by  such problems in future and that no Nigerian pilgrim is ever subjected to such traumatic experience in the Holy Land again. 

4.  Nigerians remain a people of great faith with the vast majority of our people professing belief in God either as Muslims or Christians. 

5.  I believe therefore that we should all seize the opportunity of the Sallah season and the public holidays to reflect on how we can bring the ideals and virtues of our religious beliefs to bear on the positive resolution of the many challenges facing us as a nation. 

6.  There can be no doubt that we will make faster progress towards the attainment of developmental objectives  as a nation if we all resolve to do more to live up to the highest ideals of our religious beliefs including the fear of God, willingness to make personal sacrifices for the collective good, selfless service, respect for laws and constituted authorities, honesty, justice, equity, fairness, dutifulness, peace and harmonious co-existence with others. 

7.  My administration will continue to give dedicated, committed, focused and purposeful leadership towards overcoming old and emerging challenges before the nation. 

8.  While our doors remain open for constructive engagement and dialogue with all Nigerians, we shall continue to aggressively implement all measures deemed necessary for the restoration and maintenance of peace in all parts of the country. 

9.  As we celebrate the Eid-El-Kabir, let us all remember the plight of the many thousands of our compatriots who have been displaced by the floods which recently devastated many communities across the nation and resolve to contribute whatever we can to ameliorate their suffering. 

10.                   I have already announced a relief package of close to N18 billion and constituted a national committee to raise more funds to help victims of the floods. 

11.                   In the true spirit of our major religions which enjoin us to be generous to the needy, I urge all Nigerians who can do so, to donate munificently to the national relief fund for affected persons and communities. 

12.                   We will monitor the disbursement and utilization of the funds released by the Federal Government and those raised by the National Committee very closely to ensure that they are judiciously and expeditiously expended for the benefit of the flood victims. 

13.                   May God bless and reward all who help the flood victims. 

14.                   I wish all Nigerians who undertook the Hajj a safe journey back home. 

15.                   Happy Sallah to all Nigerians. 

 

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR

President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

October 25, 2012

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE: PRESIDENT JONATHAN CONGRATULATES ONAIYEKAN ON HIS ELEVATION TO THE RANK OF CARDINAL

On behalf of himself, the Federal Government and people of Nigeria, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan heartily congratulates Bishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan on his elevation to the rank of Cardinal of the Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XVI.
President Jonathan believes that Bishop Onaiyekan's elevation to highest echelon of the Catholic Church by the Pope clearly shows that the exemplary diligence, dedication and commitment with which he has gone about his labours in the Lord's vineyard since his ordination in 1969 has been recognised and appreciated.
The President notes that with Bishop Onaiyekan's elevation, Nigeria now has three members of the most eminent and distinguished College of Catholic Cardinals. He welcomes this as an indication by the Vatican of its continuing recognition of the immense contributions of the Church in Nigeria to the Worldwide Catholic Movement.
President Jonathan prays that God Almighty will grant Bishop Onaiyekan continued good health and the strength, wisdom and Divine Guidance he will require to discharge his new responsibilities to the Glory of God and his fatherland.
He wishes him a very successful tenure as Cardinal.
 
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
October 24, 2012

Sallah Holidays

The Federal Government has declared Thursday 25th and Friday 26th October as public holidays to mark the 2012 Eid El-Kabir celebrations.


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STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE: NIGERIA WILL MISS LATE MRS. SHEILA SOLARIN – PRESIDENT JONATHAN

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has described the death of
Mrs. Sheila Solarin, widow of renowned educationist and social crusader, Dr. Tai Solarin, as a big loss to the nation.
The President said Mrs. Solarin's death has left a big vacuum
in the educational system of the country as the nation would miss the unparalleled commitment, discipline, expertise, prowess and astuteness she brought to bear on the teaching profession and school administration.
"Her remarkably long period in running the popular Mayflower
School, Ikenne and teaching English in that school, made her to leave an indelible impact on generations of students who today occupy prominent positions in all sectors of the Nigerian society," he said.
President Jonathan who described Mrs. Solarin as a great
soul, highly respected mother, peace-maker and community worker, commended her uncommon courage and patriotism in making Nigeria her permanent home before and after the demise of her husband.
The President noted that "her decision to carry on with the
legacy of her late husband even up to a very advanced age, speaks a lot about her indomitable spirit and a great lesson for others to emulate."
President Jonathan while commiserating with the Solarin
family, the people and government of Ogun State and all students of Mayflower
School, also implored them to keep Mrs. Solarin's humanitarian work and other legacies alive in the interest of the nation and posterity.

REUBEN ABATI
Special Adviser (Media
& Publicity) to the President
October 22, 2012.
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REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR, AT THE PRESIDENTIAL RETREAT OF THE SPORTS SECTOR, ABUJA, OCTOBER 22, 2012

PROTOCOLS

It is with great expectation that I welcome you to this retreat, designed to chart a new course for sports in our country. Our goal is to brainstorm and strategize on how we can reclaim our past sporting glory and restore happiness and dignity to our country in sporting events.

There is no gain saying that apart from its obvious benefits in bringing joy to our citizens, especially when our teams do well, no other sector of our national life has a greater force for mobilizing and uniting our people around a common purpose, than sports.
We would always remember the 1996 Atlanta Olympics for good. We would always remember the tears, the tears of joy Chioma Ajunwa brought to our eyes. She jumped above every expectation to claim the gold medal in the women's long jump event. She gave us our first gold medal ever at the Olympics, displaying the never-say-die Nigerian spirit, the spirit that can never be defeated no matter the situation and circumstances. She brought smiles to our faces and filled our hearts with joy.

The celebration was yet to die down when the football team, led by Kanu Nwankwo, added an icing to the cake by winning the gold medal. The Dream Team, as they were called, lived up to the Nigerian dream, beating our old nemesis, Brazil, on the way to beating another football powerhouse, Argentina, in the final of the football event.

In a matter of days, we had written our name in gold twice at a very difficult period of our nationhood. Nigerians of all classes, religions and ethnic groups poured into the streets in celebration, despite the political tension in the land. Such is the joy that sports bring into the land.

No nation can afford to overlook the relevance of sports to national development and national well- being. As a powerful socio-economic tool for youth development, nation building and instilling core values of social justice, sports remains at the heart of our National Transformation Agenda.

This Retreat is timely, given the recent disappointing performance of Team Nigeria at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and our recent lows in football competitions among others. This unacceptable trend points to systemic failures that urgently call for a drastic and holistic review of our sport policies.

Let me make this clear: We are not here to apportion blame or to point accusing fingers. We are not here to lament. We are here to find solutions and put in place a framework for achieving national sporting excellence.

Amidst the lows, we have also had successes with our Paralympians in the London Olympics as a tonic for our thirst for greater honour.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I requested that we bring together, to a retreat, major stakeholders in the sporting industry, including State Governors, key officials of this Administration, those who have participated in our sports development over the years, members of the organized private sector, men and women of experience as we embark on a major turning point in our sporting journey.

Our gathering here today must lead to our coming up with workable solutions to the most critical issues underpinning sports development in our nation. One of the vital questions facing this retreat is: 'why do some countries excel in sports and others do not?' Providing answers to this question is an important responsibility we must all discharge.

Whether we are going to turn the situation around or not, depends largely on what we collectively agree here as Federal; State; and Local Governments, as well as private businesses and as athletes and managers.

Make no mistake: Our commitment is to become the best sporting nation in Africa, be among the top 4 sporting nations in the Commonwealth and ultimately rule the world. This vision is not only realistic, it is also achievable with hard work, greater sense of purpose, and dedication.

Without doubt, our sports industry has developed rapidly, with good prospects for sustained growth. We can only tap this latent potential through adequate investment and proper governance structure. Today, our financing channel for sports is singular, the investment channel is narrow, and the source is unsustainable.

The medals table of the last few Olympics is a strong indicator that Sports is now a major tool for demonstrating economic and social strength by countries. Sports must therefore remain a major element of our vision for national rebirth. It must constitute a driving force and indicator of our progress towards becoming one of the leading 20 economies of the world by the year 2020.

If we must achieve excellence and meet the objective requirements for the rapid development of our sports industry, then we must broaden the financing base of the industry and create the right conditions for private sector funding and investment in sport.

Adequate funding of sports is very crucial to this endeavor but efficient and transparent management of resources is key. This is why I have set up a committee under the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, to work out a strategy for sustainable management of funding of the sports sector.

The Federal Government will continue to do all that is necessary to improve our sporting fortunes. I believe that the State Governments are also doing the same. The private sector should now do more by investing in the sector. If you do business in Nigeria, your number one brand identity is Nigeria.

It is my hope that at the end of this retreat, we would have come out with a clear practical and measurable action plan that will pave the way for greater sporting glory for our dear country.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is now my honour to declare this retreat open.

I thank you.

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Ondo Gubernatorial Election: Another Proof of President Jonathan’s Commitment to Democracy By Reuben Abati

As Nigerians continue to celebrate the success of the just-concluded governorship election in Ondo State, it is important to note that although the president would naturally have wanted his party, the PDP, to win the governorship election in the State, the fact that he has never abused the enormous powers of the presidency to influence the outcome of elections shows that he is a man of his words, a committed democrat and a President who believes in the rule of law and the supremacy of the will of the people. Ahead of the Ondo State 2012 Gubernatorial elections, here is what the President said at the Democracy Park in Akure, Ondo State on October 13, 2012:

"What we can guarantee the people of Ondo state is that the commitment of this present administration to ensure that Nigeria continues to remain high in the comity of nations in terms of how we select our leaders remains constant. It is going to be one man, one vote, one woman, one vote, one youth, one vote." 

While reacting to the news that some political parties were mobilizing thugs for the election, President Jonathan added:

"I was told that some people are mobilizing thugs from everywhere, if they like they can go to anywhere to bring thugs, the Federal Government will not allow any thug to come out that day, and if you know you are a thug or your child is to be used as a thug, carry them away from Ondo state, because government will never tolerate any rubbish. It will be free and fair election and nobody will frustrate the commitment of government to project Nigeria truly and nobody will allow thuggery." 

The President made a similar promise, most recently in Edo state. And he kept his words. He has kept his words again. Discerning Nigerians will readily admit that Nigeria's electoral process has been truly transformed under President Jonathan's watch. Apart from ensuring free and fair elections in Edo and Ondo as in every other part of the country, President Jonathan was also the first person to congratulate Governor Mimiko.  A man of his words!  A true sportsman!President Jonathan also commended the dutiful, patriotic and law-abiding electorate of Ondo State as well as the INEC personnel and security agencies who ensured that the elections were peacefully and successfully conducted in keeping with his Administration's commitment to making elections in Nigeria progressively better organised and more credible.

As Governor Mimiko prepares for his second term in Office, the President has urged him to rededicate himself to work even harder to justify the trust and confidence reposed in him by the people of Ondo state who voted overwhelmingly for his re-election.

President Jonathan has assured Dr. Mimiko that the Federal Government will continue to engage constructively and positively with the Ondo State Government in collaborative efforts to achieve faster socio-economic development and better living conditions for people in the state and all other parts of Nigeria.

Ondo Gubernatorial Election: Another bright moment for Nigeria! President Jonathan's transformation agenda remains sure and steady.

Reuben Abati
State House, Abuja

STATE HOUSE PRESSS RELEASE PRESIDENT JONATHAN CONGRATULATES MIMIKO ON HIS RE-ELECTION

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan congratulates Governor Olusegun Mimiko on his declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of yesterday's governorship elections in Ondo State.
President Jonathan also commends the dutiful, patriotic and law-abiding electorate of Ondo State as well as the INEC personnel and security agencies who ensured that the elections were peacefully and successfully conducted in keeping with his Administration commitment to making elections in Nigeria progressively better organised and more credible.
As Governor Mimiko prepares for his second term in Office, the President urges him to rededicate himself to working even harder to justify the trust and confidence reposed in him by the people of Ondo state who voted overwhelmingly for his re-election on Saturday.
President Jonathan assures Dr. Mimiko that the Federal Government will continue to engage constructively and positively with the Ondo State Government in collaborative efforts to achieve faster socio-economic development and better living conditions for people in the state and all other parts of Nigeria.
He wishes Dr. Mimiko a very successful second term as Governor of Ondo State.

Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
October 21, 2012

Libyan turmoil persists year after Gadhafi death

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — On the anniversary of the capture and killing of Moammar Gadhafi, Libya is still grappling with the legacy of his four decades of rule as the interim government and the dictator's former spokesman engaged in a war of words amid the ongoing chaos.

The Libyan government said Saturday its forces had detained Gadhafi's high profile spokesman Moussa Ibrahim, but an online recording from a man purporting to be Ibrahim denied that claim and said he wasn't even in the country.

The conflicting reports, neither of which could be independently verified, reflect the turmoil that has persisted over the past year, leaving the oil-rich North African nation deeply divided. Tensions have spiked as rival forces battle over the city of Bani Walid.

Bani Walid, some 140 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of Tripoli, was the last major city in Libya to fall to the uprising, thanks in part to its protected location in a valley near the mountains. Over the past year, it has seen periodic violence and emerged as the most significant town in Libya still resisting the country's new authorities since Gadhafi was slain near his hometown of Sirte last year.

"We've lost too many people in Bani Walid and we are still losing them so I don't think it's time for a celebration," said Abdessalem Mahfoud, a local neighborhood council member in Tripoli, when asked about the anniversary of Gadhafi's death.

The turmoil in Libya, which overthrew Gadhafi last year with the help of NATO airstrikes, has become a campaign issue in the U.S. presidential race after an attack on the U.S. consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

For many who fought against Gadhafi, the new Libya cannot be born until the last vestiges of the old regime, fugitives like Ibrahim and towns like Bani Walid, have been routed.

"I don't think things are really moving in the right direction until we finish with Bani Walid because it is stopping us from making a new Libya," said Abdel-Basit al-Mzirig, a former deputy justice minister and now on Libya's human rights council.

A statement from the prime minister office said that Ibrahim was caught at a checkpoint outside Bani Walid while trying to flee a recent uptick in fighting over the town and would be taken to Tripoli for questioning.

However, the government produced no proof of its claim and hours later, Ibrahim had not been seen in public. State television did briefly show a photograph of a man in a hospital bed with a bandaged shoulder which they labeled as the former spokesman, but the veracity of the photo could also not be confirmed.

The urbane, English-speaking Ibrahim became the face of the regime in its final months and was the most well-known former regime figure to remain unaccounted for after Gadhafi's son and heir-apparent Seif al-Islam was taken late last year. The regime's former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senoussi was later detained in Mauritania and extradited to Libya.

It is not clear what charges Ibrahim might face, but officials in the past have suggested he might be accused of incitement and disseminating false information.

The seven-minute recording, which was posted on Ibrahim's Facebook page, rejected the reports that he had been captured, as well as subsequent, unconfirmed rumors about the detention of Gadhafi's son Khamis, who was reportedly killed last year.

"We are outside of Libya. We have no relations with Bani Walid and no contact with it. We are nowhere near Bani Walid," he said.

Libyans have failed to overcome deep enmities between those who fought to overthrow Gadhafi and former loyalists of the late leader, whose eccentric and brutal rule focused on pitting tribes against one another.

Al-Mzirig said many remnants of the old regime are still working inside the government and only after they have been removed will the country fulfill the promises of the uprising, which began in February 2011 as part of the Arab Spring wave of revolts that swept the Middle East but quickly morphed into a civil war.

This attitude, common among many who fought in the uprising, bodes ill for future efforts to bring rival groups together.

In the year since Gadhafi's death, conflicts have broken out around the country, and despite the unprecedented election of a 200-person national assembly, the central government is weak and power remains with the armed groups that sprung up with the rebellion.

A hard-line Islamist militia in Benghazi, Ansar al-Shariah, is widely believed to have been behind the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate, although it has denied responsibility.

These groups, especially the armed militias, have often pursued their own agendas, some dating back to longstanding feuds inside a country Gadhafi controlled unchecked for more than four decades.

After Gadhafi was killed, the former rebels negotiated a takeover of the Bani Walid and then looted it, prompting the angry citizens to form their own militia and throw out their new rulers in January.

The tensions boiled over when one of the rebels celebrated for being among those who captured Gadhafi, Omran Shaaban, was captured and allegedly tortured by the Bani Walid militia.

He later died in a French hospital and stencils of his name and face can be seen painted on buildings in Tripoli. As the militias gathered for revenge, the government authorized them to retrieve those responsible for the killing, setting the stage for the current siege.

"We are protecting Libya because there are pro-Gadhafi people in Bani Walid. There are many wanted people there — they are devils," said Omar Saleh, a militiamen with the Libyan Shield manning the Umm Rashrash checkpoint 60 kilometers (40 miles) from Bani Walid. "We haven't started to bombard them yet — we could if we wanted — but we are afraid of hitting civilians."

Libya is still building a national army and transitional authorities depended heavily on ex-rebel forces such as Libya Shield to secure the country.

The civilians, meanwhile, streamed out of the town as the steady thump of heavy machine guns could be heard from miles away.

They said the main road was blocked but they had taken dirt roads through olive groves toward the nearby town of Tarhouna.

Trucks piled high with mattresses and filled with children and women wearing all-encompassing robes were searched by the militia before being sent on their way.

"I left Bani Walid at 5 a.m. There is random shelling there and people are dying, including women and children," Ghaith Hadi Ghaith said as he waited for his car to be inspected. "There is nothing to eat or drink."

He said the shooting was coming from all sides. He claimed the city only had 150 to 160 pro-Gadhafi people, but that was hotly disputed by the militiamen who said there was a list of 400 wanted figures from the old regime and hundreds more gunmen.

AP

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT JONATHAN SAYS EKWUEME HAS BECOME ONE OF NIGERIA’S MOST RESPECTED NATIONAL ICONS

As former Vice President, Chief Alex Ekwueme celebrates his 80th birthday on Sunday, October 21, 2012, President Jonathan has eulogized him as a living personification of the highest ideals of patriotism and selfless service.
 
In a congratulatory letter to Chief Ekwueme, President Jonathan extolled the former Vice President's laudable contributions to national development over the years, saying that his "unassailable integrity and consummate diligence" have made him one of Nigeria's most respected elder statesmen.
 
"On the occasion of your landmark 80
th birthday anniversary, I join your family, friends, and well-wishers in thanking Almighty God for the richly fulfilled life He has blessed you with.
 
"A thorough-bred professional, an accomplished administrator and leader of men, an epitome of the highest ideals of selfless service and unwavering patriotism, your unassailable integrity and consummate diligence have combined to make you one of our most respected national icons today.
 
"Over the years, you have consistently invested the benefit of your inspiring attributes in dedicated service to our dear country, while continuing to avail our generation of leaders of your enduring wise counsel. It is my prayer that Almighty God continues to keep and prosper you even as He blesses you with robust health and a life of perpetual fulfilment," President Jonathan wrote. 
On behalf of his family, the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the President wished Chief Ekwueme very happy birthday celebrations.
 
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
October 20, 2012

Saving The Lives Of Women And Children by Goodluck Jonathan and Jens Stoltenberg

In 2010, the UN Secretary-General's Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health highlighted the suffering of women and children around the world caused by lack of access to life saving commodities. Life in the developing world is filled with stories like that of the woman who, just after child birth, dies from excessive bleeding because the health centre is stocked-out of the medicine to save her life; the child with a simple case of pneumonia who cannot be treated because the needed antibiotic is not registered for use; and the 45-year old woman who finds out she is pregnant for the seventh time, after almost dying the last time she gave birth because she does not have access to modern methods of family planning.     The overarching health system and financial impediments for governments and end-users to access life-saving commodities is made worse by the lack of awareness of how, why and when to use them, preventing women and children from accessing and using appropriate commodities. Other system barriers to these commodities include the severely under-resourced regulatory agencies in low-income countries, which lead to delayed registration of commodities, lack of oversight of product quality and general inefficiencies; market failures, where return on investment is too low to encourage manufacturers to enter the market or produce sufficient quantities; and user supply and demand challenges such as limited demand for the product by end-users, local delivery problems and incorrect prescription and use.    The UN Secretary-General's Global Strategy called on the global community to work together to save 16 million lives by 2015 through increasing access to essential medicines, medical devices and health supplies that effectively address leading avoidable causes of death during pregnancy, childbirth and childhood. This challenge has been taken up by the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children, with a focus on the world's 49 poorest countries.     The Commission recognises that if the needs for modern contraceptive methods were fully met in these countries, an estimated 53 million unintended pregnancies would be avoided, about 90,000 women's lives would be saved and an estimated 590,000 newborn deaths would be averted. In addition, many of the over 800,000 deaths of children each year from diarrhoea could be prevented with oral rehydration solution and zinc that cost less than US$0.50 per treatment.     The Commission has identified 13 overlooked life saving commodities that, if more widely accessed and used, could save the lives of more than 6 million women and children. These are; Maternal health commodities such as Oxytocin and Misoprostol (to prevent and treat post-partum haemorrhage) and Magnesium sulphate (to prevent and treat eclampsia and severe pre- eclampsia); Newborn health commodities such as injectable antibiotics (to treat newborn sepsis), Antenatal corticosteroids (to prevent respiratory distress in preterm babies), Chlorhexidine (for newborn cord care) and resuscitation devices (to treat newborn asphyxia); Child health commodities amoxicillin (to treat pneumonia) and Oral rehydration salts and Zinc (to treat diarrhoea); and Reproductive health commodities such as Female condoms, Contraceptive implants and Emergency contraception.     To deliver on the promise of saving the lives of millions of women and children, the Commission recommends actions which focus on the need for improved global and local markets for life-saving commodities, innovative financing, quality strengthening and regulatory efficiency, improved national delivery of commodities and better integration of private sector and consumer needs. The scaling up of access to and use of these 13 commodities is not only a moral obligation, but one of the most effective ways of getting more health for the money invested.       It would make a significant contribution to put maternal and child health in a trajectory to end these preventable and tragic deaths. The Commission estimates that the scale up will cost less than USD 2.5 billion over five years and save over 6 million lives. These estimated costs per lives saved are low and represent excellent global development investments.

      The Commission has also developed a detailed plan for implementation with cross-cutting and commodity-specific actions and clearly stated national, regional and global activities and associated costs. Recognizing that many commodity-related obstacles are linked to financial barriers and rooted in broader health system challenges – such as poor governance, inadequate human resources, ineffective local supply chains and insufficient information systems – the Commission calls for further links between the identified solutions and priority actions and other global and national initiatives for strengthening health systems

    The Commission believes that it is possible to overcome seemingly entrenched barriers when partners work together. The success in substantially reducing the price of antiretroviral drugs for HIV is testimony to the effect of partnerships, with 6.6 million people in developing countries receiving these drugs at the end of 2010. Initiatives such as aggregating orders, and improving the forecasting, financing and manufacturing capacity of insecticide-treated nets in sub-Saharan Africa increased their supply from 5.6 million in 2004 to 145 million in 2010, leading to substantial reductions in deaths due to malaria.     When auto-disable syringes for immunization were introduced in 1992 to prevent infections from re-use in developing countries, the cost was over six times that of normal syringes. The price difference is now near equal and use near universal due to sustained increased demand following initial GAVI Alliance support for their use. These previous achievements give us the confidence to call on local communities, National authorities and the global community to once again rally around an initiative that will save millions of lives in the poorest countries of the world, this time by improving the availability, affordability and accessibility of these 13 proven life-saving commodities. 

Dr. Jonathan, President Federal Republic of Nigeria and  Rt. Honourable Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister, Norway are co-chairs of the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children.