Niger Delta militants give Buhari conditions for peace......

The joint revolutionary council of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF), which claims to be the highest organ of “all the freedom fighting body” in the Niger Delta, has declared ceasefire and given conditions for peace.
The group had earlier threatened to launch six missiles in the region and to also shut Nigeria’s airspace, but it said it decided to do otherwise after the federal government offered to dialogue.
Some of the demands made by the group include:

• Immediate release of former NSA, Sambo Dasuki and IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu
• Reversal of the order to freeze the bank accounts of Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a Tompolo
• Re-establishment of Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta state
• Implementation of the report of the 2014 national conference
• Removal of Paul Boroh, coordinator of the presidential Amnesty Programme and appointment of Dr. Felix Tuodolo who was the original designer of the Amnesty Programme.

The group said Niger Delta governors are its representatives and threatened “to go after them if they betray the region”.
It added:

“We shall continue to engage in dialogue if our demands are met. Our representatives for the dialogue, especially the governors and others will not betray our demands with the federal government. Any betrayal on their own part shall be viewed as betrayal of the entire region and we shall go after them immediately as they know our mode of operation in which they will not escape from us.
“There is no gainsaying that we made our earlier promise to launch six missiles simultaneously against some targeted areas. But this was waved aside as a result of appeals made to us through email by the federal government and some international nations to open talks with Buhari.
“We saw some genuine aspiration on the part of Buhari, who made several contacts to us to see reason with them over the issue of under-development of the region. And since he (Buhari) had set the ball rolling for a clear negotiation with us, there is no problem without solution. We have therefore declared ceasefire in order to negotiate with the government if it is a true reflection of what they have in mind to develop the Niger Delta region.”
“We are not ready to negotiate with the federal government for the sake of monetary benefit to us but how genuinely the government will develop the region is at the centre of our discussion and anything less than that we will continue our struggle without further warning to the federal government,” the statement read.
“We demand the immediate implementation of the report of the 2014 national conference report, failure of which Nigeria will forcefully break-up. Oil-polluted lands in the Niger Delta must be cleaned up, while compensation should be paid to all oil-producing communities, e.g. Chevron fire outbreak of gas explosion in Koluama, Bayelsa state and Bonga Oil Spill in 2011;
“We also demand the immediate release of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) and Dr. Nnamdi Kanu.
“We also want the removal of Brigadier General Paul Boroh (rtd.) as  Amnesty Coordinator. He does not understand the programmes and policies of the Amnesty and does not know us to the grassroots. “Hence he should be replaced with Dr. Felix Tuodolo who has been in the struggle of non-violence since 1980 and he was the designer of the amnesty programme.
“We carried out all these attacks on oil and gas pipelines in the region because of the statement made by President Buhari that he will develop those areas that gave him 95% votes during his presidential election last year. We, the Niger Delta people only gave him 5% hence we vowed that our oil money will not be used for the development of any other region.”

JNDLF’s declaration did not stop another militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers from blowing up pipelines in Bayelsa state on Friday.

Jim Iyke’s touching words as Stephen Keshi’s burial plans begin

Jim Iyke.

 

The sudden demise of former Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, threw the entire country into mourning.
Keshi’s burial plans begin this week with the Federal Government and Governments of Delta, Edo and Cross River all taking part.
Politicians, sports administrators, businessmen as well as entertainment practitioners all expressed grieve and condolence.
Below are touching words of actor, Jim Iyke as posted on his Instagram page:

I was reluctant to say something. Words truly fail me now. I don’t know where to begin. Barely a couple of months ago victor and I were on the phone to offer our condolences and respect on the passing of your lovely wife.
About a month ago I was at the office in Atlanta, enthusiastically discussing with your son Steve Jnr, about how to start up this great business idea we all hatched up. Then this happened!! How does one go about eulogizing a giant; a national and global icon. An amazing father and steadfast leader.
You were the best amongst equals. A man that weathered fame and victory with the same seamless grace and guts as failure and criticism.
You gave everything in your soul to my countrymen even when some chose to suffer temporary amnesia when you faltered a few times. I have blatantly refused to make sense of this senseless loss.
Gone too soon. The bonfire in the desert storm.
God grant your family the strength and fortitude to bear this heart-rending loss.
You were the pioneer that stood at the door of international acclaim and opened it for generations to follow.
You sacrificed so that others can dare to dream and achieve.
You redefined being a boss on the international stage long before we even wrapped our heads around the concept of the word and its eminent potentials.
You will always be my hero coacha!
Adieu BIG BOSS! Your legacy and philosophy is indelible on the sands of time. God is in charge now.#Gladysboi #Harvpapa #BigBoss #RIP#CallToGloryChronicles.

$2million jewelry: Diezani blasts Al Jazeera, asks: “When did it become a crime for a woman of my status to have in her possession, jewelry?”

Immediate-past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, has reacted to a recent documentary by Al Jazeera, in which it was alleged that her piece of property in Abuja worth $18m and her jewelry worth $2m, have been seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
EFCC acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, in an interview said that the EFCC had seized the Abuja home of the former minister as well as jewelry worth $2million.
But in a statement on Monday, Diezani decried that the report represents everything ridiculous and despicable about professional media practice and global best practices in the war against corruption, adding that it was the latest attempt to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
She said: “My attention has been drawn to a report by Al Jazeera, which was released on Monday as a testament to the effectiveness of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in its war against corruption.
“In the video report, which has been widely circulated in the social media, there are claims about me owning a property in Abuja allegedly worth $18 million. The report, which represents everything ridiculous and despicable about professional media practice and global best practices in the war against corruption, is the latest attempt to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
“Clips of jewelry allegedly worth over $2 million were also copiously displayed as if to feed the cravings of an audience gratified with the notion that every wealthy Nigerian is corrupt.
“This will not be the first time calculated attempts have been made to demonise and damage my reputation in the public space. Many times, my detractors have gotten away with these irresponsible smear campaigns because they have become accustomed to my characteristic approach of silence in the face of these callous attacks.
“The latest in the string of propaganda attacks launched against my person since I left government as Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister is this Al Jazeera report, which without any court conviction anywhere in the world attempts to dress Diezani Alison Madueke in the garb of a common criminal.
“This, to say the least, is the height of journalistic brigandage and a sheer mockery of Nigeria’s anti-corruption war before the eyes of the world who are watching and asking if the war against corruption is a circus show where suspects are prosecuted and sentenced on the pages of newspapers and video blogs without anything as remotely in the semblance of a trial in the courts of law.
“When did it become a crime to own a property in Nigeria? When did it become a crime for a woman of my status to have in her possession, jewelry? Jewelry, which women all across the world, including the woman selling tomatoes in Bodija market have in abundance in their closets? In which court of law, anywhere in the world was I prosecuted by the EFCC and found guilty of corruption?
“With all sense of modesty, I say this only for posterity and for the records. I have strived within my means and the blessings of God to live a decent and accomplished life. I studied architecture in England and obtained a bachelor’s degree from Howard University, United States of America in 1992. When I returned to Nigeria that same year, I joined Shell Petroleum Development Corporation.
“In 2002, I obtained an MBA at Cambridge University, United Kingdom. In April 2006, I was appointed by Shell as the company’s first female Executive Director in Nigeria. In July 2007, I was appointed by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as Minister of Transport.
“The next year in December 2008 I became Minister of Mines and Steel Development. In April 2010, I was appointed as Minister for Petroleum Resources and served in that capacity till May 2015. During this period as Petroleum Minister, I had the honour of serving Nigeria and representing her in the Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) where I was elected first female President.
“All through my career, I have strived to maintain a record of hard work, integrity and excellence, giving my best to society, because my parents raised me in the consciousness that a man or woman’s greatness is defined not by the amount of wealth they have acquired but the impact of their service to God and humanity.
“Coming at such a critical time in my life when I am battling cancer, this poorly executed propaganda bares on its face like tribal marks, a clearly malicious attempt to victimize an innocent woman in what appears an exaggerated plot to validate and give credibility to the anti-corruption crusade under Nigeria’s new regime. People who are battling cancer or those who have lost their loved ones to this medical condition understand what I am going through at this time.
“This is what makes me ponder at the cold-heartedness of those who will go any length to defame and destroy in the name of propaganda. What happened to our shared humanity?,” asked Diezani.
Continuing, she said:
“I have absolute regard for the law and believe that people who have breached the laws that govern societies should be made to face the wrath of the law. But in a civilized society, a responsible government owes its citizens absolute commitment to the principles of rule of law, equity, fairness and justice. I have been wrongfully and maliciously maligned and those behind this reckless action know it.
“I leave them to posterity, their conscience and above all the Almighty God who is the final judge of all.”

With 35 million visits, 403,528 applications, FG’s jobs portal, N-Power, still running

Over 403,528 job seekers have applied for the Federal Government’s job creation programme, N-Power, since it opened on Sunday.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, in an update statement on Monday, quoted the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation, Afolabi Imoukhede, as saying that all together, the website had received over 35 million hits since Saturday midnight.
His words:

“We’ve been very impressed by the enthusiastic response to the call for applications. As at noon on Monday June 13, only 36 hours after the launch of the portal, 403, 528 applicants had successfully registered on the site and were in the middle of completing the application process.
“We’re also very pleased that the registrations have been taking place without any hitches or system failures, considering the volume of response.
“The jobs scheme, known as ‘N-Power’, is one of the five initiatives of the Social Investment Programmes of the Federal Government of Nigeria, described by President Muhammdu Buhari in his Democracy Day Speech as ‘by far the most ambitious social protection programme in our history’. A total sum of N500 billion has been provided for the programme in the 2016 budget.

The N-Power programme, is divided into three segments namely: N-Power Teacher Corps, which aims to engage 500,000 young unemployed graduates as teachers; N-Power Knowledge that aims to engage 25,000 in the creative arts as well as technological development (hardware and software) and the N-Power Build, an accelerated training and certification (Skills to Job/Enterprise) programme that will engage and train 75,000 young unemployed Nigerians as technicians, artisans and service professionals.

President Muhammadu Buhari has released a list of 47 ambassadorial nominees.

President Muhammadu Buhari has released a list of 47 ambassadorial nominees.
The names were contained in a letter sent to the senate, and read on the floor of the upper legislative chamber by Senate President Bukola Saraki on Thursday.
In the letter, the president sought the consent of the senate for the confirmation of the nominees.
The list is made up of only career civil servants in the foreign service.
Some of the names on the list are:
Obinna Chukwuemeka
Salisu Umoru
Iyang Udoh
Okeke Vivian,
Liman Munir,
Edem Jane,
Mohammed Hassan,
Martin Cobham,
Janet Molegbo,
Itegbuoye Sunday
Olatunde Adesesan
Lilian Onu.
Manaja Isa
Ngozi Ukeje
Bello Husseini
Enoch Ducci,
Garba Baba,
Usman Aliyu,
Umar Salisu,
Momoh Omeiza,
Kadiri Audu,
Balogun Hakeem,
Nosa Ahmed,
Ibrahim Isa
Bankole Adeoye
Ibidapo Obe.
Ogundaro Sakirat,
Eric Belgam,
Ateru Haliru,
Ramota Bulima,
Musa Mamman,
Kabiru Bala
Adamu Shuaibu
D. A Agiv,
T.K Gonglong,
Ibrahim Hamza,
K.C Nwachukwu
Q.R Wolu.
E.K Oguntuwase,
A.I Paragauda,
L.A Gasharga,
Olufemi Abikoye
Abubakar Ibrahim
Rabiu Kawu
Janet Bisong
Adekunbi Habeebat