Kogi governor’s wife canvasses votes for Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan speaks to displaced people from Baga in a Maiduguri camp on January 15, 2015. Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan met survivors from what is thought to be Boko Haram's worst attack in its six-year insurgency. Hundreds of ~ OLATUNJI OMIRIN

 

Lokoja - The wife of Kogi Governor, Hajiya Halima Wada, has solicited the votes of the people of Dekina Local Government to ensure the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan in the February 14 election.
She made the call during her monthly food outreach for widows, orphans and the disabled at Dekina on Monday.

Wada, who distributed 100 bags of rice with noodles, salt and sugar with a token of money, said the gesture was to put smile on the faces of the less privileged in the society.

She said the extension of hand of fellowship to those concerned was one of the cardinal objectives of her pet project, Kogi Women Empowerment Network (KOWEN).

The governor’s wife appealed to youths of the area to embrace peace as the presidential election draws nearer.

Wada, who also visited the Eje of Dekina, Dr Usman Obaje, thanked the traditional ruler for his numerous support for the present administration.

Responding, the Eje assured the wife of the governor of the support of the people of the area for the present administration both in the state and the country.

- NAN

A vote for Jonathan is a vote for the unity of Nigeria, says Akpabio

President Goodluck Jonathan discusses with National Security Adviser Colonel Sambo Dasuki sitting beside Chief of Defence Staff Air Mashall Alex Badeh during a surprise visit to Maiduguri, on January 15, 2015.Jonathan met in a Maiduguri camp surviv ~ OLATUNJI OMIRIN

 

Sokoto - Dr Godswill Akpabio, the Chairman, PDP Governors' Forum and Governor of Akwa Ibom, said "a vote for President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 general polls is a vote for unity of Nigeria."

The governor said this in Sokoto on Monday at the inauguration of the Goodluck Jonathan/Namadi Sambo Presidential Campaign in the state.

He said "the PDP governors are the only ones replicating the transformation agenda of the Federal Government in their states.

"Nigerians have tremendous confidence in Jonathan and the PDP-led Federal Government in spite of the ongoing baseless propaganda by some cynics.

"Nigeria is now moving along with the current trends in the world in all aspects and the country is no longer lagging behind.’’

Dr Ahmadu Ali, the Director-General of the Goodluck Jonathan/Namadi Sambo Campaign Organisation, said "Jonathan is a performer; he has been tested and trusted by Nigerians.’’

Ali said that the President had provided tangible and laudable dividends of democracy to Nigerians, hence, he needed to be re-elected.

Gov. Sule Lamido of Jigawa and former Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, both expressed optimism that Jonathan would be re-elected In the February general elections.

The Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, said the PDP was proud of its achievements and would do more if reelected.

Mukhtari Shagari, the Coordinator of the Goodluck Jonathan/Namadi Sambo Campaign organisation in Sokoto State and the state’s Deputy Governor, said "Sokoto is home to President Goodluck Jonathan."
He said "contrary to rumours making the rounds in the state, I will not defect from the PDP.

"We will vote for Jonathan for him to be re-elected to consolidate on his current gains."

- NAN

Flu infected fowls killed in Rivers

2015-01-20 16:09
Port Harcourt - The Rivers Government said on Tuesday that it had killed hundreds of fowls infected by the Avian Flu in a privately owned farm in Port Harcourt.

Emma Chinda, the Commissioner for Agriculture, said that the farm had been quarantined and decontaminated.

He also said no human infection had been recorded.

"On January 14, we got a report from a farm that was worrisome. The report we got suggested that the farm may have been infected by the highly pathogenic avian influenza.

According to the commissioner, samples of the flu were taken to the Veterinary Research Institute in Vom, Plateau State.

"The result came out on January 17 and it read positive of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

"On the basis of that, we had to take necessary steps. Apart from quarantining the farm, we had to depopulate the birds in the farm to stop further spread.

"Thereafter, we decontaminated the farm. We are containing the situation because officials of government and experts are on ground monitoring the situation", he added.

Chinda said there was no need to panic because government was well equipped to handle the situation.

He said before the outbreak, they received information from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture on avian influenza in Kano and a bird market in Lagos.

NAN

PDP vows to wrest power from APC in Kwara

Ilorin - Kwara State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday declared its determination to win all elective positions in next month’s general elections.

Its governorship candidate, Senator Simon Ajibola, spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, at the inauguration of the party’s campaign teams for the elections.

He linked the party’s fate with the electoral fortunes of President Goodluck Jonathan and asked members to redouble efforts at convincing voters to make him their choice.

Ajibola said the goal was achievable if every member of the party works hard for victory.

The campaign council is under the leadership of a prominent businesswoman, Bola Shagaya. A former governorship aspirant, Deacon John Dara, and the party’s pioneer chairman in the state, Kunle Sulyman, are co-Directors-General.

He said: “We are aiming for landslide in Kwara State. For a people eager for change, this is easily achieveable if we work hard. We shall win the 24 House of Assembly seats; we shall win the six House of Representatives seats available; we shall win the three senatorial seats; we shall surely win the governorship seat of Kwara State and finally we shall achieve landslide victory for our president.

“President Jonathan’s victory is critical to our success in Kwara State. Let us work hard for him and for all PDP candidates in the state. We must educate our people not to reward the promoters of political violence. We must not be blackmailed into voting for people who are desperate for power.

“For the sake of peace and stability, let Niger Delta finish their second term, we can then rotate power back to the North.”

He described the coming election as a viable opportunity for people who wanted a change in the way things were being done and appealed to members of the 217-member committee to ensure the party wins at every polling unit.

Ajibola also appealed to aggrieved members of the party to put aside their grievances in the interest of the party and asked members to ensure genuine reconciliation to empower the party to win.

Senator Gbemisola Saraki and Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN) were not at the event.

Also speaking, Minister of National Planning Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman said the governorship election was not about religion, but  freedom.

He urged all major stakeholders to support Jonathan and Ajibola.

-  NAN

Tunisia sets up Nigeria friendly

2015-01-20 16:09
Tunis - The Tunisian Football Federation has announced that its Olympic team will play a pair of matches against Nigeria's Under-23 national team, SuperSport reports.

The TFT announced that it will play a couple of matches against Nigeria Olympic team on January 24 and 28 after two matches against Algeria.

The Tunisian Under-23 head coach, Nizar Khanfir, has named the players who will start the camp on Tuesday ahead of the friendly matches against Nigeria.

Coincidentally, Samson Siasia's team, the Nigerian under-23s, have also been penciled to take part in a six-team tournament that will run from January 24 to February 1 in Abuja.

The squad
Zoubaier Darragi, Slimene Kchok, Ali Machani, Bilel Saidani , Walid Dhaouadi, Seifeddine Charfi, Nader Ghandri, Ilyes Jelassi, Achraf Ben Dhaif, Mohamed Ben Ali, Haythem Jouini, Chedly Ghrab, Sabri Ben Hassine, Yassine Meriah, Seifeddine Msakni, Omar Zekri, Wajdi Saidani, Houssem Bnina, Saad Bguir, Zied Ounelli, Ayoub Tlili, Hassene Ben Mrad, Seifeddine Khaoui

Yaya Toure talks touch ahead Guinea clash

2015-01-20 16:09
Malabo - Yaya Toure is confident that under coach Herve Renard, Ivory Coast will pick up a win in their opening CAF African Cup of Nations, Group D match against Guinea on Tuesday, SuperSport reports.

The match is scheduled to get underway at 6pm at the Estadio De Malabo in Equatorial Guinea.

The Elephants are certainly favourites heading into the game against Guinea and Toure insists the team are driven to succeed after continuous failures in the Afcon tournament.

“Before I retire I really want to win something with my country. I am confident that Herve Renard will take us as far as possible,” said Toure.

Roadside bomb kills eight Afghan civilians: officials

2015-01-20 16:09
Ghazni - At least eight civilians including women and children were killed when their van struck a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, officials said.

The incident occurred in the Jaghuri district of Ghazni province, Deputy Provincial Governor Mohammad Ali Ahmadi told AFP.

It comes weeks after the NATO combat mission which began in 2001 was downgraded to support and training duties to help the Afghan army and police.

"Eight civilians, including one woman and a child, were killed in this morning roadside blast. One child and one woman were wounded," he said, adding that the injured child and woman were taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Asadullah Safi, the deputy police chief of the province told AFP that four of those killed belonged to one family.

No one has claimed responsiblity for the attack but roadside bombs have been the Taliban's weapon of choice in their war against foreign and Afghan security forces, now in its fourteenth year.

The bombs also increasingly kill and wound civilians.
According to a UN report released in December, civilian casualties hit a record high in 2014, with 3,188 civilians killed and 6,429 injured by the end of November, a 19 percent jump compared to the year before, making 2014 the deadliest year for non-combatants.

Last year also saw a 33 percent rise in casualties among children and a 12 percent increase among women.
While ground fighting between troops and insurgent groups as well as improvised explosive devices (IEDs) remained leading causes of deaths and injuries, the Taliban were responsible for 75 percent of all civilian casualties, according to the UN report.

About 17,000 foreign soldiers, most of them from the US, will still be deployed in Afghanistan this year.
But US troop numbers are set to halve within 12 months and fall to almost nothing in two years.

- AFP