America, Britain warn Nigerian officials against manipulating presidential, national assembly elections results

The American and British Governments have issued a stern warning to Nigerian authorities, asking them to jettison any attempt to distort the outcomes of Saturday’s presidential and national assembly elections.

The U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry and U.K. Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, in a joint statement on Monday commended Nigerians on the peaceful conduct of last Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary elections and urged for continued steadfastness as they await the announcement of the final result.

But the representatives of the two country also warned against deliberate political interference to undermine the integrity of the final result.

“Our governments welcome the largely peaceful vote on March 28,” the two officials said in a joint statement.

“The Nigerian people have shown a commendable determination to register their vote and choose their leaders,” they added.

According to the two officials, till the end of the voting process, their monitors did not see any evidence of systemic manipulation of the process.

“But there are disturbing indications that the collation process—where the votes are finally counted—may be subject to deliberate political interference” they noted.

“This would contravene the letter and spirit of the Abuja Accord, to which both major parties committed themselves.

“The Governments of the United States and the United Kingdom would be very concerned by any attempts to undermine the independence of the Electoral Commission (INEC), or its Chairman, Professor Jega; or in any way distort the expressed will of the Nigerian people.”

There have been concerns across the country that the Nigerian authorities are plotting to manipulate the results of the election to swing victory in favour of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Femi Fani-Kayode, the spokesperson for Mr. Jonathan, has continued to insist that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, is ahead in the vote tally for the election even when counting and official release of results are yet to be completed.

America, Britain warn Nigerian officials against manipulating presidential, national assembly elections results

Boko Haram: Why America government blocked Nigeria"s arms purchase

By Ehi Ekhator, Naija Center News.

American Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle has disclosed the reason behind the difficulty Nigeria government is having with American government in terms of purchase of arms to fight the insurgency in the North East.

American Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle

He said the government blocked the purchase of arms because of human right violation from the Nigeria military on the people in the North West.

He also stressed that Nigeria should not forget other ways to win the terror as arms, though very important, is not the only motivation the soldiers in the field need.

Entwstle lamented on the response he has received from soldiers in the field who are poorly motivated as some soldiers complained they only have few bullets to fight men with powerful arms.

He admonished Nigerians on the speculation that the American government has refused to assist the military in terms of equipment and intelligence, adding that the two countries had continue to share training and equipment.

He said “Before we share equipment with any country, whether it is a government to government grant or a commercial sale that requires government approval, we look at a couple of things,” the ambassador explained. “Does it make sense in terms of that country’s needs?

“The second thing we look at is the human rights situation in that country. And as we look at equipment transfers, we look at the situation in those countries in the past few years. And as you all know, there have been instances (I’m not saying across the board) of human rights abuses by the Nigerian military in the North-East.

“So the kind of question that we have to ask is let’s say we give certain kinds of equipment to Nigerian military that is then used in a way that affects human situation. If I approve that, I’m responsible for that. We take that responsibility very seriously.”

“Some of the newest vessels in your navy came from the United States. So the idea that the United States does not share equipment with Nigeria across the board is untrue,” he said.

The ambassador promised that the United States would continue to partner and support Nigeria in the war against the Boko Haram insurgency, saying he gave President Goodluck Jonathan that assurance on his arrival to the country a few months ago.

“I had the honour of sitting down and talking to him (President Jonathan). And the first thing I said to him is ‘Mr. President, I want to be very clear, the United States stands with Nigeria on the war on terror’,” he said.

Mr. Entwistle however admonished Nigeria not to think that the war against Boko Haram could be won only by buying hi-tech equipment, saying to achieve result in the campaign, the country must take the welfare of its troops even more seriously.

“I would say as we support the military in the struggle against Boko Haram, obviously equipment is part of the equation but I think it’s more than that,” the ambassador said. “It bothers me when I talk to soldiers in the North-East and they say they are in the frontline with only a few bullets.

“I think what’s more important is the basic needs of soldiers on the field, making sure … they are well trained and they have ammunition for their rifles. If you don’t focus on taking care of welfare of soldiers on the ground, buying hi-tech equipment does not solve anything.”

 

 

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Boko Haram: Why America government blocked Nigeria"s arms purchase

Power Sector Development: Wakil signs MOU with American investors

The Minister of State for Power, Muhammad Wakil has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a five-man partner of American Investors led by Roy Yeferez in Abuja to fast track the realization of gas-fired power plant project.

Speaking at the occasion, the Minister of State described the event as a happy moment since coming on board as a member of the Federal Executive Council. He said that he has been able to accomplish President Jonathan’s directive on Ministers to serve as

ambassadors for investment. He also commended the determination and doggedness of Team Africa and its associate, Yeffet Mesika Group for making it possible for the effort to have advanced that far.

“Team Africa is known to talk less but more of action. Their belief in our nation’s potentials has underscored the reliability of Team Africa to deliver on the proposed power project. The Ministry has had an arrangement with the Bayelsa State Government where the proposed plant will be located. The plant also has ancillary transmission line facilities that will make up the turkey project,” he observed.

According to Wakil, with the realization of the project, the attainment of Government’s target for greater access by Nigerians to quality electricity will be achieved in no distant future.

While performing the symbolic ritual of MoU signing, the Director of Legal Services, Adetutu Soetan said that the detailed proposal for the project is to be supplied by Messrs. Yeffet Mesika, adding that other activities by the visiting team includes acquiring the project site as well as discussing with the relevant / regulatory agencies that are meant to facilitate the execution of the project.

On the funding arrangement, the Legal Adviser informed that it would be funded wholly by the Americans, who are also to provide the technical competencies for it. He called on the investors to ensure that indigenous engineers understudy the

project execution to ensure availability of the necessary skills to operate the plant on completion.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Ron Yeferez described Team Africa’s signing of the MoU with Nigeria as germane to the corporate style of his group. “The MoU is the

foundation for the development of some power projects and transmission lines.  What could have taken 2-3 years to accomplish was accomplished within 2 weeks,” he iterated. He also promised to contribute positively to the attainment of uninterrupted power supply to Nigerian homes and industries.

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Power Sector Development: Wakil signs MOU with American investors

2015: Presidency, APC throw verbal punch in America

WASHINGTON—The Presidency and opposition parties led by the All Progressives Congress, yesterday, took their battle for the 2015 elections to far away Washington D.C., in the United States of America.

A forum on Nigeria’s preparations for the 2015 elections, degenerated to a war of words, after opposition leaders in the country pointed at alleged failings of President Goodluck Jonathan in governance and his sincerity towards free and fair elections.

The forum held under the auspices of the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, CSIS nearly boiled over after Dr. Doyin Okupe who led the presidency and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, delegation warned opposition politicians not to bring the personality of the president into the forum.

Okupe: Mind my roar

Dr. Okupe who had started by claiming that he would not wash the country’s dirty linen in public, however, expploded when Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the All Progressives Congress, APC, spokesman hinted at the administration’s failure to address transparency issues including the alleged missing $20 billion oil revenue and indiscretions by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as failings of the government.

“Alhaji Lai Mohammed should not cast aspersions on the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because if he does that, he knows me and what I can do,” Okupe said as he went on to project the 2011 elections as the best in the country’s history which he said, were only dented by violence inspired by opposition politicians.

Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States, Prof. Ade Adefuye in his summary of the discussions, however, praised the two sides saying that the articulation of the two parties was reflective of the high level of political discourse in Nigeria. He nevertheless warned the two sides not to wash the country’s image in public even as he raised questions about Nigerians coming to discuss their country in the United States.

Okupe had a Senior Special Assistant to the President, Sanya Awosan and Fred Majemite, Political Adviser to the Governor of Delta State on the panel. Besides Mohammed, the APC was represented by Senator Babafemi Ojodu, APC, Ekiti Central. The event was attended by Nigerian professionals, American specialists on Africa and state department officials among others. Among others present at the event were Dr. Usman Bugaje, former senior aide to the vice-president in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration; Mr. Oma Djebah, senior adviser to the governor of Delta State on foreign relations.

The PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu‘azu was excused on the basis of a caucus meeting in Abuja and Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State was similarly excused following the killing of more than 100 persons in the state, last weekend.

Noting the APC’s preparations for the 2015 election, Mohammed pointed at ongoing congresses to choose party officials and the roll out of a road map to lead Nigeria out of the malaise of unemployment, insecurity among other issues bothering on lack of transparency in the management of the economy and the electoral process.

Mohammed

Okupe responding, immediately faulted Mohammed as he said that he did not come to discuss the president’s performance, noting that he had “reservations about discussing our internal problems abroad,” and warned Mohammed, who he had earlier embraced before the commencement of the discussions not to comment on the personality of the president.

Ms Jenniefer Cooke, Director of the CSIS Africa programme who moderated the discussions from that point intervened as both sides tried to showcase the failings of one another. Senator Ojudu was specifically cited the unwillingness of the PDP majority in the legislature to project good bills to consolidate democracy and  faulted President Jonathan’s refusal to give assent to the State of the Nation address.

Faulting Okupe’s assertion that the problems of Nigeria should be internalised, Ojudu said: “We cannot be an island of our own”.

Okupe from time to time teased the APC team on what he called the lack of internal democracy, saying that the party was quick to suppress the mandate of parties who won in the last local government elections in Lagos State.

Ms Cooke was forced to intervene after Okupe raised issues on Mohammed’s assertion of the administration’s failures to address the spate of insecurity inspired by the Boko Haram Islamic group.

Noting words of advice from the party to the government, he said:

“Insurgency is not a matter that can be politicised but unfortunately the government of the day has not been able to distinguish between the message and the messenger,” as the opposition politicians faulted the president’s failure to visit the war ravaged sections of the Northeast.

Okupe intervening hollered, “I do not expect you to come to this forum to raise these issues, it is nonsense,” he said.

The CSIS forum continued last night with sessions between the Nigerian politicians and state department officials.

Sessions would also be held today with other democracy building institutions based in America and meetings with senior officials of the Barack Obama administration.

2015 elections would be better than 2011 —Jonathan

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has said that he would ensure that no other Nigerian leader suffers international humiliation which the late president, Umaru Yaradua and himself suffered, saying that as long as he remains the president, he would ensure the conduct of a credible and acceptable election in 2015.

He spoke, yesterday , when he received the outcome of the National Stakeholders Forum on Electoral Reform from former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, the Chairman of Ken Nnamani Centre for Leadership  and Development.

According to President Jonathan, “there is a lot of noise in the air but definitely the elections will be better because we must put our legs down and make sure that the right things are done.”

While commending the Ken Nnamani foundation for its ‘painstaking commitment’ to examining  relevant department of government to strengthen the electoral process, the president assured that he would do everything to ensure that there was credibility in the conduct of election, promising that the 2015 election would be better conducted and more credible than those of 2011.

“Anything about elections, I’m totally committed. And I used my personal experience when I came on board in 2007 as a vice president, and I promised myself that if I have the privilege to oversee elections in Nigeria, we will do better.  Bayelsa State is totally a PDP State and I didn’t see how anybody could win election outside the PDP. I had to go to my ward to vote, because everything about politics is local, but at the end of that election I was embarrassed when the international observers complained that there were certain breaches.

“Even though after taking oath of office and the Supreme Court declared us winners, each time one travelled abroad, people ask all kinds of questions that even gets one angry. That was when I promised myself that if I have an opportunity to oversee elections in Nigeria, no other president or vice president should suffer that  kind of harassment by the international community.

“That was why the 2011 elections, even though I was candidate, I said nobody should manipulate elections for me that my ambition and the fate of the country are two different things. The interest of the nation is much more superior than any other ambition and I kept faith with that. At least, at the end of that election, it was accepted by observers locally and internationally. And I promise that 2015 elections will be better,” he said.

On the recommendations by the Ken Nnamani Foundation which include the establishment of electoral offences  commission, funding of INEC and support for constitutional/electoral reform,  the President noted that they were in tandem with  government’s thinking and policy.

On the establishment of electoral offences  commission,  the president agreed that there must be a dedicated body “so that people who commit electoral  offences will not get away with it.

“After elections, the matter goes to the tribunal, the only person who loses, is the person who contested that election. Other people who committed all kinds of atrocities get away with them and nobody punishes them. And that is why we continue to have that kind of impunity. That was why my committee at a time recommended this election offences commission, where we stated that whether elections are annulled or not, there must be process of bringing those who have done one thing or the other contrary to expectations to book.

2015: Presidency, APC throw verbal punch in America