Jonathan Meets Rawlings: Sues for Grassroots Administration
Posted 6,Mar. 2010
Jeremiah John Rawlings
Jeremiah John Rawlings
Former Ghanaian Presisdent

Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Saturday, March 6, held a meeting with the former Ghanaian leader, Mr. Jeremiah John Rawlings in his Aguda residence in the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock in Abuja, the nation's capital city.

The meeting which lasted for about one hour was a courtesy call designed according to the former Ghanaian President; to commend the Acting President for the able manner he has been piloting the affairs of Nigeria in the absence of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.

Briefing journalist after the meeting, Mr. Rawlings said that he hopes the peace and stability Nigeria is enjoying will continue.

He said that Nigeria has gone past the kind of revolution Ghana had in his time and that what Nigeria needs now is to tap into its structures and democratic institutions to solve its problems.

Born on Wednesday, June 22, 1947 in Accra, Ghana formerly called Gold Coast, Mr. Rawlings was a former military ruler who ruled Ghana for a total of nearly 19 years. In the 1990s he began a process of political liberalization. He was twice the head of state of Ghana and was the 1st President of the Fourth Republic.

Mr. Rawlings retired from the Armed Forces, set up the National Democratic Congress [NDC] the party which Mr. Rawlings as its candidate, won 58.3 % votes in the 1992 elections which the opposition New Patriotic Party [NPP] claimed was a stolen verdict although international observers judged the elections "largely free and fair".

Mr. Rawlings won the 1996 election as well. After two terms in office, barred by the constitution from standing in any election, he endorsed his then Vice-President John Atta Mills as Presidential Candidate in 2000.

The NDC with Mr. Mills as candidate however lost the elections to the NPP Presidential Candidate in 2000, Mr. John Kufour.
Goodluck Jonathan
Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Acting President of Nigeria

Mr. Rawlings, who is married to Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings and has four children; three girls and a boy was in the country as a special guest to the meeting of the Pan-African Assembly of the United Cities and Local Governments, a global organisation holding in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.

Acting President, Dr. Jonathan has stressed the need for local government administration to be strengthened, noting that strong structures at the grassroots impact significantly at the national level.

Dr. Jonathan stated this today when he received in audience a delegation of executives of the Commonwealth Local Governments' Forum led by the former Ghanaian President.

The Acting President and the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS] Chairman said: "The growth of a nation stems from growth at the grassroots. If we have good leaders at the local councils, then it is brought to bear on the national and continental levels."

Dr. Jonathan used the occasion to congratulate Ghana on its 52nd Independence Anniversary went on to say: "The fact that several African countries including Nigeria are celebrating the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of their independence this year is a call for African renaissance."

"As Africans, we have to leave our past behind us and move the continent forward," Dr. Jonathan stated.

Dr. Jonathan praised Mr. Rawlings for his leadership roles in Ghana and on the African continent, while urging him not to relent.

The joint recipient of the 1993 World Hunger Award, Mr. Rawlings , who is in Nigeria for the Pan-African Assembly of the United Cities and Local Governments, a global organization, congratulated Acting President, Dr. Jonathan on his assumption of office, saying he wish him the best and God's strength, and same for the people of Nigeria .

Jos crisis: When a mining city becomes an eternal killing field

The Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Gyang Buba addressing the people at the Dogon Na Hauwa village yesterday.

By Charles Kumolu
IF many can turn back the hands of time, the political equation in Jos would have remained in its pre-1991 status. For it is largely believed that efforts at taking governance to the door steps of the people literally sowed the seeds of discord that have turned Jos into a land of violence and destruction.

So, an action that was originally intended to usher in the gains or dividends of democracy turned out to be a curse on the land and the people have since then not known peace just as it appears that sleep has been murdered. It all began with the creation of Jos North Local Government Area through States Creation and Transition Provision Decree No 2 of 1991.

Unknown to those who conceived the idea and gave concrete expression to it, it has now become synonymous with the recurring decimal now known as the Jos crisis with high toll in human lives and property. In the process, the bond of brotherhood that used to exist appears to be permanently broken.

The result? The once peaceful plateau has transformed into a battle zone, where human lives are slaughtered at irregular intervals. Time was when Jos was famous for its tin mines. But today it is notorious as killing field. This is where Charles Darwin’s theory on survival of the fittest is always defeated, as both the unfit and fittest are usually eliminated.

Ethno-religious crisis

Therefore, it is now safe to conclude that life has become short, nasty and brutish in that North Central State.
Even while the nation has not come to terms with the last mayhem, another ethno-religious crisis hit the city on Sunday. But reporting the nightmarish incident invokes a feeling of it no longer being regarded as news.

This is because, considering the frequency at which this has continued to happen, the latest incident, even if it has recorded a higher casualty figure, stand the risk of being dismissed in some media quarters as not sufficiently newsworthy. Rather the news can only be found in a lasting solution to this perennial problem.

With that, questions surrounding the frequency or even the existence of the crisis might be laid to rest.
Anything below that, would keep tongues wagging. Instructively, these crises have always had religious colouration.

The last crisis that engulfed the city started when Christian youth tried to stop a Muslim man from renovating his house that was destroyed in the November 2008 riot.

Whatever colouration that might be given to the current one, many feel that implementation of the Ajibola panel recommendations, would make a difference in the search for a peaceful Jos.

The incumbent administration of Governor David Jang had set up the Bola Ajibola Commission of Inquiry into the recurring crisis in the state.

Accordingly the 339-page report faulted the creation of the local government area by former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.

The Ajibola commission also said it was not satisfied by the explanations of former President Ibrahim Babangida that he did not create Jos North local government to favour a particular group. The commission said it found out that the former military president created Jos North local government in 1991 to favour the Hausa Fulani of Jos North as it was the Hausa Fulani community that demanded for the local government in the form in which it was created.

It also recommended that the present Jos North Local Government be re-delineated into three sustainable local governments with an equitable representative number of wards within each local government, while “the state government should give due consideration to all ethnic groupings in appointments, nominations and promotions within the state.”

In addition, it recommended that the state government should promote inclusion and participation through a ‘State Character’ principle similar to the Federal Character policy of the Federal Government, “as this would take into consideration citizens’ right in any part of Nigeria that they may find themselves.

“This means that all persons who are bona fide citizens should have equal rights, opportunities and access and not to deny those designated as non-indigenes of an area the access to some of the most important avenues of socio economic mobility be it government jobs, academic scholarships, university admission or fees,” it noted.

While observers ponder over why these recommendations have not been acted upon, the fact remains that the succession of violence in Jos has forced peace to go on exile. And the question remains: When will it return?

Let’s wait for Ajiboye panel

As Ajibola Commission was wrapping up its duties, General Emmanuel Abisoye (rtd) Presidential Panel of Inquiry was set up by the Federal Government.

Accordingly, it commenced sitting at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Plateau State. It is believed that the Hausa/Fulani who allegedly refused to make appearance before Ajibola Commission stormed the venue of the sitting with their memoranda along with others.

Among the burning issues raised by the Hausa/Fulani under the auspices of Jama’tu Nasril Islam before the Abisoye Commission are that the crisis was political in nature having arisen as a result of the Local Government election in Jos North Local Government Area.

Also the allegation that Governor Jonah Jang used his military connection, especially the Air force to exterminate the Hausa/Fulani in favour of his kinsmen, and that the governor gave the police and the Army shoot on sight order but government has consisted refuted this allegation.

Do Masturbation and Sex Have Any Negative Impact on Penis Exercises and the Results?

some men are worried that masturbation and other activities may affect the result of any penis exercise they do when trying to add some length to their penis. There are people who believe that having sex or masturbating either before or after doing penis exercises may actually negate the effect of the exercises and make it impossible for you to add any length. Masturbation can have an impact on the results of your exercises, but this depends on the kind you are doing and it specifically only affects one style of exercise. In actual fact, you can use masturbation as part of your routine and I'll show you how just to do that.

Penis exercises are practiced by men both young and old. Many are married, have girl friends or wives and masturbate or have sex on a regular basis but none have reported any negative effects on their daily workout routine. Having said this, you will need to keep in mind that masturbation can have an affect on your penis workout if you perform jelqing and masturbate just before you jelq. This is because to jelq correctly you need to have a semi erect penis. If you masturbate just before you jelq, you'll probably find that it is much more difficult to get erect and this means you won't be able to effectively do your jelqing routine. This is the only case when masturbation can directly affect penis exercises.

While masturbating does not affect most penis workouts, it may still have a negative impact on you as a person. I'll explain why. If you masturbate before doing your exercises, you may find that you are no longer interested in finishing or even doing the workout because you have already satisfied yourself through masturbation. The other problem is that you'll need to clean up the mess before you begin exercising and this may be another distraction from your routine. It is pretty easy to see here how you may only do half of the routine or none at all, so I'd recommend that you masturbate after your workout. Masturbating after your workout can be used as a reward and incorporated into your routine. You've done the exercises and it is now time to pat yourself on the back and treat yourself. Using masturbation like this will keep you focused and on track with your exercises. Much like when you give a dog a treat for doing some well, masturbation is your treat.

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Nigeria country profile

Nigeria country profile Map of Nigeria After lurching from one military coup to another, Nigeria now has an elected leadership. But it faces the growing challenge of preventing Africa's most populous country from breaking apart along ethnic and religious lines. Political liberalisation ushered in by the return to civilian rule in 1999 has allowed militants from religious and ethnic groups to express their frustrations more freely, and with increasing violence. Overview * Overview * Facts * Leaders * Media Thousands of people have died over the past few years in communal rivalry. Separatist aspirations have been growing, prompting reminders of the bitter civil war over the breakaway Biafran republic in the late 1960s. AT A GLANCE "Jankara" market, Lagos Island Politics: People's Democratic Party (PDP) has dominated since the return to civilian rule in 1999. President Yar'Adua's prolonged absence from the country from late 2009 triggered a constitutional crisis. Economy: Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer; more than half of its people live in poverty International: Nigeria plays a prominent role in African affairs; has withdrawn troops from oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to settle border dispute with Cameroon Timeline The imposition of Islamic law in several states has embedded divisions and caused thousands of Christians to flee. Inter-faith violence is said to be rooted in poverty, unemployment and the competition for land. The government is striving to boost the economy, which experienced an oil boom in the 1970s and is once again benefiting from high prices on the world market. But progress has been undermined by corruption and mismanagement. The former British colony is one of the world's largest oil producers, but the industry has produced unwanted side effects. The trade in stolen oil has fuelled violence and corruption in the Niger delta - the home of the industry. Few Nigerians, including those in oil-producing areas, have benefited from the oil wealth. In 2004, Niger Delta activists demanding a greater share of oil income for locals began a campaign of violence against the oil infrastructure, threatening Nigeria's most important economic lifeline. Nigeria is keen to attract foreign investment but is hindered in this quest by security concerns as well as by a shaky infrastructure troubled by power cuts. Facts * Overview * Facts * Leaders * Media * Full name: The Federal Republic of Nigeria * Population: 154.7 million (UN, 2009) * Capital: Abuja * Largest city: Lagos * Area: 923,768 sq km (356,669 sq miles) * Major languages: English (official), Yoruba, Ibo, Hausa * Major religions: Islam, Christianity, indigenous beliefs * Life expectancy: 47 years (men), 48 years (women) (UN) * Monetary unit: 1 Nigerian naira = 100 kobo * Main exports: Petroleum, petroleum products, cocoa, rubber * GNI per capita: US $1,160 (World Bank, 2008) * Internet domain: .ng * International dialling code: +234 Leaders * Overview * Facts * Leaders * Media Acting president: Goodluck Jonathan Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan became acting president in February 2010, after President Yar'Adua had been absent from the country for more than two months. Both houses of the Nigerian parliament voted to transfer power temporarily to Mr Jonathan to resolve what had become a constitutional crisis after the ailing Mr Yar'Adua travelled to Saudi Arabia for treatment for a heart condition. President: Umaru Yar'Adua Umaru Yar'Adua of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) won the presidency following the April 2007 elections which were condemned by local and foreign observers, who alleged widespread vote-rigging. Umaru Yar'Adua President Yar'Adua's lengthy absence brought government business to a halt He had served as governor of the remote northern Katsina state since May 1999. A little-known figure in national politics, he was chosen by outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo as his successor. He comes from a prominent political family. His father was a minister in the first government after independence and his late elder brother was an army general who served as deputy to President Olusegun Obasanjo when he was Nigeria's military ruler during the 1970s. When he was elected governor of Katsina in 1999, he immediately declared his assets. In his bid for the presidency he promised to fight corruption. In November 2009, Mr Yar'Adua's travelled to Saudi Arabia to be treated for a heart condition. His absence continued for several months, and sparked legal challenges, cabinet splits and mass street protests. It also led to a freeze in government business and threatened the progress already made in combating unrest in the oil-rich Niger Delta. Mr Yar'Adua was born in 1951 and was a chemistry teacher until he went into business, then politics, in the 1980s. He took over from Olusegun Obasanjo, whose election in 1999 came at the end of a period of military rule. Mr Obasanjo won a second term in 2003. A bid to keep him in office for a third term was blocked by parliament. Mr Obasanjo began his first leadership stint in 1976 after the assassination of Brigadier Murtala Mohamed in a failed coup. In 1979 he earned the distinction of becoming Africa's first modern military leader to hand over power to civilian rule. Media * Overview * Facts * Leaders * Media Nigeria's media scene is one of the most vibrant in Africa. State-run radio and TV services reach virtually all parts of the country and operate at a federal and regional level. All 36 states run their own radio stations, and most of them operate TV services. Newspaper stand, Lagos A lively press includes influential dailies and popular tabloids Radio is the key source of information for many Nigerians. International broadcasters, including the BBC, are widely listened to. Rebroadcasts of foreign radio stations were banned in 2004. Private radio and TV stations have been licensed, and there is substantial take-up of pay TV. Private TV stations in particular are dogged by high costs and scarce advertising revenues. Moreover, legislation requires that locally-made material must comprise 60% of output. Viewing is concentrated in urban areas. There are more than 100 national and local newspapers and publications, some of them state-owned. They include well-respected dailies, tabloids and publications which champion the interests of ethnic groups. The lively private press is often critical of the government. Press freedom improved under former President Obasanjo, but restrictive decrees remain. Media rights body Reporters Without Borders says Nigeria is often a violent place for the press, with journalists suffering beatings, unfair arrests and police raids. By March 2008, 10 million Nigerians were online (ITU figure). The press * The Guardian - influential, privately-owned national daily * The Champion - Lagos-based daily * The Daily Times - Lagos-based government daily * The Punch - privately-owned daily * New Nigerian - government daily, separate editions in Lagos and Kaduna * The Daily Independent - Lagos State-based daily * Daily Trust - Abuja-based daily * Leadership - Abuja-based daily * The Comet - private, daily * Vanguard - Lagos-based, widely-read daily * This Day - widely-read Lagos-based daily * The Daily Sun - Lagos-based * Newswatch - weekly news magazine * Tell - weekly news magazine Television * Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) - state-run, operates scores of national and regional stations; national services broadcast in English * Degue Broadcasting Network (DBN) - private * AIT - private, owned by DAAR Communications, broadcasting in Lagos and Abuja and via pan-African satellite service * Minaj TV - private, serves eastern Nigeria and operates cable and satellite service * Silverbird TV - private, serves Lagos, Port Harcourt * Galaxy TV - private, serves western Nigeria * Channels TV - private

Jos boils again

* About Us * Advertise with us * Privacy Policy * RSS * Subscribe to News Feed by Email * Monday 8th March 2010 Jos boils again Headlines Mar 7, 2010 A woman wailing over the killings in Dogon Na Hauwa village in Jos. By Taye Obateru, Sam Eyoboka & Tordue Salem JOS—OVER 200 people, mostly women and children, were, yesterday, killed in three villages near Shen in Du District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State by suspected Fulani herdsmen, on reprisal attacks. At least 45 children, including toddlers, were among those hacked to death, gunned down or roasted in their abodes by the marauders at about 2.30 a.m. Most hit was Dogon Na Hauwa village where most of the killings occurred and more than 75 houses were razed, but nearby Ratsat and Jeji villages were not spared. A victim, Musa Gyang who spoke to journalists where he is receiving treatment at Plateau Specialist Hospital said they were woken up by gun shots in the middle of the night and before they knew what was happening they saw their houses torched, and as they ran out they were attacked with gun shots or machetes. Journalists broke down in tears as they saw corpses, some with heads severed from their bodies.. Plateau State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Gregory Yenlong who briefed journalists later said the corpses would be given a mass burial, adding that security has been beefed up to contain the situation . Yenlong described the attack on the Berom villages as ethnic cleansing, saying some families were completely wiped out. He said the attackers were suspected to be Fulanis who came on foot from elsewhere to beat security but called for calm, stressing that government was intensifying efforts to track down the attackers. The Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Gyang Buba who visited the area also lamented the gruesome murder of innocent people describing it as man’s inhumanity to man. One of the burnt houses. He said he received information of planned attacks on villages and informed the security agencies appropriately wondering why the attacks still happened. Addressing the survivors, he said: “I am deeply sad. We can’t continue like this; we are not animals. We’ll go back and discuss with government even up to Abuja and make our case. Let’s have patience. There is no alternative to patience and don’t let us take laws into our hands. Do not do anything that would aggravate the situation.” PFN condemns killings Meantime, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, has called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene and arrest the perennial wanton killing of innocent Nigerians in any part of the country or risk a total breakdown of law and order. National president of PFN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, who spoke after news that some religious fundamentalists were imported from neighbouring states to unleash mayhem on Plateau State noted that the nation belonged to all of us. The Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Sunday Ola Makinde in his reaction said: “it is a most unfortunate episode coming at the most un-Godly period of the year. How can people be so insensitive to the feelings of fellow human beings?” Describing the incident as one religious riot too many, Pastor Oritsejafor said the incident coming early on Sunday morning while people were yet to wake up was too barbaric. He urged Acting President Jonathan to prove to the 140 million Nigerians especially the Christian community that they have a stake in the nation just as their counterparts who have perfected the art of provoking them at will. Oritsejafor said: “I have just returned from a trip abroad. While I was away I was inundated with reports of another catastrophe in the Jigawa State capital where several churches were burnt and just as I was trying to settle down and collate reports from the field I am hearing of another on a Sunday morning.” In his reaction, the National Secretary of PFN, Pastor Wale Adefarasin said the cowardly killing of innocent Christians and the wanton destruction of their property and livelihood was further evidence that terrorist attacks similar to September 11 and the failed Christmas Day bombing in the United States now thrived in Nigeria. Adefarasin said: “Nigerians demand that for the first time all the perpetrators of these shameless acts including those that have aided and abetted them must feel the full weight of the law.” Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Rev. Monsignor Gabriel Osu said he saw the Sunday morning violence as a shame to a country that has been fighting seriously to gain the confidence of the international community. He said: “Do you know that because of things like these, anywhere Nigerians travel to they are subjected to dehumanizing scrutiny. Any act of violence at this time is totally condemned and the government should make haste to fish out all identified perpetrators of such heinous crime against God so that we can move forward as a people united under one umbrella.” Christians doubt army’s neutrality The Christian Elders Consultative Forum, yesterday, accused the Nigerian Army of failing to respond to the alleged fresh attack on Plateau State Christians by the Hausa-Fulani Muslim militants in Dogo Nahawa community in Jos. In a statement made available to Vanguard and signed by the National Coordinator of the group, Bishop Anderson Bok, and the Secretary General, Dr. Musa Pam, they said the fresh attack was a deliberate act of jihadists against Christians in the state. The statement said: “The attack, yet another jihad and provocation of the Christians, started at about 1.30 a.m last night. We are in touch with the survivors though many of them are still in trauma. “Dogo Nahawa is a Christian community. Eye-witnesses say the Hausa-Fulani Muslim militants came chanting ‘allahu akbar’ and broke into homes, cutting human beings including children and women with their knives and cutlasses. “These militants, we understand, came into Plateau State from neighbouring Bauchi State. We are indeed worried as we have severally made it clear about the role of the Nigerian Army. “Since the last religious crisis when the Federal Government mandated the Nigerian Army to take over the security of the state, we have never failed to show our fears and worries because of the role the military has played in previous crisis. “Shortly after the militants besieged Dogo Nahawa this morning, we contacted the soldiers at exactly1.30am since they are in charge of security of the state. But we were shocked to find out that the soldiers did not react until about 3.30am after the Muslim attackers had finished their job and left. “We want the soldiers to again explain reason for this deliberate delay which we consider part of the ploy. We want to state here that we no longer have any confidence in the Nigerian Army in the security of Plateau State because of their bias against Christians.”