Nigeria will start exporting cars soon —Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday expressed the belief that with the measures put in place by his administration, especially the new National Automotive Industry Policy; the country would soon be exporting cars to other countries. Jonathan spoke at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while granting audience to a delegation of the business community from Anambra State led by Governor Peter Obi.

In responding to an address by the delegation, the President said, “I will refer all the issues you raised to the various departments of government. We are totally committed to creating jobs. Nigeria is a country with huge population of youths. If jobs are not created, there will be crisis. The housing, agriculture and power sectors are also receiving attention.

“In the next few years, Nigeria will begin to export cars to other countries. We are encouraging the government to support local manufacturers.”

Jonathan promised that the industrialists’ basic needs such as roads, power and port facilities would be addressed appropriately.

He said if Nigeria must become great as expected by all, the Federal Government must industrialise the nation.

To this end, he said his administration would continue to encourage industrialists in the country.

“If any country will be great, we must industrialise. If Nigeria must be a great country, we must industrialise. To this end, we will continue to encourage industrialists in Anambra,” the President added.

He said his government was also devoting attention and resources to the power sector because of its critical role in industrialisation.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo told the delegation that Jonathan had recently approved $3.7bn to improve power transmission across the country.

Obi had earlier told the President that the enterprising and preserving nature of Anambra people made them well-positioned to assist Jonathan to achieve his administration’s transformation agenda.

While declaring the support of the people of the state for Jonathan, Obi said, “You have excess credit in your political account that these people (members of the delegation) are ready to pay you when you need it.”

The governor said he led the delegation to express their support for the President and bring to his attention some of the industrialists’ collective, which if addressed, would help in anchoring the growth and development of industry in the state.

Some of the needs, according to him, are the completion of the 330/132/33KV power substation at Nnewi; provision of uninterrupted power supply in the Onitsha Harbour Industrial Area and Ozubulu Industrial Hub; completion of the Nnamdi Azikwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi; and the inclusion of Anambra State in the rail master plan.

Obi also made a case for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of federal roads within the state such as the Oba-Nnewi-Okigwe Section 1, Nnewi-Okija, start of Onitsha Second Niger Bridge, completion of the Onitsha-Enugu dual carriageway and completion of the Umueze-Anam Kogi road.

The governor also thanked the President for the inclusion of Nnewi in the National Automotive Industry Policy of the Federal Government.

This, he said, would attract many ancillary industries, especially with the coming on stream of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant, adding that the local content in vehicle manufacturing in no time would increase from 40 per cent to 60 per cent.

Pastor stabs colleague to death in Osun

A church founder, identified simply as Pastor Adepoju, has stabbed a fellow pastor of a branch of The Apostolic Church  Nigeria in Gbongan, Osun State, Pastor Julius Oguntoye,  to death.

Our correspondent gathered that Adepoju, who was formerly a pastor with The Apostolic Church retired from the church about 10 years ago to establish his own church.

The deceased was buried amidst wailing at his personal residence in Ede on Monday.

Adepoju, who was the best man when Oguntoye got married some years back, was said to have come from Ibadan, his base, to Gbongan where the deceased was and stabbed him on the left side of the chest.

Oguntoye, who was unaware of the motive of his friend’s visit was said to have welcomed Adepoju with open arms and the suspect, on sitting down reached out for his weapon and stabbed Oguntoye on the chest, head and other areas.

Oguntoye, 48, was said to have been hacked to death last Wednesday in Gbongan in the presence of his six-year-old son.

It was said that Adepoju accused the slain pastor of “using my glory.”

One of the church members, who identified herself as Damilola Adedeji, told our correspondent on Monday that Adepoju  prevented the deceased’s son from fleeing the scene and released him after he was satisfied that his father had died.

Adepoju was reported to have gone to the police station in the town and reported that he had killed his fellow pastor immediately after the incident.

The suspect was also said to have called his wife in Ibadan and informed her about what he had done. He also reportedly told the woman that she should consider herself a widow because the court could order that he should be killed.

Adedeji said, “We never expected what happened. Pastor Adepoju came from Ibadan where his family resides and he was dressed in a suit just like a pastor who is going to preach. Pastor Oguntoye did not know that he was hiding a knife in the suit, he brought out the knife and stabbed the pastor on his head, chest and stomach.

“Pastor was killed exactly five months after he was transferred to Gbongan. He was in Ede for about 12 years and nobody killed him.”

Tribute poured in for the deceased at the funeral service held at his residence in Ede on Monday.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Osun State, Mrs. Folasade odoro, said the command was aware of the incident.

She said that the suspect was already in the police custody, adding that investigation was ongoing.

Iheanacho’s father lands N78m Man City largesse:

The deal for Nigeria’s U-17 prodigy, Kelechi Iheanacho seemed sealed finally as his father and Taye Academy have received the sum of 300, 000 pounds about N78m that was promised them by Manchester City. 

At least 300,000 pounds to secure the talented Iheanacho, who was picked by FIFA as the best player at last year’s U17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

MTNFootball.com specially gathered that City have rescinded a decision to make payments to the Iheanachos until January next year and both the player’s father and the academy that started him out have thus received half of what was agreed with them.

“Iheanacho senior is now smiling to the bank as he has been paid half of what was promised him after his son signed for City,” a source familiar with this transaction said

“This shows how badly the EPL want the youngster.”

Iheanacho, who was voted the CAF Most Promising Talent for 2013, could not honour a special invitation to the FIFA Awards in Switzerland is now working on his travel papers to England.

Iheanacho’s U17 teammate, Chidiebere Nwakali, has also secured a four-year contract with Manchester City.

PSquare buys 2 homes in Atlanta Georgia

Sensational pop twins Peter and Paul Okoye have acquired two new homes in Atlanta Georgia.

Source: Instagram

Peter posted pictures of their new homes on his instagram page and wrote… “Bought ourselves two new homes in Atlanta GA. Thank u Lord. #Hardwork”

*A peek of the bedroom

Already the twins have a mansion in Omole Estate, Ikeja, Lagos with another one under construction in Parkview Estate Ikoyi, Lagos.

*Peter, his son Cameron in their new home

National Confab: Igbo Leaders Kick Against Okurounmu Panel’s Report

NATIONAL PRESIDENT, IGBO LEADERS OF THOUGHT, PROF. BEN NWABUEZE (4TH L), WITH MEMBERS AFTER A MEETING IN ENUGU ON MONDAY(credit: NAN).

 

Concerned Igbo leaders of thought led by legal luminary, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, have insisted on a new constitution for the country.

Rising from their meeting yesterday in Enugu, the Igbo leaders rejected the proposal of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue, led by Senator Femi Okuroumu, which recommended the amendment of the constitution. They also opposed the proposed selection of delegates to the talks on the basis of senatorial zones or federal constituencies.

Secretary of the group and former Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Prof Elochukwu Amucheazi, told reporters that the Igbo position on the conference would be made public by the end of this month.

He said they were totally against any recommendation that would have anything to do with the retention of any aspect of the 1999 Constitution just as he stressed that anything short of a new constitution would not be acceptable to Nigerians.

Amucheazi said the position of the Igbo leaders is that the conference should be for all ethnic nationalities, being the only way the people would be carried along in the process.

“The advisory council seems to be thinking of the amendment of the constitution and we met to see how to inform the president that this is not in order because we are thinking of an entirely new constitution. What we are saying is that we must have a way of informing the president and Nigerians that the recommendation is not in order and in trying to do this, you can see this is the meeting of Concerned Igbo Leaders of Thought and we are bringing in Ohanaeze to have a reconciliation in two weeks time because we want Ndigbo to be united in this.

“We want this country to survive and we are doing all in our power to make it survive. We are working out the content of the constitution and when we are through with it, we are going to invite all Igbo groups to have a say on it.

“In other words, Ndigbo have rejected the recommendation of PAC. If this is a conference of all nationalities, all ethnic nationalities should be represented. What we are saying is that if we are using the geo-political zones, we must make sure that all ethnic units are represented.

“Again, it is not delegates through adult suffrage by individuals on their own merit but that the ethnic nationalities will have a way of nominating people to it. So we are dealing with nationalities and this is an issue that seem to be misunderstood. We want ethnic nationalities and not senatorial zones”, he said.

The Igbo leaders also demanded that the new constitution should not be subjected to the approval of the National Assembly but should be subjected to a referendum.

The meeting was attended by prominent Igbo elders, including, Senator Anyim Ude, President-General of Ohanaeze, Chief Enwo Igariwey, Archbishop Maxwell Anikwenwa, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, Senator Offia Nwali, Dr Chu Okongwu, Chief Ben Obumselu, Dr Dozie Ikedife, Mrs Maria Okwor, Chief Enechi Onyia (SAN), Mr. Chris Okoye, Elliot Uko and Igwe Aja Nwachukwu, among others.

Wizkid Finally Reacts To HEADIES Snub

Wizkid got just one nomination at the just concluded HEADIES and that has sparked a lot of controversies.

A lot of people felt Wizkid 

ruled the airways in 2013, especially with his international awards, and wonder why he got just one nomination in the HEADIES.

None of his 2013 songs (Jaiye jaiye, Caro, Back to the matter, Lagos to Soweto) got any nomination, and the singer himself was only nominated under the ‘Artiste of the year’ category.

His fans have been complaining, some presenters on Tv have also talked about it.

But Wizkid decided to break the silence yesterday when he tweeted that, his fans see and appreciate all the work and that’s enough award to last him a life time.

He also said, his New Year resolution is to stay happy.