Nigeria Projected to Become Africa's First Global Superpower

Nigeria - South Africa has many attributes that make it a worthy representative of Africa on the world stage, but is set to lose its first place.

If Nigeria plays its cards right, it could become Africa’s only global superpower. It already has the continent’s biggest economy, a huge military budget and a fair record of regional engagement.

By 2040 it will also be the fourth largest country in the world after India, China and the United States.

New research by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) shows that out of Africa’s “Big Five” powerful countries – Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Algeria and Ethiopia – Nigeria is “the African country with by far the greatest capabilities” to play a global role.

The choice of the Big Five is based on the demographic, economic and military size of these countries, as well as their historical role as regional leaders.

Militants Bomb Delta State Oil Pipeline

Urhobo Gbagbako, a militant group has claimed responsibility for the bombing of an NPDC oil pipeline in Delta state.

The group sent an email signed by its spokesperson, Priest Omodjuvwu and said that the bombing of the Ekiugbo/Ighrenene/Afiesere pipeline was to let the world know that Urhobo ex-militants were being neglected.

“We have now resumed attack on the NPDC pipeline facilities on a massive scale, which scale of bombings shall be unprecedented,” the email said.

Jonathan: I will speak at the right time

President Goodluck Jonathan has promised to speak on his experiences during his tenure in office and other issues at the appropriate time.

He made the promise while speaking to State House correspondents at the end of the Good Friday Service organised by the Aso Villa Chapel.

The president, however did not say when the appropriate time will be.

He said: “Don’t worry, I will talk to you at the appropriate time.”

The seven short exhortations that accompanied the seven lessons during the service centred on the sacrifice the preachers said Jonathan made to keep the county united.

They likened his decision to concede defeat in the last Saturday’s presidential elections to the sacrifice Jesus Christ made to safe mankind.

All the preachers noted that the bold step taken by the President at the appropriate time was commendable.

They urged him to remain focus because his future is in the hands of God.

“This man (Jonathan) said here that he is the most criticised President and he prophesied that by the time he will be leaving, he will be the most celebrated President. That has come to pass with the way he is being celebrated worldwide for conceding defeat,” one of the clergymen who led intercessory prayers said.

They also congratulated the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress.

The service also featured renditions of special hymns as well as intercessory prayers for the President, for peace and for the country at large.

He was accompanied to the about three-hour service that featured the Seven Words of Christ on the Cross by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State; and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christians Pilgrims Commission, Mr. John Kennedy-Okpara.

Others were the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Mrs. Joan Ayo; Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Ima Niboro; and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali.[wpdevart_like_box profile_id="" connections="6" width="300" height="550" header="0" locale="en_US"]

How Kano INEC Chief, wife, daughters died in fire incident

The Police in Kano has ruled out sabotage in the death of Kano Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Alhaji Munkaila Abdullahi who died along with his wife and daughters in a fire incident on Thursday.

Briefing reporters in his office, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris said preliminary investigation confirmed that Abdullahi and members of his family died out of suffocation arising from a fire, suspected to have emanated from electrical fault.

Idris dismissed insinuations that the INEC boss must have been assassinated, saying there was no trace of sabotage at the scene of the incident.

Reporters were escorted to the scene of the incident to verify the circumstances of the death.

According to Idris, “today (Friday) at about 4:30 a.m., the police men on guard duty at the official residence of the Resident Electoral Commissioner Kano state, Alhaji Munkaila Abdullahi located at No. 2 Sir Kashim Ibrahim Road, Nassarawa GRA, Kano, observed a fire emanating from split A/C in the sitting room.

“They make several attempt to get in touch with him including banging the doors and breaking some of the toilets windows but he was not responding. The police men and local guards broke the door leading to the sitting room, and discovered the sitting room was engulfed by fire and smoke.

“They then went to the side of the door leading to the masters bedroom, broke the door and entered; they were not inside the bed room and the Police then went to the bathroom, inside the master bedroom and found the REC, his wife and his two daughters unconscious on the floor.

“They quickly removed them to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital where the Doctor confirmed them dead. The Doctor confirmed the family died from inhalation of hot and black smoke.

“Meanwhile, the detectives attached to SCID sealed the scene and together with the fire service men have commenced thorough investigation into the fire incident,” CP Idris stated.

Commonwealth Sec-Gen Salutes Buhari, Jonathan

Commonwealth Secretary- General, Mr. Kamalesh Sharma, has congratulated Nigeria’s President-elect Muhammadu Buhari on his victory in last weekend’s election, noting that history had been made with the retired army general becoming the first Nigerian opposition leader to be elected through the ballot box.

Mr. Sharma expressed admiration for the statesmanship and democratic spirit with which President Goodluck Jonathan congratulated President-elect Muhammadu Buhari on his victory, even before this morning’s official announcement of the result.

“The people of Nigeria have demonstrated their deep commitment to democracy by exercising their right, recognised in the Commonwealth Charter, to participate in democratic processes, in particular through free and fair elections, in shaping the society in which they live.

“ It was particularly heartening to see the active participation of young people in this election process,” Mr. Sharma said.

He also acknowledged the pivotal role played by the Independent National Electoral Commission, under the leadership of Professor Attahiru Jega, in delivering a credible election.

The Secretary-General thanked Dr Bakili Muluzi, Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group to Nigeria’s elections. In a letter to the former President of Malawi, he said: “My appreciation also extends to the entire Group that you have led so ably.

Through your exemplary leadership you have shown a deep commitment to promoting the Commonwealth’s fundamental political values.”

Mr. Sharma added that the Commonwealth remains ready to support Nigeria in the postelection phase.

Mbaka congratulates, tasks Buhari on corruption, unemployment

ENUGU – Firebrand cleric, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu has congratulated General Muhammadu Buhari on his victory at the presidential election and worn him to seek divine wisdom before choosing people he would work with.

Mbaka, whose New Year Message entitled “From Goodluck to Badluck” elicited mixed reactions across the country, described Buhari’s emergence as a divine victory for Nigerians.

The priest, in a press briefing, through the spokesman of the ministry, Barr. Maximus Ike Ugwuoke, urged the President-Elect to devote attention in tackling the myriads of problems facing the country.

“It is with vindictive joy and glory to God that Adoration ministry, the nation and indeed the world saw the fulfillment of Fr Mbaka’s New Year prophesy of Change with the miraculous victorious emergence of General Muhammed Buhari at the March 28th polls as the President Elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We wish to restate that before President Goodluck became the President of this country, Fr Mbaka prophesied it in his message titled ‘Okolo’.

“Today again, Buhari’s victory among other lessons it portends to Nigerians has once more confirmed to all and sundry that Fr Mbaka is indeed a true Prophet of God and that His New Year message was indeed from the Oracle of the Holy Spirit as he declared.

“The ministry with magnanimous heart holds no grudges against anyone who attacked it in one way or the other at the rage of the controversies surrounding Fr Mbaka’s message and view their actions as being orchestrated by their misconstruing of Fr Mbaka’s prophetic calling.

“The Ministry joins other Nigerians to congratulate Muhammadu Buhari as God’s chosen instrument of Change to tackle the myriad problems facing Nigeria and pray God to endow him with the wisdom to go about this onerous task.

“We see Buhari’s victory as divine victory to all Nigerians irrespective of our religious and ethnic divide”, he stated.

The Cleric was, however, quick to advise Buhari to seek divine wisdom before choosing people he would work with.

“The prayer of Fr. Mbaka is that God will give Buhari the wisdom not to surround himself with wrong people, that was the major problem Jonathan’s administration faced.

“Fr. Mbaka has advocated that Nigerians should be patient with Buhari…

“However, if the patience of Nigerians is exhausted, if Buhari fails to deliver, Fr. Mbaka will be the first to cast the stone”, he stated.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/seek-divine-wisdom-before-choosing-people-you-ld-work-with-you-mbaka-tells-buhari/#sthash.EiwwpnAF.dpuf

Jonathan stops PDP’s bid to contest Buhari’s victory

President Goodluck Jonathan may have prevailed on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to challenge President-elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in last Saturday’s election.

Instead of planning a case for the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, the Presidency will raise a Transition Committee on Tuesday.

Vice President-elect Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is likely to head the All Progressives Congress (APC) team which will join the committee ahead of the May 29 transition.

Ministers have started preparing their handover notes, it was also learnt.

It was gathered that although some PDP stalwarts wanted Buhari’s victory challenged at the tribunal, the President thought otherwise.

The party stalwarts, it was said, believe that some irregularities in some states are strong enough to upturn the final results of the election, which was hailed at home and abroad as substantially credible. Jonathan, it was learnt, said it made no sense —contesting Buhari’s victory— after he had conceded defeat.

It was learnt that the PDP leaders referred to the electoral scenario in Ekiti where the All Progressives Congress(APC) went to tribunal despite the acceptance of defeat by ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi.

The President, however, stood his ground that he would rather stand by his statesmanship attitude than going to tribunal.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The President has prevailed on PDP to drop plans to go to tribunal against Buhari. He said he wants his word to be his bond, having been applauded by the international community.

“At a point, Jonathan said ‘I don’t believe in post-election petition at tribunal because it distracts the incoming administration’.

“He also said Nigeria must emulate other nations where once the presidential poll is lost and won, the new government must not be distracted with election petitions.

“He told party leaders that he was not interested in going to the tribunal. It is now left for PDP leaders to heed his advice.

“So as at Thursday, the government’s position is that the PDP should not go to tribunal.”

Stating the PDP’s position on the elections in a statement yesterday, Chairman Adamu Mu’azu, said: “We have received reports of serious irregularities that characterized the conduct of the election and we shall channel our protests to the appropriate quarters in line with our profound respect for the rule of law and democratic ethos.”

He did not say whether the party would go to the tribunal but added: “What is paramount to us is the survival of our democracy, the unity, peace and progress of our dear nation and the happiness of all our people. Nigeria is bigger than any political party, individual or group and her overall interest must be our priority at all times.”

The President in 2010 at the 15th summit of the African Union (AU) in Kampala, Uganda described post-election litigation as a major distraction to governance.

Jonathan said: “It is inconvenient to already be in office and be thinking about election litigation.

“The essence of the immunity clause in the constitution is that if a president or a governor takes an oath of office, he should sit down and concentrate on the job and when he leaves office, he could be prosecuted for any offence.

“But because of the way we conduct our elections, the president who sits in office is still battling and being distracted with election issues, and it affects us.”

The transition committee is likely to be constituted next week.

Another source added: “The Presidency is working on a seamless transition from Jonathan’s administration to Buhari’s. The details are being worked out.”

“I think by next week, the picture of the transition committee will emerge. The government is working early on the transition because it involves a lot of work.

“The APC team will have to collaborate with the committee and ask questions if there are grey areas.”

Meanwhile, Ministers have started compiling their handover notes, which will be part of the integral aspect of the report of the transition committee.

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