Catholic Bishops Blast Jonathan, Governors Over Massive Corruption, Rights Abuses

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Catholic Bishops of Nigeria The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) on Friday in Abuja expressed worry over the lack of accountability and transparency at all levels of government in Nigeria, saying the situation is responsible for the massive poverty and insecurity in the country.

The bishops said by failing to uphold probity in the deployment of public resources, President Goodluck Jonathan, state governors and other public office holders should be regarded as human rights abusers. This is contained in a communiqué signed by Arch-Bishop Ignatius Kaigama, President of CBCN at the end of the first plenary conference titled "Faith and the Dignity of the Human Person". The communique stated that the lack of transparency and accountability were responsible for the high level of poverty and security threats in the country.

10 opposition governors back merger to unseat PDP

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10 governors from four different political parties - ACN, APGA, CPC, ANPP met in Lagos yesterday Tuesday 5th February and unanimously endorsed merger plans to unseat the PDP in 2015.

The governors who attended the meeting in Lagos are: Babatunde Fashola (ACN, Lagos), Ibikunle Amosun (ACN, Ogun), Kayode Fayemi (ACN, Ekiti), Abiola Ajumobi (ACN, Oyo), Rauf Aregbesola (ACN, Osun) Rochas Okorocha (APGA, Imo), Umaru Tanko Almakura (CPC, Nasarawa), Abdulaziz Yari (ANPP, Zamfara). Kashim Shettima of Borno and Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe were represented by Senator Dejere Alkali.

Tukur moves to tame PDP governors

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The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has begun subtle moves to wrest the party from the grips of its governors and curb their overbearing influence.

To achieve his goal, Tukur plans to establish financial autonomy for the party, which will free it from over-dependence on the governors and the President.

Investigations by our correspondent indicated that the desire of Tukur and the PDP National Working Committee was based on a paper presented by a former National Chairman of the party, Dr. Okwesilise Nwodo, to the party at its December 2012 retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Gov Okorocha’s, Senator Anyanwu’s aides clash, Anyanwu reportedly slaps governor’s aide-de-camp

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The political tension in Imo State has risen up a notch as aides to the governor, Rochas Okorocha, on Wednesday night clashed with that of Senator Chris Anyanwu (APGA, Imo). The senator, a former ally of the governor, narrated the incident while speaking to reporters saying the governor’s convoy swerved into her convoy at Azara Egbelu, along Owerri/Umuahia road on her way to her village.

Globetrotting governors in Nigeria’s risky airspace

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The lavish and immodest lifestyle of Nigerian governors can be measured by their penchant for frequent and often needless foreign travels, writes CHUKWUDI AKASIKE. In the Second Republic, governors showed a high level of moderation compared to the current crop of governors who are not only stylish, but also take pleasure to the extreme while in office. While some state chief executives in those days were satisfied riding on horses, today’s governors not only fly in airplanes, they acquire private jets for their regular expensive trips.

Nigerian State Governors To Block Oil Wealth Fund

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Nigeria’s state governors vowed on Thursday to go to court to stop the government putting oil revenues into a sovereign wealth fund. Africa’s top crude producer has been moving closer to joining its OPEC partners in creating a sovereign wealth fund for long-term investment of its oil cash.

The governors, who enjoy luxurious lifestyles and wield huge patronage, had been opposed to the fund because they feared it would reduce their share of the oil money. Nigeria picks team for $1-billion fund Zambia launches record-breaking euro bond
Nigeria signs $23-million electricity deal with Canadian firm The country pumps more than two million barrels of oil a day but economists say revenue over the decades has been wasted on bloated government wages, a vast patronage network that gets costlier closer to election time, or plain embezzlement.