Nigeria requires 750-1000 kilowatts per 100 persons to enhance development, Baroness Chalker

Success Damian:

Former British Minister and President of Royal Geographical Society, Lynda Baroness Chalker of Wallassey has disclosed that Nigeria just like any other nations of the world requires 750-1000 kilowatts per 100 persons to ensure development.

Speaking at Lagos State University at the weekend during An Afternoon with Baroness Chalker which has the theme ‘Africa in a Competitive World: Business and Investment,’ she stated that access to affordable and regular power supply is the engine to industrialization. She said that United States has 3000kw per 100; United Kingdom, 500kw per 1000, Ghana is 66, but Nigeria still struggling to make it 25 per 100.

While stating that competitiveness is essential to a country’s overall prosperity, Chalker stressed that there are four key factors that are used to assess a country’s competitiveness which include but not restricted to economic performance, government and business efficiency and growth, and infrastructure development.

On economic growth she said reduction in government debt, strengthening international trade, business efficiency, ease of doing business, corporate governance and an increase in business activity to drive up competitiveness and steady digitization are indices of economic growth.

To her, assessing competitiveness across Africa, there were mixed picture which are three fold, foreign direct investment, revenue generation, options for finance, infrastructure development, population and job market.

Chalker said ‘According to the world investment report 2018, (FDI) flows to Africa slumped to $42billion in 2017, a 21% decline from 2016. While Africa is still the 2^nd fastest region globally by capital investment, it is buoyed by North Africa especially Morocco. FDI in Morocco, she said, grew by 23% in 2017 to $2.7billion, mainly as a result of sizable investment in the automotive sector.

The former Minister said regrettably FDI projects into Nigeria fell in number, from 49 to 35, in 2017, adding that many projects have been started, but are not yet completed. She gave an instance of a project like the roads around Murtala Muhammed Airport which often is the first glimpse of Nigeria that an incoming overseas visitor to Lagos has.

On his part, the Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, welcoming Chalker said Lasu is increasingly becoming a crucible of innovation, development and leadership training. “We are an institution and an administration that should be taken seriously as choice partners of development.”

He further said ‘Today our online Distant Learning and Research Institute is being structured to serve as the benchmark for distance-learning education in Nigeria. There is no gainsaying the fact that LASUCOM, our medical school is one of the best and most sought after in the country and that the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Ikeja is one of the best equipped’

He said the crucial link between education and industry is research and development, ‘with the right endowments the university can provide research-evidenced solutions for industry, develop solutions, technology and innovations to enhance local content and competitiveness of the industrial sector.

Fagbohun said Funding for such researches are currently paltry where existent, adding that rather that fledgling technical departments, the private sector can invest in R&D in partnership with tertiary institutions, which are better equipped and are happy for industry to own patents resulting from researches they have sponsored.

Fagbohun advocated that as previously, government should revert to recruiting the best brains on graduation to man the bureaucracies and enhance the capacity for policy formulation and implementation.

Save Northern Nigeria: Al- Mustapha appeals to Muoka

Success Damian Former Chief Security Adviser to the late General Sani Abacha, Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha and founder of the newly floated political party, Green Party of Nigeria, (GMP), has appealed to The General Overseer of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement, Pastor Lazarus Muoka to come to the rescue of the 19 States of Northern Nigeria from the incessant crisis in the area. He made the appeal on Sunday at the end of the 4-day International Crusade titled; What God Has Determined Shall Be Done, organized by the Lord’s Chosen at Mgbidi in Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State. Al-Mustapha who made a surprise appearance at the crusade said his main mission to the Christian gathering was to appeal to Muoka to acknowledge with a peculiar interest on the problems in Nigeria, especially in the North, as they are escalating into something bigger.  Al-Mustapha regretted that the Northern States are presently bedeviled with so many social problems and requires sincere and honest people like Muoka, who can direct and pass the right messages to the people. “We want Pastor Muoka to extend his evangelism to the north, so as to change the situation for good. If we allow terrorism to get deep and rooted, it may snowball into affecting other parts of Nigeria. Besides people are dying every day. So, there is need to bring people who have the capacity to bring Nigeria out of its present situation.”  Al-Mustapha explained that corruption, increase in crime rate, terrorism,  high unemployment rate, people dying across waters and poor education system are nothing to write home about. “Also, infrastructure is nowhere to be found, so many promises, but not fulfilled. There is too much money, but nothing to show for it. Institutional decay, nepotism, gender inequality problems etc are posing serious problems in Nigeria. Besides, people are dying every day, so there is a need to bring people whom we know, have the capacity to bring Nigeria out of its present situation.  The CSA said therefore that it was high time Nigerians resorted to the likes of Muoka to seek for help and direction for them to make ends meet and be free from the instabilities confronting the nation. The north at the moment is bedeviled with so many social problems and therefore requires people who are honest, sincere and can as well, direct and pass the right messages to the people and at the same time pray, so that we can change the situation for good. If we allow terrorism to get deep and rooted, it may snowball into affecting other parts of Nigeria. Besides people are dying every day. So, there is need to bring people who have the capacity to bring Nigeria out of its present situation.”  Also, describing Muoka as an embodiment of humility and a distinguished personality in whom radiates all known and unknown qualities of a true leader, Mustapha said the essence of any leadership in life rests on the provision of hope to the people when their confidence is lost and provision of confidence when the people no longer have hope anywhere. ‘The Lord’s Chosen Ministries has an anchorman of such”. On the security implications in Nigeria, Al-Mustapha posited that if his book ‘Conflict Resolution and Peace Building in Nigeria,’ written since 2009 was used by the government, Nigeria would not have been experiencing the present problems. “I think, we have ignored the problem that is why we are in this present situation.” He noted that life is not measured by the amount of money, cars or houses one has, but the number of lives affected positively. ‘Life is not measured by the riches in your pocket nor the number of houses, castles or palaces that you have and not from the power that you have but it is measured from the point of view of people appreciating and smiling when they see you and when they hear of you, The Lord Chosen General Overseer, Pastor Lazarus Muoka is one. I see in him humility, simplicity, wisdom, responsibility cheerfulness, kindness and of courses faith and wisdom. “ Speaking further, Mustapha hinted that in kindness and wisdom, when in 2009, he was being persecuted and kept for 15 years, going through torture, Muoka made intercessory prayers on his behalf till he got freedom.  ‘In the mid-way of my persecution, the distinguished religious leader sent people to pray for me. He was also praying for me without minding the leadership that was persecuting me. And, as I was going through the travails, through the kindness and wisdom with which he showed concern to me, I saw a lot of things and eventually, God almighty granted me freedom."

Father Mbaka warns Buhari: Contest and be disgraced

 Success Damian:

Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has warned President Muhammadu Buhari not to contemplate seeking for a second tenure in 2019.

The spiritual director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Nigeria, stated that Buhari would be totally disgraced if he takes a shot at the presidency after his current tenure.

Mbaka made this revelation before thousands of worshippers in a New Year Message which he delivered Monday morning.

Recalled that at the same pulpit three years ago, he had prophesied that former President Goodluck Jonathan would be defeated in the 2015 election.

The cabals have messed up the President and confused him. So, Mr. President, you are to be blamed, not your cabals. You have your brooms, but the cabals have their bags; either you sweep them away or they throw you into the bag. Heaven cried that your methodology is not just archaic but too sluggish, very slow. The situation in Nigeria needs speed but you are too dull.

“So, Mr. President, as I was waiting on the Lord, I’m asked to advise you, don’t come out for 2nd tenure, after this, retire, peacefully. Mr. President you are the cause of your own problem. God gave you an adviser, a wonderful mentor, a visionist, a matriarch, in the person of your wife, Aisha, but you don’t want to listen to her, that woman is heartbroken, because she understood that you are not yourself. Come back to yourself or you will cry by the time you will be sent out of office. So, those who are encouraging you to come out and run again, they want to disgrace you shamefully and publicly.”

We keep on praying for your quick recovery but you know when the President is sick and age is not on his side, the message came, that is why the government schools are sick, the government hospitals are sick, the government roads are sick; power, electricity, sick, the economy is sick; unemployment becomes the order of the day, our graduates, our youths are living in abject poverty and hopelessness, the countrymen are sick, hunger is ravaging the people of God; investors have no more confident in Nigeria.

The same God chose Jonathan, Goodluck, during the oil boom, had Jonathan invested well, then Nigerians won’t be suffering what we are suffering now; even in his hometown Otueke, go to Niger Delta, there was no impact of governance, nothing. That’s why God pushed him out. Mr. President, if you don’t want to be pushed out, you have to wake up.

God has given Nigerians everything and He says, ‘Nigerians be patient with me.’ It will not take time I will begin to deal wickedly to those who are dealing wickedly to you people. Those who are punishing you, I will punish.

Omisore reassures Osun citizens of a new dawn in 2018

Cyriacus Nnaji

Former Deputy Governor of Osun State and a two term Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing Osun East senatorial district, Dr. Iyiola Omisore has reassured his people in Osun State that the New Year will usher in a new dawn.

In his Christmas and New Year message to the citizens of Osun State, the Apesin Oodua of the Source reassured them of a better 2018, the year that promises real change to the people.

Speaking to his party loyalists who came to visit him on Christmas Day at his country home in Ile Ife, the Bashorun of Ijeshaland and Asiwaju Balogun of Ibadanland expressed his pleasure at having them around. He thanked them for their abiding faith in him and appealed to them to gird their loins and be ready to Change the change come 2018 gubernatorial election in the state.

“Osun state has been under socio-economic and political bondage for the past 7 years under the directionless leadership of APC. My people have suffered undue pain; the economic and social lives of the people have receded; the civil servants have suffered, the educational system has been bastardised, infrastructural system across the state has collapsed. It’s time to Change the change. My people in Osun should hold their destiny in their hands and come out massively to vote out pains and long suffering. They should also be ready to guide their votes and not allow themselves to be deceived by anybody”, he emphasised.

Senator Omisore averred that he is out to serve his people; “as a private citizen I have added more value to the mass of sons and daughters of Osun than the government. I am determined to do more by continue with my social intervention programs; scholarship program and other philanthropic gestures. I am out to rescue my people.

“I wish my people merry Christmas and a prosperous new year. Be merry, be happy and be good to one another; let’s show love. Love is what the birth of Christ spiritually signifies. Do not allow the current economic hardship and fuel scarcity kill your joy in this joyful season. Happy new year”, he stated.

Jonathan broke silence on 15 election

Charity Nnaji:

Goodluck Jonathan, former President of Nigeria, has finally acknowledged that the 2015 presidential election was influenced partly by former U.S. President Barack Obama and his officials

He also admitted infractions perpetrated by Prof. Attahiru Jega, former chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In an advanced copy of the book, ‘Against the Run of Play – How an incumbent president was defeated in Nigeria,’ written by Olusegun Adeniyi, chairman of the THISDAY Editorial Board, Jonathan said that the U.S. government “even brought some naval ships into the Gulf of Guinea in the days preceding the elections”.

The book goes on to reveal how the previous U.S. administration undermined Jonathan’s government’s fight against Islamist insurgents in the North-east in order to weaken his government and make it unpopular, quoting Communicationweek.

“I was disappointed by Jega because I still cannot understand what was propelling him to act the way he did in the weeks preceding the election.

“As at the first week in February 2015, when about 40 per cent of Nigerians had not collected their PVCs, Jega said INEC was ready to conduct an election in which millions of people would be disenfranchised,” the former President said.

Jonathan also said he had a meeting with Jega to express his reservations about the preparedness of INEC for the exercise, but he insisted that the election would go ahead.