Special Reports - When Change Becomes Inevitable.

If you have been following recent happenings in our polity objectively as it concerns the general elections in the past three months, you will understand it is now clear to the discerning, obvious to the dissenting and acceptable to the pragmatic that change has become inevitable in our polity.

This article was inspired by one of my favorite songs of
Lucky Dube- of blessed memory, "It Wasn't Easy".
In the song, he called on his mother, "mama I'm getting
married". She replied, "Son did you take out time to know her"?

The artist: "Mama she's the best, but today it hurts me so to go back to mama and say mama am getting divorced, this choice I made, didn't work the way I thought it would, it hurts me so mama...".
The lyrics of the song are exactly what are playing out in ourpolity today.

Rewind back to 2011 presidential election, we were so carried away by the circumstances surrounding president Jonathan's emergence that we ignored many things and forgot to ask necessary questions. He gathered all the sympathy, popularity and attention through his "I had no shoes while growing up" quote. Thinking he's the Moses of our time, people defied ethnic and religious affiliations to vote and ensure he emerged president.

Fast forward to 2015 presidential election, everything has changed. The ones trusted and popular Jonathan had become the rejected stone. It is an irony that same process that ensured the emergence of a younger president in 2011 is same process that has kept him on the verge of losing the 2015 presidential election.

The ruling party in its quest for jaded attention allowed itself to be sub-tenanted in the last 4 years by every paid and unpaid apologist of the government. The president's incorrigible media team didn't help either, they were beyond reproach, with their misleading and contradicting information they made it difficult for citizens to get accurate information on the happenings of the government, they hurled bitter diatribes and tirades to every critic of the government, in doing so their language deteriorated and included every profanity and obscenity on their lips and ended up accumulating more enemies for the president within and outside the shores of the country thereby making change inevitable.

In the area of corruption, President Jonathan has shown little willingness to tackle corruption. He identifies with the corrupt and presides over a government that embezzles public funds with reckless abandon. After much criticism of his government, Mr. President in an attempt to demystify corruption made a political gaffe. "What is being referred to as corruption is common stealing".

Right now our nation is hemorrhaging from all sides, the bleeding is imminent and inevitable, with the daily decline in our economy, there hardly seem to be anyone who is not feeling the economic hardship this government has reduced us to.

Many unfulfilled campaign promises of the ruling government have contributed to this inevitable change. The fact that Nigeria is yet to generate more than 4000 megawatts of electricity after expending millions of dollars in four years in the power sector is beyond comprehension.

Until recently, security is near zero with insecurity and
insurgency taking a lead in wanton killings and destruction of lives and properties in the North East.
With its little and infinitesimal performance, the attack dogs of the ruling government have been obfuscating in defense that president Jonathan in the last six years has performed more than all our past rulers.

They pretend not to know records have shown under
President Jonathan Nigeria has generated more funds per annum from the sale of crude oil alone in the past 6 years than we have made in the past years.
It is saddening that nations of equal promise like Nigeria have left Nigeria in its elementary level while at different levels of advanced development, hence the need for a change of government.

The opposition APC may have its flaws but as the Economist Magazine aptly puts it, "Sometimes there are no good options... a former dictator is a better choice than a failed president".

Back to the song, "It Wasn't Easy", same way the above named reggae artist went back to his mother, "mama am getting divorced", Nigerians want a divorce from the ruling government, because the choice we made in 2011 didn't work out the way we thought it would and it hurts us so much.

I take consolation from the words of his mother in the song, "it's not easy to understand it son, but I know you'll make it, you'll be happy again".
Nigerians will make change possible come March 28 2015 and we will be happy again.

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time; we are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. -Barack Obama
Joe

Special Report - How President Jonathan and PDP plan to rig election

It shouldn't be any surprise, but the presidential election is shaping up as a case study in how to manipulate the democratic process. That President Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are hell bent to rig the March 28 presidential elections is a forgone conclusion. It's not even a fit subject for intelligent debate any more.

Election rigging is a little more sophisticated now than in the days of the Old Republic. Under the Jonathan administration, the practice of election rigging is alive and well and more pervasive than ever. The evidence is everywhere if we choose to look.

Why do you think there is so much push to send INEC
Chairman Attahiru Jega to Siberia? By the time you're
reading this piece, Jega would have been history! Why do you think Attorney General and Minister of Justice Adoke filed and later withdrew affidavit against the use of updated electronic voters register and permanent voters’ card? Why do you think the election was postponed? Why do you think Mr. Jonathan obstinately refused to investigate the Ekitigate
video on how PDP used the military and the police to rig the gubernatorial election in Ekiti State despite the fact that he was implicated by Musiliu Obanikoro?

Why do you think despite the damaging Ekitigate video that exposed Obanikoro as the principal agent of the President Jonathan saying the president sent him, Jonathan still nominate him as defense minister? Why do you think Jonathan has illegally federated all the 36 states with an army of occupation? Why do you think Jonathan wants to use the military during elections?

Of course there is a script being authored, auditioned, and choreographed by Vice-President Sambo, Femi Fani-Kayode, Ayodele Fayose, and other PDP criminals and experts in election rigging. But these are rather insignificant compared to the big picture that is being planned for the D-Day March 28.

When elements – Doyin Okupe, Ayodele Fayose, and Femi Fani-Kayode - in Jonathan's administration vowed General Muhammadu Buhari will never become president, do not think they were bluffing. They are working day and night to make this a reality. They have devised several plans which have been neutralized in the past. Thanks to the proactive
measures of SaharaReporters and some patriotic citizens.

It should be emphasized that Jonathan and other criminals in the PDP led government who are determined to bring Nigeria to its knees, have not relented. New plans are being devised, developed, and perfected on a daily basis. There are plans in the offing to impeach Governor Rotimi Amaechi by hook or
crook in few days. This is to implicate him in many
ramifications and as the campaign director of Buhari
Campaign Organization destabilize Buhari campaign in
general.

Suspects in prison for the murder of Funsho Williams are being primed to confess they were sent by Bola Tinubu. They have been promised heaven on earth even in prison if they can implicate him. The plan is to blackmail Tinubu into submission or at the very least distract him with a nauseous court case. It has been alleged Jonathan met with Tinubu in Badagry during one of Jonathan's numerous visits to Lagos
and tried to convince Tinubu to back out from supporting Buhari.

Jonathan told Tinubu he (Tinubu) is number one on the list compiled by Buhari of those to be probed once he becomes president. Let it be known to all that Jagaban is under intense pressure at the moment to betray Buhari. To be fair to him, Tinubu has not succumbed. It is no secret that Nigeria at the moment is prostrate in a cesspit of corruption dug by a few. It is so humongous Nigerians will shudder when they
know the full details. And Jonathan has been taken hostage by the monstrous clique of corrupt people responsible for his mess.

Ordinarily, Jonathan is willing to relinquish power if he loses. But these corrupt people have planted fear in him that Buhari will send him to jail once he becomes president and discovers the level of rot in the system. That's why he's fighting tooth and nail to remain president. This much has been alluded to
by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The Jonathan government is capable of anything to sustain the status quo.

They have the resources and evil minded people to
accomplish much. The fake Shekau option has not been discarded because it was leaked last week. The Ekitigate style is still very much on the table. You can see how it was tactically nipped in the bud at the House of Reps sitting last week. There is still
about four weeks to go before the elections. If one hour is a long time in politics, you can imagine what four weeks will be.

The “election will never hold” plan is still alive depending on the success of their plans to weaken Buhari's campaign and decimate his support base in the coming weeks. If the plans succeed, elections may hold. If it does not, the Interim National Government (ING) contraption may be employed.

There are many, many, other facets to this election rigging plan. I have only scratched the surface. As the election draws closer and closer, I will make other Jonathan and PDP rigging plans known to the whole world.

The March 28 presidential election is a struggle to install freedom, liberty, prosperity and the people's will. Nigerians have resolved not to be cast into the dim past of corruption, poverty, and oppression. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. All eyes must be on Jonathan's government andeven on some APC members.

Jonathan: I’ll Bring Opposition to My Cabinet If Re-elected

President Goodluck Jonathan has said he will open the door for new people, including those who oppose now, to join his administration and serve Nigeria if he finally wins the race to return as the country’s president on March 28.

Likewise, the president has pledged to hunt down the Boko Haram insurgents, whose operations he acknowledged, had caused collateral destruction of lives and property in the,North-east in particular.

The president expressed the view in a document that
emanated from a meeting he held with Strategy Group, a forum of trusted northerners and southerners on February 14.

As contained in the document, the president said he would inject new blood into his cabinet if re-elected, saying the door “will be open for new people to join me and serve including even those who oppose now.”

The document addressed diverse challenges currently
confronting the North at large, citing the scary poverty kid,which it acknowledged, had aggravated the operations of the Boko Haram insurgents.

The document said: “It is true I lost of time in dealing with this problem. This was because I listened to advice to try several tracks and not just the military option. We tried the political and negotiation track.

“It did not work. Now I am going for an all-out assault in conjunction with our neighbouring countries and other helpers. We shall hunt them down so we can provide a more secure future for our citizens in these areas. I thank our courageous men and women in the armed forces for their sacrifice.

“I understand the poverty problem of the North. I see the destruction of lives and property caused by Boko Haram.Once we drive out Boko Haram, I shall personally take charge of a rebuilding programme for the North-east. I have already put instruments in place and will use them.

“I have PINE, Save School Initiative, Greenbelt and Victim Fund among others. I shall use these instruments to improve lives and livelihoods and give our citizens in these areas a better future,” the document said.

The document, also, detailed the feat the Jonathan
administration in power sector, noting that his government“has pushed further on power than other government. We have privatised the sector so that new and better owners and managers can help us.

“But I know power has not improved to the extent we want. This is largely due to lack of gas and pipeline vandalisation. My plan is to tackle this through employment of technology to help deter and detect vandals.“I am also diversifying power sources, already mainly to hydro so we are not dependent on one source. We are building massive dams such as Kashimbila, Zungeru and Mambila to help us. I plan to exploit coal as well.” It incisively x-rayed the effort of the administration in the fight against corruption, noting that his administration had convicted more corrupt officials than any administration since return to civil rule in 1999.

The document rolled out how the Jonathan administrationhad been using modern platforms and technology to fight corruption, which it said, reflected in the rating of the Transparency International.

“I am committed to fighting corruption. Contrary to the
misinformation you get, this administration has achieved a lot on this front and the Transparency International rating for Nigeria is better now than it was a decade ago. I acknowledge and accept we still need to improve.

“We are far from where we need to be. But we have fought oil subsidy fraud, pension fraud, fertilizer fraud and cleaned these up. We are using technology to build electronic platform to manage our finances and personnel payroll and stop leakages there. This is the way we must go in the future.

“I plan to put in place the institutions and systems to stop leakages. The EFCC has made many more arrests and convictions in this administration than ever before. I respect the rule of law and people are punished if found guilty,” the document quoted the president saying.

THE EMPTY PROMISES OF A GENERALISMO

FA: Mr. General Sir, how long will it take you as president to bring back our girls?

GMB: We have all this while ensured their safety, so we will bring them back unfailingly in the first week of my
administration.

FA: What if the Boko Haram change their mind and refuse to give them back?

GMB: I am a general. I will personally take generators to Sambisa, light up the forest and locate the girls.

FA: How do you propose to do this, Sir?

GMB: Mind your business! It is top secret.

FA: Why did you go for the last Council of State meeting, Sir? For a long time, you have refused to attend.

GMB: I will soon be living in Aso Rock. I wanted to familiarize myself with my new home for the next eight years.

FA: What do you think of the postponement of the elections?

GMB: The election postponement was a military coup by President Jonathan and his agents. Coup-plotters should not be elected as president of democratic Nigeria.

FA: But Mr. General Sir, you yourself were a coup-plotter in 1984. You overthrew a democratic government. Nigerians remember you as the tyrant who terrorized their lives then.
Why should we vote for you now?

GMB: It is harsh to judge me by my 1984 record. Everybody knows that a military regime is different from a democratic government. A military regime must act militarily: it cannot act democratically. I told the Catholic bishops when I went to campaign with them:
“I am a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.” By the way,
that is from 1 Corinthians 6:17 in the bible. Be sure to include that for the benefit of my mushrooming Christian supporters.

FA: Do you now read the bible, Sir?

GMB: Of course! That is democracy. I even attended a
Thanksgiving Service in Lagos and pretended to sing some praise songs. I am the apostle of change. Have you not noticed I now wear a suit? That gimmick came from our American image-makers. When we are in power, we shall change everything. All cars in Nigeria will start driving on the left instead of on the right as from May 29, 2015. That should create at least two million new jobs.

FA: But General, Sir; you cannot change the scriptures.

GMB: What do you mean?

FA: The scripture you quoted is from 2 Corinthians 5:17 and not 1 Corinthians 6:17.

GMB: You are a very stupid boy. Just wait. We shall tamper with all of you when we are in power.

FA: Don’t you think you should at least apologise to Nigerians for the wicked things you did in the past?

GMB: You can keep waiting for apology if you want, but a general does not apologise for his actions. Never! I will win this election without any apologies. It is the PDP that needs to apologise to Nigerians for monopolizing power for the last 16 years.

FA: Were you in your right senses when you did those wicked things in the past?

GMB: You are mad! Foolish boy! Barawo! Admit it: you are a card-carrying member of the PDP. Nonsense!

FA: You said before that Moslems should not vote for non-Moslems. Should Christians vote for non-Christians like you in this election?

GMB: Do you know what change means? Get a dictionary and check. Change means change. It means to change. I am the change candidate. That means I have changed the things I was saying before. That’s called electioneering, in case you don’t know. Once we win the election, we will change back.

FA: Nevertheless, the basis on which you are asking Nigerians to vote for you is your anti-corruption stance in 1984. Why has that not changed?

GMB:You small boy. You think you can use this stupid logic to dabaru a whole general with embarrassing questions? You don’t know who you are dealing with. It is only a foolish man who believes everything he hears. There is change and there is change. Some things will change and some things will not. Once
I become Head of State, the problem of corruption in Nigeria will change forever.

FA: But Sir, you were Head of State before and your regime did not end corruption in Nigeria.

GMB: The problem of Nigeria is that people don’t have respect for their elders anymore. Look how you are questioning me. Am I your mate? Can’t you see I am a 72-year old man?

FA: Don’t be offended, Sir, this is an interview and we are supposed to ask probing questions.

GMB: You have no home-training. When I am presido, I will not be the father of the nation. I will be the grandfather of Nigeria.

FA: General Sir, the discussion was on corruption.

GMB: Of course, I know. Do you think I am going senile? As I said in Port Harcourt, I will ensure that there is no room for integrity in Nigeria.

FA: You mean no room for corruption, Sir.

GMB: That is what I said. FA: How will you achieve this, Sir? GMB: I will arrest all the corrupt people and send them to jail for 300 years.

FA: You might need to build a few more jailhouses then. The prisons are already over-congested.

GMB: Of course, yes. I will create one million jobs by building prisons and then lock all PDP members there.

FA: What about members of your own party, Sir?

GMB: Stupid boy. Don’t get smart with me. There are no corrupt people in APC.

FA: Sorry, Sir.

GMB: Sorry for you. Arrant nonsense! Do you think I just came up with these excellent ideas? I thought about them for a long long time. I will place corruption under arrest in Nigeria and send it to jail.

FA: Well done, Sir.

GMB: That’s more like it.

FA: Are you still in favour of the establishment of sharia throughout the country? Or have you changed in that one as well.

GMB: I am not here to answer stupid questions. I am running an issue-based campaign. Issue-based! This election is about the incompetence of the ruling party. It is about what the PDP has not done and not what the APC will do. In the meantime, our policies are top secret. But we can see that the ones of the
PDP are not working.

FA: General Sir, the issue of your school-leaving certificate is still making waves. Why not put the matter to rest by producing your original certificate?

GMB: It is an insult to ask a General to produce a WASC certificate. Any day, any time, a general is equivalent to a Ph.D. I have a Ph.D in coup-plotting, military strategies and Maitasine destruction. My CV is there for all to see and behold.

FA: But Sir, you signed an affidavit that your certificate is with the military.

GMB: Yes, I did. But during the bomb explosions at the Ikeja cantonment, regrettably the certificates were destroyed. In any case, I have asked Cambridge/WASC to send me the original certificate.

FA: When can we see it, Sir?

GMB: It is coming by ship. They have assured me that it will get here unfailingly by May 30th, 2015.

FA: The election would have been over by then, Sir.

GMB: There is nothing I can do about that.

FA: Mr. General, Sir, your vice-president said you will create 720,000 jobs a year if you are elected. How can that be effective when there are 1.8 million new job-seekers every year?

GMB: What Professor Osimbande was saying is that...

FA: Professor who, Sir?

GMB: Professor Osobombay…

FA: Who are you talking about, Sir?

GMB: You stupid boy, if it was in the days of Decree 4, I would have shown you pepper. You know who I am talking about.

FA: Yes Sir; Professor Osinbajo Sir.

GMB: Yes, what Professor Osimbande was saying is that we will start with 720,000. But soon, we will be creating millions and millions of jobs. In fact, under my administration, Nigeria will start exporting jobs. We will create so many jobs; we will export jobs to Ghana, Ivory Coast and the entire West African sub-region.

FA: Very good, Sir. Very wonderful!

GMB: You have seen nothing yet.

FA: What are your plans, Sir, for reviving the economy?

GMB: I have practical plans. Very practical plans!

FA: What are they, Sir?

GMB: Wait and see.

FA: I think, General Sir, Nigerians need to know what they are now.

GMB: I plan to expose the PDP as a very corrupt party.

FA: Very good, Sir, but the question is about your plans and not about the PDP.

GMB: My plans will take into consideration the effects of the bad government of the PDP over the years.

FA: Having taken that into consideration, what then will you do, General Sir?

GMB: I will assemble a team of top professionals up and down the country to study the situation.

FA: What else will you do, Sir?

GMB: I will single-handed increase the international price of oil to 200 dollars. That kind of magic can only take place under the All Progressives Confidence.

FA: What did you say, Sir?

GMB: What do you mean?

FA: Your party, Sir, what did you call it.

GMB: Are you mad? The All Progressives Confidence.

FA: But Sir, that is not the name of your party.

GMB: Stupid boy. What is the name?

FA: Your party is the All Progressives Congress, Sir.

GMB: Of course, I knew that. I just wanted to see whether you know it, that’s all.

FA: What happens, Sir, when you lose the election again?

GMB: Impossible!

FA: But Sir, what if you lose?

GMB: Then I will run away in 2019.

FA: You mean you will run again, Sir.

GMB: That’s what I said.

FA: At what age will you stop running, Sir?

GMB: Maybe at 102 years!

FA: Finally Sir, how are the dogs and the baboons doing?

GMB: The dogs and the baboons are doing very well for now.But if there is any hanky-panky on March 28, I assure you they will all be soaked in blood.

Jonathan challenges Buhari to a debate at Chatham House

President Goodluck Jonathan has challenged the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress in the March 28 election, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), to a public debate at Chatam House in United Kingdom saying it would deepen democracy.

According to him, the debate calls to question "your refusal to accede to requests for a Presidential Debate here at home in Nigeria."Jonathan threw the challenge in an open letter to Buhari by the National Coordinator of Wind of Hope, his personal NGO,Mr. Onoriode Akpeh, and obtained by journalists in Abuja.

The organization said it would "fully sponsor" such a forum,adding "all we ask is that you state your preferred date andtime."The letter reads: "Your Excellency, We wish to congratulate you on your recent visit to the United Kingdom where you
delivered a speech at Chatham House, London on Thursday February 26 2015. Your speech at the event is clearly a source of motivation for your supporters who in recent times seem to have lost steam in their aggressive marketing of your candidacy for the office of President.

"The author of the said speech must be commended because your presentation finally acknowledged the achievements of the present government in growing our economy to be the largest in Africa with a GDP of $510 Billion and maintaining a single digit inflation regime.

"However, your action, or may we say your party’s action with regards to the entire concept and aim of the forum,calls to question, your refusal to accede to requests for a Presidential Debate here at home in Nigeria."In our quest to deepen democracy which thrives on robust and constructive deliberations that aids the electorate in making informed decisions, Wind of Hope hereby offers you a platform to debate with the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan before the forthcoming elections at Chatham House where you were so obviously at ease before your supporters
and the international media.

"We wish to state further, our readiness to FULLY SPONSOR such a forum. All we ask is that you state your preferred date and time."Again, we wish to reiterate the import of such a debate in this election which you appropriately described as “Nigeria’s
landmark election” in your speech at Chatham House.

"In closing, we would like to wish Your Excellency well in all your endeavors and do so with the hope that you see our request as a call to duty. Where the future of our country is at stake, no inconvenience is too great to bear. Please accept the assurance of our best regards."

OPEN LETTER TO GENERAL MOHAMMADU BUHARI:

28th February, 2015

His Excellency,

General Mohammadu Buhari,

Presidential Candidate of the APC,

Buhari Campaign Organization,

Area 11, Garki, Abuja.

Your Excellency,
OFFER OF SPONSORSHIP OF PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE AT
CHATAM HOUSE,UNITED KINGDOM.
We wish to congratulate you on your recent visit to the
United Kingdom where you delivered a speech at Chatham House, London on Thursday 26th February, 2015. Your speech at the event is clearly a source of motivation for your supporters who in recent times seem to have lost steam in their aggressive marketing of your candidacy for the office of President.

The author of the said speech must be commended because your presentation finally acknowledged the achievements of the Goodluck Jonathan administration in growing our economy to be the largest in Africa with a GDP of $510 Billion and maintaining a single digit inflation regime.

However, your actions or party’s actions with regards to the entire concept and aim of the forum calls to question your refusal to accede to requests by your supporters and other teaming Nigerians for a Presidential Debate here at home in Nigeria.

In our quest to deepen democracy which thrives on robust and constructive deliberations that aids the electorate in making informed decisions, Wind of Hope hereby offers you a a platform to debate with the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan before the forthcoming elections at Chatam House where you were so obviously at ease before your supporters
and the international media.

Again, we wish to reiterate the import of such a debate in this election which you appropriately described as “Nigeria’s landmark election” in your speech at Chatham House.

We wish to state further, our readiness to FULLY SPONSOR such a forum. All we ask is that you state your preferreddate and time.

We wish Your Excellency well in all your endeavors and do so with the hope that you see our request as a call to duty where the future of our country is at stake, no inconvenience is too great to bear.

Please accept the assurance of our best regards,

ONORIODE AKPE

NATIONAL COORDINATOR

WIND OF HOPE

Pray for peace, total defeat of Boko Haram, Jonathan urges intending Easter pilgrims

President GoodLuck Jonathan has urged
prospective Easter Christian pilgrims to pray for
peace in the country and total defeat of Boko
Haram militants.

The President, represented by the Anambra
Governor, Mr Willie Obiano, gave the advice at the
launch of the 2015 Easter Pilgrimage to Israel,
Greece and Rome on Sunday in Enugu.

He said “as you go to the Holy Land, try and pray
for peace in Nigeria and total defeat of the Boko
Haram and victory for our military personnel.”

He urged the intending pilgrims to work as a team,
irrespective of their denominations so as to lift the
spirit of the entire Nigeria.

According to NAN, Jonathan also advised them to
obey the rules guiding them while in the Holy Land
so as not to bring shame to Nigeria.

The Deputy Senate President, Mr Ike Ekwerenmadu,
also urged the intending pilgrims to pray for the
nation, saying that the problem caused by the Boko
Haram had brought hardship to every tribe and not
just the people of the North East.

Mr John Kennedy, the Executive National Secretary,
National Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC),
pleaded with the intending pilgrims to be good
ambassadors of Nigeria while in the Holy Land.

He said the Christian Pilgrims Commission was
already collaborating with the National Lottery
Commission for Christian Pilgrimage Lottery
Scheme, saying it would afford every Christian the
opportunity of obtaining a ticket that could take
them to Israal or Rome.

Kennedy said that the Commission had introduced
some basic programmes to strengthen the Christian
pilgrimage activities.

“We are introducing basic leadership and skill
acquisition programmes; we also introduced the
youth pilgrimage and Christian Pilgrimage Lottery
Scheme.

“This innovation will be our trust in reaching more
Christians who otherwise have remained
untouched.”

He appreciated Obiano for the large number of
pilgrims he had sponsored, adding that it was a
thing of joy that Anambra was the first to start
the Easter Pilgrimage.

Earlier,the Chairman of NCPC, Archbishop Nicholas
Okoh, advised them not to take laws into their
hands, rather, they should work as a team.

He asked them to remain focused so as not to
distract each other, saying their visit to the Holy
Land was not for shopping, rather, it was for
spiritual exercise.

The Anambra Christian Pilgrim Board Chairman, Dr
Levi Muonanu, called on the Federal Government to
increase sponsorship of more Christians in the
state.

Some participants said they were delighted to be
among those given the opportunity to embark on
the 2015 pilgrimage.

Mrs Nkiru Kwuazu said she was full of
expectations, saying her purpose of embarking on
the Holy exercise was to pray for peace in the
country and for her family.

Rev. Emmanuel Okolo from Awka Dioces said his
going there was for spiritual growth and peace in
Nigeria.

The theme of the pilgrimage is “A Tool for Moral
Transformation and Spiritual Rebirth: Moving to
Stability.”

Trade volume between Nigeria and France hits N1.35trn, says French Envoy

The outgoing French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr
Jacques de Labriolle, has put the trade volume
between Nigeria and France in 2014 at more than
N1.35 trillion.

Labriolle told NAN on Sunday in Abuja that the
volume of trade in 2013 was not different from the
2014 figure, describing 2014 as a “very difficult
year” for both countries.

“The current exchanges, if you add up import and
export, are a little more than six billion Euros.
“We buy every year about four billion Euro
(approximately N900 billion) of crude oil.

“And we re-export between 1.5 billion Euros
(approximately N340 billion) and two billion Euros
(approximately N450 billion) of French products
including refined oil products.

“2014 was a year was very difficult because of
Ebola crisis and because of the slowing down of
business because of the elections.

“But basically, we made in 2014 exactly the same
figure as in 2013; the 2014 result was 12 per cent
more than 2012.”

Labriolle said that the volume of the trade was
good as it was now on the increase, stressing the
need for the trade curve to be on a steady rise for
15 years.the whole African continent and has been for a longtime.”

The envoy said France was working to increase her
political and diplomatic relations with Nigeria.
According to him, the economic relations have been
growing because of the country’s investments
particularly in the petroleum sector.

“What we are trying to do is to put political and
diplomatic cooperation at the same level where oil
and oil exploitation have put them in a long term.

“In fact, France is one of the main investors in
Nigeria because of Total, which have, in fact, more
than 50 billion Euros (approximately N11.3 trillion)
investment in Nigeria.

“So it is a very long term relationship, which has
started with oil about 50 years ago and which is
now diversifying into other fields such as electricity
and industry,” he said.