Aliko Dangote’s humble drive to the top

Alhaji Aliko Dangote is from a very wealthy family in Kano. He is related to the late Alhassan Dantata, who was reputed to be one of the wealthiest Hausa merchants in Kano as at the time of his demise in 1955. However, his wealth dwindled as it was shared among 18 children.
Despite the death of their mentor, the Dantata Dynasty remains an indispensable force in virtually all spheres of human endeavour in the northern Nigeria, particularly in Kano state.
Today their fortune may not equal that of some families who recently made the list of wealthy Nigerians since the death of the founder of the empire. Almost 59 years after, the death of the great Dantata of Kano seems to have washed away the fame of the dynasty, but the great grandson in the person of Alhaji Aliko Dangote has emerged to occupy the vacuum created by the exit of Dantata.
In March, 2014, he was reported to worth over $25 billion USD. Dangote is ranked by Forbes Magazine as the 23rd richest person in the world and the richest in Africa. He surpassed the Saudi-Ethiopian billionaire’s 2013 record, Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi, by over $2.6 billion, to become Africa’s richest person.

APC jabs Jonathan again!

The United States government yesterday donated a war ship to the Federal Government to enable it checkmate criminal activities like crude oil theft, arms proliferation, piracy and other forms of insecurity in the nation’s maritime environment and the Gulf of Guinea.
The donation is coming even as the All Progressives Congress, APC, has asked Nigerians to use their votes to express their dissatisfaction with President Goodluck Jonathan’s alleged inability to fight corruption and insecurity which were the two major challenges facing the country in the last six years.
However, the warship earlier known as the United States Coast Guard Gallatin ,USCGG was designed as a high endurance cutter. The ship which was completely overhauled in Charleston, South Carolina, USA, with about $8 million (about N1.34billion) had already been renamed as NNS Okpabana by the Nigerian Navy.

Nigerian Army Denies Having Buhari's Original Cetificates

Few days after the former Head of State and Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, retd, explained in an affidavit submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that all his academic credentials were with the Military Board, the Army have stated that they do not keep the certificates of any serving or retired officer or soldier.
General Buhari is contesting the presidential election for the fourth time under different political parties including the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP and the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, but the issue of his qualifications had never been controversial until the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, recently described him as a ‘’semi- illiterate.’’

Former PDP National Chairman Emerges As Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Director General

Former PDP National Chairman ,Chief Ahamadu Ali, has been appointed as the Director General of  for the President Goodluck Jonathan/Namadi Sambo campaign organization..
The Presidential Campaign Organisation (PCO), according to a statement by the president’s political adviser, Rufai Alkali, was confirmed to be  headed by erstwhile  National Chairman of the party and Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees Chief Tony Anenih (National Campaign Adviser).
Others are Tunde Adeniran (Deputy DG), while Minister of Special Duties Kabiru Turaki and ex Anambra governor Peter Obi will serve as deputy DGs for north and south, while Chief Femi Fani-Kayode as the Director Media and Publicity respectively.

Jonathan, best candidate for Nigeria now, says PDP National Secretary

Prof. Wale Oladipo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretary, has said that President Goodluck Jonathan is the best candidate for Nigeria in 2015 general elections.

Oladipo made the statement during the celebration of his 55th birthday in Ile-Ife, Osun, on Thursday.

He said that the citizens would want the continuation of Nigeria’s transformation under President Jonathan, saying that PDP would be victorious in the February polls.

According to him, former Head of State, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (rtd.), APC presidential candidate, a 72 year-old, cannot bring about any change, compared to Jonathan who is democratic.

Ogbe leads committee to raise N5 bn for Buhari from yams

Forme PDP National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbe would on Jan. 4 inaugurate the sale of five million tubers of yam donated by farmers to raise N5 billion for Buhari/Osibajo presidential campaign.

Mrs Felicia Yakzum, The The Public Relations Officer of APC Micro Finance Cooperative Society Ltd, said in a statement on Thursday in Jos that the sales would commence at Mararaban Demshin in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau.

JONATHAN IS NIGERIA’S BEST PRESIDENT EVER, MAKU INSISTS

A former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, on Friday called on Nigerians to vote for dependable candidates in the forthcoming general elections.
He made the call on Friday in his home town, Wakama, Nasarawa, while addressing some of his supporters who paid him a visit.
The immediate past minister also urged Nigerians to vote popular candidates irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliations.
“Nigerians must know that in this 21st century, elections must be based on issues and not on religious or ethnic affiliations,’’ he said.
Mr. Maku called on political leaders, especially those seeking election into public offices, not to be self-centered.

Salary arrears: Governors shun bank loans

Nigerian workers may still need to be more patient as the 36 states of the federation have shunned bank loans to offset the backlog of their workers’ salaries.
Ashiwaju.org  learnt that the states will have to rely on internally generated revenue as against borrowing to pay their workers.
It was learnt that the states shunned the bank loans because the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had instructed banks not to grant credit facilities to them without her approval.
Some of the states have, however, adopted other strategies to shore up their revenue such as slashing the salaries and allowances of political office holders, if necessary and plugging loopholes in their revenue-generating drive.
The Kwara State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Tunji Moronfoye, confirmed to one of our correspondents that Okonjo-Iweala had, on three occasions, turned down the state government’s application seeking approval to borrow money from banks.

Army condemns four more soldiers to death

The General Military Court Martial set up by the authorities of the Nigerian Army to try some soldiers of the 111 Special Forces Battalion, Maiduguri, have again condemned four soldiers to death by firing squad.

Investigations revealed that the President of the Court, Brig.- Gen Musa Yusuf, found the four soldiers guilty of conspiracy to commit mutiny and thus sentenced them to death.

It was learnt that the court condemned the four soldiers to death on December 24, 2014.

The GCM had earlier convicted 54 of the 59 soldiers to death after finding them guilty of conspiracy to commit mutiny on December 17, 2014.

IBB as GEJ’s ‘fada,’ and the long goodbye

The Nigerian section of social media is horrified by President Goodluck Jonathan’s comment that Dec. 28 was the New Year. This gem dropped while Uncle Lucky was speaking with journalists following his visit to former President Ibrahim Babangida in Minna on Sunday. To me, this is not a big deal because in a round world (not flat, as Thomas Friedman claims), Dec. 28 could have been January 1 somewhere though it was just Tuesday morning in India – which is how far I mapped the time zone. There is always outer space to consider!

The President also said IBB is his “fada.” My response? “No Sir, you are no son of IBB’s!” A man “fada-ed” by IBB would have known better than to claim him so publicly 45 days to a critical election in which he seeks a mandate for four more years. If he wins, President Jonathan will tie with General Yakubu Gowon as the longest serving head of state in Nigeria, longer than IBB!