Author: Leadership Newspapers

Fellow Nigerians, I greet and rejoice with you all as we celebrate the advent of a new year.

I join you all in giving thanks to God Almighty for bringing us and our beloved nation safely through the past year to the beginning of 2013 which, by His Grace, will be a much better year for us and our country.

In keeping with tradition, it is usual for individuals, institutions and organisations to make resolutions and set agenda as a new year begins, to guide their actions in the coming months.

I have already given a clear indication of the Federal Government's agenda for 2013 in recent pronouncements.

Our objective for the year is to ensure by all possible means that more of the programmes and projects envisioned by this administration, and which are already being embarked upon are further brought on stream within the next 12 months to meet the yearnings of our people, and raise the quality of life.

 We have in the last year achieved a lot in terms of the positive transformation of vital sectors of our national life, such as public infrastructure, power supply, oil and gas, transportation, education, health and agricultural development.

We will continue to work diligently in 2013 to ensure that our efforts in these areas are carried forward to full fruition in fulfillment of our promise of better public services and improved living conditions for all Nigerians.

 We will give priority attention in the coming year to flood and erosion control, the rehabilitation and expansion of existing federal roads, improved power supply, as well as the continued rehabilitation, upgrading and reactivation of the national rail network.

 Employment generation and wealth creation will also remain a primary objective of our socio-economic agenda for 2013.

 Creating more employment opportunities for our youth and graduates of our universities is an imperative that will continue to underpin our drive for massive economic growth, the rapid expansion of our manufacturing and industrial base, and the productive diversification of our national economy.

 In this regard, we will continue to provide the necessary enabling environment for the private sector to thrive.

 As peace and security remain pre-requisite conditions for the full realisation of our objectives, we will also do more in 2013 to further empower our security agencies who are working in collaborative partnerships with our friends in the international community to stem the scourge of terrorism in our country and enhance the security of lives and property in all parts of Nigeria.

I also want to assure Nigerians that we will refuse to be discouraged by those who have taken it upon themselves to pick on every initiative and effort of this administration.

We remain resolutely committed to the rule of law, due process and fair play in all circumstances.

Our democracy continues to grow, and the scope for human freedom continues to expand.

It is an achievement that we will continue to build upon.

 I say it again, we are determined to continue to push forward.

We will do more, not less. We will remain focused.

 For your part, dear compatriots, I urge that you all include in your New Year resolutions a commitment to do more this year to support the implementation of the Federal Government's Agenda for National Transformation in every possible way.

That is all I ask for.

The task of making our dear nation a much better place for present and future generations cannot be left to government alone.

 Leaders and followers alike have critical roles to play in our march towards the fulfillment of our great national potentials.

Let us all therefore resolve as we celebrate the new year to place the higher interests of national unity, peace, stability and progress above all other considerations and work harder in our particular fields of human endeavour to contribute more significantly to the attainment of our collective aspirations.

 I wish you all a happy and rewarding 2013. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR President Federal Republic of Nigeria January 01, 2013

Members of the National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI) on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to ensure the effective implementation of the oil and gas sector reforms in the new year.

They made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos and called on President Goodluck Jonathan to expedite action toward finding lasting solution to problems of the oil and gas sector.

Mrs Lydia Amos, Managing Director, Limmy Cosmetics Ltd, urged Jonathan to urgently address the epileptic power supply problem and implement the oil and gas sector reforms agenda.

Amos called on the president to create an enabling environment for socio-economic development. ``Privatisation of the country’s refineries is the only option towards an effective oil and gas industry.

``Most small scale businesses have closed shop due to the epileptic power supply in the country which I think can be tackled,’’ she said.

She said that government's priorities for now should be on the power sector ``because no country triumphs in socio-economic development without effective and efficient power supply”.

Another stakeholder, Mrs Falilat Balogun, the Managing Director, Khary Diary Juice Ltd, implored the Federal Government to take the power sector more seriously in the New Year.

She said that most companies had stopped production while many others had moved out of Nigeria to places with better operational environment. Balogun said ``if President Jonathan can fix the epileptic power supply and tackle corruption in the oil and gas sector, we will have a new Nigeria.

 ``The feelings of the people of this country can only be assuaged by evidence of actual improvement in ]their socio-economic conditions,” she said.

Mr Abiodun Kasali, the Chief Executive Officer of Sokuslow Construction Ltd, said, `` what is important to us at this time is that the power sector should be aggressively tackled.’’

Kasali urged the president to focus more on specific areas that would have great impact on the country, such as the implementation of the oil and gas sector reforms and permanent solution to constant power failure in the country.

``The president should put the interest of the country first in all he does, ‘’ Kasali advised.

Mr Olademeji Kaka, a Muslim cleric in Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State, has urged Muslims and Christians to embrace peace and unity in the new year.  Kaka, who is the Imam of Lagbade Central Mosque, gave the advice on Tuesday night in a sp...

An estimated 52 million visitors were recorded in 2012 by the New York City, which is about 2.1 per cent increase over 2011.  According to the New York Foreign statement made available to the North America Correspondent of the New Agency of Nigeri...

Spectacular firework display in London's major landmark ushered in 2013, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports on Tuesday.

Thousands of people gathered on the banks of the Thames , London Eye, the Shard, Western Europe's tallest building, near London Bridge, among others to watch the count- down display, which lasted for 11 minutes.

 Mayor of London, Mr Boris Johnson, in a statement ahead of the count-down said the fireworks would round off a year that "glimmered with excitement and enthusiasm".

 As early as 3pm on Monday, many streets in London central were closed, resulting in heavy traffic in the city's tube service.

NAN reports that Public transportation was made free from 23:45 GMT until 04:30 GMT, to allow for easy movement.

Some Nigerians who witnessed the firework display expressed gratitude to God for seeing the New Year. Mr Joe Edi, a tourist from Lagos, said: "To God be the glory, that we are alive today is not by our power or might but for God's grace."

Similarly, Mrs Amina Dauda, a Dentist and member of the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK), said the New Year should be seen as a period of celebration and sober reflection.

 "You can see how excited people are here because they share a common interest which is to usher in the New Year, unfortunately, back home we live in fear because we are intolerable of ourselves, paving way for hate crime.

"Let's bury the past and move forward as we celebrate 2013," she said. Firework display, ushering the New Year is an annual event , which attracts crowd across the world.

The Police in Lagos on Monday arrested a Facebook lover for defrauding his lover of N200,000.

The Police said in Lagos that the suspect posed as a medical doctor to enable him to swindle his unsuspected facebook girl- friend.

The suspect claimed he would use the amount to secure a job for her with the Nigerian Customs Service.

Parading the suspect (names withheld), the Police spokesperson, Lagos state Police Command, Ms Ngozi Briaide, said the accused was arrested and charged to court about three years ago for a similar offence.

Ngozi stated that the police could not immediately explain how he was freed in court without being convicted, noting that the suspect had become a serial fraudster who was in the habit of defrauding young girls.

According to her, the 36-year- old suspect was arrested after one out of the latest five victims complained to the Police on Nov. 15, adding that the suspect was thereafter arrested on Dec. 23 by detectives from Ogudu Division.

The spokesperson alleged that the first victim, Mrs Adebiyi Adenike, a graduate became his friend on Facebook after being attracted by the suspect as a Surgeon.

 "He requested for the sum of N200,000 as PR and with her original certificate to enable him secure employment for her into the Customs and that he had a slot at the service," she said.

 Ngozi stated that both the suspect and the victim met and set out for the journey to Abuja, but along the way to Air Port, the suspect pretended as if his vehicle had fault and asked her to come down and push the car.

"As soon as the victim pushed the car, he zoomed off with the victim's credentials, ATM and PHCN cards," she said.

Ngozi gave the names of other victims defrauded by the suspect as Miss Okunola Folashade, Miss Ibrahim Bukola and Miss Adefemi Mercy.

She said that they were all NYSC members who were defrauded by the same suspect on their way to Ibadan for community assignment.

The spokesperson alleged that they boarded his car to Ibadan on Dec. 20, but on getting to the Tollgate, the suspected diverted to the old Lagos/Ibadan road where he pretended as if the car developed fault and asked them to push thereafter he zoomed off with all their belongings.

 Ngozi said that the items stolen from the victims included a Laptop, unspecified cash, certificates, ATM card, Toaster Machine, cell phones and clothes.

The fifth victim, Miss Akinbo Atinuke, also boarded the suspect's vehicle at Berger on Dec. 11, on her way to Ibadan, where the accused branched to a filling station and pretended the car could not start again, adding that the victim also pushed the car and he zoomed off.

The spokesperson said that the victim also lost her Laptop, Phone, SSCE Certficate, ATM card, NYSC discharged certificate, the sum of N104,000 which she withdrew from a bank with her ATM card.

Ngozi said that the suspect would be charged to court since all the witnesses were available with some exhibits, adding that the suspect has also made confessional statement.

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