Police Pension Fund Administrator Created, Says IG

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, on Monday said a Police Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) had been set up to cater for its retirees. Abubakar said at a three-day capacity building workshop for Police Pension Desk Officers that the establishment came following the approval of President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to him, the fund will operate in line with the Pension Reform Act, 2004 and will tackle challenges being faced by police retirees.

“I am glad to mention the creation of a Police Pension Fund Administrator.

“As one of the biggest organisations in Nigeria in terms of staff size, the management of police pension needs has become cumbersome leading to inefficiencies from existing service providers,’’ he said.

He said that some of those inefficiencies included the difficulties in locating the service providers’ offices and accessing fund after retirement.

“It becomes necessary that we take our destiny in our own hands, we know our needs. We are working to deliver them within the frame work of the Pension Reform Act.

“It is for this reason that President Goodluck Jonathan directed that the police should continue to be covered under the contributory scheme but approved that we should have a PFA of our own.

“The PFA will be designed as prescribed by the law and as a corporate body established under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA),” he said.

The I-G added that a proportion of the dividends from the business would be allocated to fund existing police welfare schemes.

“It is my belief that a proper pension administration scheme is critical and complementary to the existing schemes already being implemented by the force.”

He urged the participants to take their training seriously as it was designed to equip them to manage the new fund.

Earlier, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Pension), Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, said the training was aimed at empowering the officers to manage the fund in line with the National Pension Commission’s guidelines.

“I urge all participants to take this sensitisation seriously to meet our aspirations of possessing an efficient and most reliable fund administrator in the country,” he said. (NAN)

Privatization: NCP Shortlists 386 Firms For 10 Power Plants Under NIPP

The National Council on Privatisation (NCP) on Monday in Abuja said 386 consortia were short-listed for the sale of 10 plants under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP).

Benue Governor Gabriel Suswam said this after a joint meeting of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company and NCP presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa.

Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and Theodore Orji of Abia as well as representatives of the Bureau of Public Enterprises were in attendance at the meeting.

Suswam said that after the road shows organised locally and internationally to showcase the potentials of the power plants, about 110 submissions were received from both local and international investors.

“The joint evaluation committee which evaluated these interests passed 82 submissions amounting to about 386 expression of interest on various plants.

“We have about 46 consortia short-listed for Bariam power plant; we have 44 consortia which expressed interest and were short-listed for Benin.

“Forty two consortia were short-listed for Omotosho; 41 for Egbema; 41 for Omoku; 39 for Geregu; 37 for Calabar; 36 for Ogwurode; 30 for Olaoje; 30 for Oloronshogo, amounting to 386.

“The joint meeting considered the presentation which was made to them arising from the joint technical committee of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company.

“The presentation took place Aug. 6, 2013 and approval was given on the prayers put forward as related to those who expressed interest,” he said.

The governor said that the next stage of the privatisation process was for the committee to send request for proposal to the 386 consortia and they would be invited for physical inspection.

Suswam gave the assurance that the process of the privatisation of the plants would be transparent. (NAN)

NGF Set To Check Oil Theft

Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has said that the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, was determined to check the challenge of oil theft in the country.

Uduaghan said this while fielding questions from journalists at the venue of the NGF meeting, at the weekend, adding that the measures taken by the Forum to support the Federal Government were paying off.

Uduaghan said the Forum had to do something after the shut-down of two major pipelines (Trans-Niger and Nembe) led to the combined loss of about 300,000 barrels per day.

“This resulted in the drop of our oil output from 2.5million bpd to 2.1million bpd. But as I speak today, the two pipelines vandalised and damaged had been repaired and re-opened,” he added.

He urged the cooperation and vigilance of all Nigerians, as he noted that it was necessary to check illegal oil bunkering which had drastically reduced the socio-economic potentials of the country.

Appeal Court Ruling: Lagos Drags Al-Mustapha, Shofolahan To Supreme Court Over Kudirat Murder

An appeal has been filed at the Supreme Court by the Lagos State Government against the judgment of the lower court which acquitted and discharged Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and Lateef Shofolahan in the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

This was disclosed by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye on Tuesday during his ministry’s monthly media briefing on Law and Order in the state.

The commissioner stated that the decision to appeal the verdict of the Appeal Court was taken because there are enough and very good grounds for appeal.

“Having carefully reviewed the decisions of the respected justices of the Court of Appeal, it is our humble view there are strong bases for appeal which the Supreme Court of Nigeria should have an opportunity to consider.

“This step will also ensure that all issues are fully articulated and the victim’s family, the defendants and the society are not deprived of the last window of opportunity provided by the constitution for the resolution of the case,” he said.

Mr. Ipaye, however, did not state the grounds of the appeal filed in the court.

NYSC Members Advised To Shun ‘Tempting Offers’ As INEC Trains 700 On Voter Registration In Anambra

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Anambra says it is training 700 National Youth Service Corps members ahead of the voter registration to hold from Aug. 19 to Aug. 26.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Chukwuemeka Onuokaogu, who made this known to newsmen in Awka, urged the trainees to be serious with the exercise.

Onuokaogu said the commission was ready and well-equipped to train them to handle the Direct Data capturing (DDC) machines and other materials during the voter registration proper.

Mrs Chinyere Ekpe, INEC’s Deputy Director of Training, said the training would be thorough to achieve maximum result.

She said that was why the exercise was increased from three to five days.

The Commissioner of Police in Anambra, Mr Ballah Nasarawa, who declared the event open, assured the corps members of adequate protection.

Nasarawa gave police phone lines: 08129911416, 08024922772 and 07039194332; the Nigerian Army, 0812991147; State Security Service, 08135994599; and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, 0812991147; to the corps member.

He urged them to use the lines if they encounter difficulties while on the national assignment.

The commissioner said the voter registration would be difficult, pointing out that they were selected because they would surmount the precarious obstacles.

“There might be tempting offers, but you should know that they are very perilous. I want to warn you not to allow yourselves to be used by unpatriotic individuals.

“You should see this as a clarion call to serve your fatherland,” Nasarawa said.

He said the corps members would be monitored and observed during the voter registration to ensure no foul play.

Nasarawa said it was mandatory for the corps members to enrol in the National Identity Registration and a copy submitted to the police and INEC.

“This is in order to tie your work in the registration centres and polling units to you and you, alone,” Nasarawa said.

The Chairman, INEC Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in the state, warned the corps members not to leave their station.

“Please, do not leave where ever we ask you to stay and always move together, but be serious with your training,” he said. (NAN)

Kidnapped Edo Teachers Regain Freedom

After spending about two weeks in captivity, three primary school teachers that were abducted during school hours in Edo State, have been released. They were released at about 3am on Tuesday at a village close to Gelegele village.

The victims- Patience Osadoplor, Momodu Aisha and Patience Oroghene were said to have been handed over to their family members.

Information Nigeria reports that the teachers were abducted at gun point at Orhogbua Primary School at Ekenwan village in Ovia North East local government area of Edo State on Tuesday, July 30.

The kidnappers had demanded the sum of N60 million as ransom before it was slashed to N15 million and further reduced to N7.5 million. However, it is not known if the ransom payment was made to secure the teachers’ freedom.

Security Forces In Adamawa Kill Two Notorious Boko Haram Field Commanders In Shoot-Out, Arrest Six

The Nigerian Military Special Operation Unit, Mubi Battalion, Adamawa, on Tuesday said it killed two notorious Boko Haram commanders during a gunfire exchange.

Lt. Col. Beyidi Martins, the Commanding Officer, Operation, told newsmen in Mubi.

Martins said the unit was making a successful progress in containing the activities of the sect and other miscreants that terrorised the state.

“Two notorious Boko Haram field commanders, Abubakar Zakaria Ya’u and Muhammed Bama, declared wanted, had been killed by the special operation unit, Mubi,” Martins said.

He said the operation that led to the killing of the two commanders was successfully carried out following collective effort by the military, members of the State Security Service (SSS) and other security operatives.

Martins, who commended the support and cooperation given by the people of the area, said the activity of the sect was weakened in the state.

“On July 30, the unit received a call from some good Samaritans that there was an attack going on at a Mubi Bureau de Change, where some armed miscreants invaded the area.

“On arrival, the special operation unit personnel cordoned the area.  Sighting the army, the terrorists opened fire on them.

“And during the exchange, six suspects were arrested while four escaped with degree of injuries, and later, their corpses were found.”

He said during the operations, four Russian made AK47, 500 live ammunition, N3 million and 5.4 million CFA were recovered.

The commander said that the money would be returned to the owners.

He said the Federal Government had awarded contract for the building of Army barrack in Mubi as part of efforts to strengthen security operation in the area. (NAN)

NMA Arrests 12 Quack Doctors In Delta

Rivers State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has arrested twelve quack medical doctors and have shut four illegal clinics as it continues its campaign against quackery in the state which has been on for five months.

Chairman of the NMA, Dr. Ibitrokoemi Krubo, who gave this breakdown while reviewing the campaign against quackery by the association said the campaign by the NMA is as a result of its association’s zero tolerance for quackery, assuring that the campaign would continue.

Krubo appealed to the public to assist the association in its fight against quackery by reporting cases of poor professional practices by medical doctors.

He also advised patients to insist on seeing the NMA identity cards of a doctor before treatment.

FG Can’t Meet ASUU’s Demands, Says Okonjo-Iweala

If the words of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are to be believed, the five-week old strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may not be resolved anytime soon as she declared that government has no resources to meet the union’s demands. Speaking earlier today in Minna at the annual National Council on Finance and Economic Development meeting with theme, “Restructuring Nigeria’s Finances”, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala explained that the striking university lecturers were asking for N92 billion in extra allowances; an obligation the Federal Government cannot meet as it moves to reduce the structure of public expenditures.

According to the coordinating minister for the economy, “At present ASUU wants the government to pay N92 billion in extra allowances when resources are not there and when we are working to integrate past increases in pensions. We need to make choices in this country as we are getting to the stage where recurrent expenditures take the bulk of our resources and people get paid but can do no work.”

She argued that if the demands of the striking lecturers are met and “we continue to pay them salaries and allowances, we will not be able to provide infrastructure in the universities.”

The minister noted that when she assumed office “the share of recurrent expenditure in our total budgets had increased astronomically. “

“In fact recurrent expenditures accounted for about 77.2 per cent of the federal budget and we are now working to re-balance this ratio,” she added.

Would Samuel Eto’o be a better signing for Arsenal than Suarez?

With less than a week left to go for the start of a brand new season, Arsenal are yet to sign any major name. The Gunners are hoping to land a quality forward in the summer and have chased Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, only to suffer outright rejection.

Arsene Wenger has been given a transfer war-chest of £70 million and it is quite clear that the Frenchman wants to bring in a quality striker at the Emirates. The Gunners are even prepared to break their transfer record for Suarez and had put in a club record bid of a staggering £40 million, though it is still £15 million short of Liverpool’s valuation.

Though, Arsenal have yet to accept defeat in the chase, despite knowing the transfer a hit an impasse, sooner or later they will have to shift their attention elsewhere. Or, they might gamble on a proven world class striker Samuel Eto’o, who is available in the market and that too on cheap.

The 32-year-old plays for Anzhi Makhachkala and has been placed on the transfer list after the Russian outfit were forced to cut their budget, after suffering financial losses. The former Barcelona and Inter Milan star will be available for cheap, and if the reports are to be believed, London giants Chelsea and Arsenal are showing interest in him.

In fact, it makes a lot of sense, if Arsenal go for him in the summer, than Suarez. For all the brilliance Suarez possess, the Uruguayan is not a natural no9 by any stretch of imagination. He is a versatile player, who likes to exert his influence from the deep, bringing a lot more to the game.

Earlier in the summer, the Gunners were linked with Gonzalo Higuain, a typical goal poacher. If anything Arsenal need at the moment is a solid no9, whose only job is to dispatch goalscoring chances.

While Suarez does score goals too, but a look at the amount of chance he created only shows, the nature of player he is. Further, Suarez is not a clinical finisher unlike some of other natural strikers.

Eto’o on the other hand is a typical “direct” forward, who knows the art of goal scoring. He scored a phenomenal 108 goals in 145 league matches for Barcelona, 33 in 67 for Inter and 25 in 51 for Anzhi that shows even at this age, he is more than capable of scoring regularly.

Suarez will improve any side in this world, no doubt, but keeping it on a realistic level, especially after been rejected twice, is there sense in waiting on him? Precious time is running away for Arsenal while it has become a sort of foregone conclusion that Suarez will stay at Liverpool. In such a situation, buying a reliable, proven world class talent, goal scorer, at a cheap price makes a hell lot of sense.

Nigeria's Berverly Osu Makes BBA History For Being The First Housemate To Sail Through To The Finals Without Being Nominated

Love her, hate her, call her a flirt and a talkative... The former video-vixen, now Big brother reality TV show housemate, flying the colours of Nigeria on Monday evening became the first Big Brother housemate to sail through the season without being Nominated.

As the Big Brother show rounds up in a couple of days from now, many will wonder how Beverly managed to go 11 weeks, and 11 different nomination sessions without being nominated.

Perhaps the Big Brother housemates see something in the lingerie model that we out cannot see, Through the 11 weeks the 28 Big Brother housemates took turns to eliminate each other by nominating 2 contestants each week and putting them up for possible eviction (The housemates with the highest nominations).

Miraculously Beverly was the only housemate who was never nominated, even the much loved and more reserved Melvin was up for eviction in the 6th week.

 While her romance and live sex with South Africa's Angelo increased her haters outside the big brother house, She managed to get along well with everybody in the house. Beverly and Melvin will join Cleo, Elikem as the ride into the BBA finale. Bimp, Angelo and Dillish are up for evicton for the final time this week.

In a conversation with Elikem and Melvin this morning shortly after Nominations wrapped, the lingerie model couldn't hold back her excitement after making history. "This is amazing! Being the first Housemate to go through the entire season without being put up for possible Eviction! Wow," she said as she jumped for joy.

When Elikem reminded Bev that she is not out of the woods yet because of tonight's Save and Replace, the Nigerian told him "I have a feeling my name will not come up tonight," (And she was right, it didn't) she said, as fellow countryman Melvin looked on. Elikem told her "Don't relax too much. Anything can happen. There are people who have made it to the final week and have been Evicted before," the Ghanaian said.

 This morning's Nomination Sessions were the final Nominations of the season. Whoever finds themselves in the House next Monday is a stride away from a stunning USD 300 000.

Nigeria is the only country with two reps in the final, Melvin and Beverly.

Maku: AfDB’s Report On Nigeria’s Poverty Reduction Drive Not A Reflection Of Current Realities

The Federal Government on Monday in Abuja dismissed a report credited to the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) in which it rated Nigeria’s poverty reduction drive “low”.

In a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku described the report as false.

It said that the present administration had initiated programmes and policies that had significantly reduced poverty and inequality in the country.

The minister noted that the AfDB’s report on Nigeria’s poverty reduction efforts had been overtaken by achievements of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

Maku said: “The AfDB report based on 1996-2010 statistics is therefore behind time and does not reflect the real achievements/results of this administration in tackling poverty and unemployment in Nigeria in the last three years.

“We are confident that these measures which were not covered by the AfDB report, have contributed significantly to reducing poverty and inequality in the country.”

He added that the Nigerian economy was growing faster than those of its contemporaries on the African continent.

The minister stressed that with a GDP growth rate of 6.7 per cent, Nigeria remained the highest destination for Foreign Direct Investment inflows into Africa.

He added that the appropriate policies initiated by the President Jonathan administration in key sectors of the economy had been responsible for the achievements.

The minister noted that the AfDB report which was based on the 1996-2010 data could not have been a true reflection of the economy under the present administration.

“Our public schools are gradually recovering from decades of decline as WAEC performances have risen to 64.2 per cent from 39.57 per cent of students who pass with minimum of five credits.

“The trains are back on our railways from Lagos to Kano, while we fix the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri line in addition to other rail lines in the country.

“Our airport terminals now look like modern airports with space and beauty.

“Reforms in the power sector and the new power projects being completed will stabilise power from next year.”

Maku stated that the AfDB report presented poverty, inequality, and unemployment in Nigeria without the appropriate and illuminating global context.

He said that poverty and unemployment were increasing global issues that were not peculiar to Nigeria.

Maku stressed that the responsibility of fighting poverty and that of creating jobs was not one to be undertaken by the Federal Government alone. (NAN)

Why Nigeria’s Witnessing Power Drop – FG

The Federal Government on Monday said the gas pipelines vandalism, responsible for the loss of about 1,600 megawatts of electricity, was largely, politically motivated. Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said this while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of joint meeting of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) and National Council on Privatisation (NCP).

The meeting, presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo had in attendance Governors Gabriel Suswam of Benue, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and Theodore Orji of Abia.

“I think it is instructive for the entire populace to know what has been happening recently.

“It is important to note that with regard to the busting of gas pipelines and vandalism of the pipelines that bring gas to the generating plants, it is not any significant in commercial value behind the action.

“It is sheer madness and may be essentially politically motivated just to cause damage to the entire country and to Nigerians.

“The ones that we find to be commercially motivated are also very painful. For instance, one of our Distribution Companies (DISCOs) encountered vandalism of transformers.

“What these young men steal from the transformers is copper.

“When you now put the total sum of the most recent one that they vandalised, all the copper they collected that they will sell as scrap, was not worth up to N10,000.

“But in the interim, they have knocked off one million people from power supply and also of course, it caused the DISCO N27 million to fix the damage.

Nebo recalled that about few months back, the western axis of the gas pipeline leading to the power plants in the west was cannibalised.

He said the vandalism resulted in very severe damages that caused a sharp drop in power supply.

“That has since been addressed and the damages are being repaired; but unfortunately a couple of weeks ago, the Akoloma plant in the Eastern axis was also vandalised.

“The damages are quiet extensive, but a crack team of experts went to work and restored it.

“The team brought out gas supply and ensured that the shut down axis was open and the Afam, both four and six, were on board again.

“But unfortunately when people were rejoicing in parts of the country where power supply was stabilising, anothersabotage was discovered a few days ago and Akoloma was also vandalised.

“Right now it is also being addressed and it is hoped that as they finish the evacuation of the condensed stage that they will start pumping gas.

“And we are hoping that the plant in Afam will be back running in a few days time,” he said.

The minister also said that water level in Kainji, Shiroro and Jebba hydro power plants “are quiet low right now” and also partly responsible for the power drop.

He said the low water level of the dams was responsible for a loss of about 460 megawatts of electricity from the total 1,600 loss.

“We are hoping with the help of nature, it will come on board very shortly so that the 460 Mega Watts already lost because of water level will be recovered,” he said.

Have You Met Klint Da Drunk’s Wife, Lilien

I bet all of you never knew that the drunk comedian, Klint the drunk was married.

And it isn’t just any kind of woman, she is pretty and hot too.

Check out photos -

 

Upside-Down Race Car Revealed!

You go to a LeMons race to witness the barking mad, clapped-out vehicles perilously navigate turns at 6 mph. You go to watch the officiators utilise the “Wheel of Misfortune” to decide a punishment for lousy driving, such as the “Mime Your Crime” penalty, where the driver must paint their face in white and mime their infraction before being allowed back on course.

At  last weekend’s LeMons race at New Jersey Motorsports Park, the premier of the Upside Down Race Car, a Speedycop production created by the wackiest of LeMonsters, Jeff Bloch, was revealed.

Under his Speedycop banner, Bloch and his cronies have been famed for their Franken-wheel creations, leading up to the debut of the Spirit of LeMons – a 1956 Cessna 310 and a minivan engine blended to create a road-racing airplane. All in, Speedycop has built 14 lemons over the years.

The Upside Down Race Car, despite looking like the results of a rough street race, is a 1999 Chevy Camaro flipped on its lid and fitted with a beat-up, 190,000 mile 1.3 liter Ford Festiva engine and subframe.

Suspected Boko Haram Terrorists Kill 44 Inside Borno Mosque

Gunmen, suspected to be Islamic militants on Sunday killed 44 people who were praying in a mosque in Konduga, about 35 kilometres outside Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. Although the killing took place on Sunday morning, the Associated Press (AP) quoted security sources as saying the bodies were counted yesterday.

The killing it said, was perpetrated by militants. Along the way from Maiduguri to Konduga, members of Civilian JTF encountered ‘fierce resistance from heavily armed terrorists’, said Usman Musa of the Youth Vigilance Group.

Four people from the civilian group were also killed after responding to calls for help.

It was learnt that the killers wore military uniforms to gain entry into the mosque before carrying out their dastardly act. No group has claimed responsibility yet for the incident but the attack bears similar pattern to those carried out by Islamist organization, Boko Haram.

9,000 Lost Their Homes To Forced Evictions In Lagos – Amnesty International

Forced evictions in Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos, have cost around 9,000 people their homes or livelihoods, Amnesty International and a local rights group said in a report Monday.

Tens of thousands more could be at risk if the government proceeds with plans to redevelop the slum area of Badia East, said the report, issued jointly with the Social and Economic Rights Action Centre (SERAC).

Residents said armed police and bulldozers moved in without warning in February, forcing them out, in what the government has termed the first phase of its clearance plan.

“The effects of February’s forced eviction have been devastating for the Badia East community where dozens are still sleeping out in the open or under a nearby bridge exposed to rain, mosquitos and at risk of physical attack,” said Oluwatosin Popoola, Amnesty International’s Nigeria researcher.

The report calls on Lagos authorities to halt the forced evictions, aimed at bringing order to the chaotic and crowded metropolis which is home to 15 million people.

“It is estimated that close to 9,000 residents of Badia East lost their homes or livelihoods,” said a statement on the report.

“If these plans proceed as described, tens of thousands will be at risk of forced eviction and face possible destitution.” [AFP]

It’s A Shame that PDP Fears Buhari More Than God ––El-Rufai

Former Minister of the FCT and top member of All Progressive Congress, Nasir el-Rufai, has declared that members of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) fear Gen. Muhammadu Buhari more than they fear God and that this explains their constant attack on his personality. 

“They are always in a rush to twist what Buhari said because they are afraid of him. They try to do everything possible to paint the man black and they are not even afraid that one day they will stand before God and account for their action.”
El-Rufai made the statement while speaking in a radio interview in Kaduna on Monday. 

He said, “That is why I said they are more scared of him than they are scared of God because somebody that is scared of the day when he will face God will not do certain things. He will not create a lie and try to make it true. This is why I made that statement. And I think people should be very careful and very wary of whatever the PDP and its media say about General Buhari.”

El Rufai added that the “PDP has become a virus that is infecting and destroying the country because they are not doing anything productive. They have changed our politics into that of ethnicity and religion to divert attention from their incompetence, lack of capacity and looting of the treasury. 

“It has become a clear and present danger to the existence of Nigeria as a nation and the prosperity of its people.”

Obasanjo Meets Governors In The Dead Of The Night In Abuja

Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is widely respected by politicians seeking for one favour or the other in the country, has met with some governors in Abuja with regards to 2015.

“The crisis in Rivers State is a major issue to be addressed and the ex-President secured the assurance of Governor Rotimi Amaechi that he would attend the session.”
His intervention may have been prompted by a recent visit to him in his Abeokuta, Ogun State country home by five PDP governors.

Governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) visited Obasanjo last month to seek his intervention in the PDP and Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) crises.

It was gathered that top on the agenda at the session was how to resolve the feud between the president and some of the governors, especially Governor Rotimi Amaechi and the five Northern governors.

It was also learnt that Obasanjo would use the session to reconcile governors who are said to be threatening to leave the party if things does not change.

A source who spoke with Nation said: “The meeting was at the instance of Obasanjo following issues raised by the 5 governors and the apparent spill over of the division among the governors on cohesion within PDP.

“But this might just be the first step in the series of interventions being championed by Obasanjo. The former president is expected to meet with other stakeholders in the PDP as a way of restoring true democracy in the party.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “We are only hopeful that all the key actors will accept to work for peace not only in Rivers but in PDP.”

A governor, who spoke in confidence before the meeting, which had not started at press time last night, said: “We are eager to put all these challenges behind us because 2015 is fast approaching.”

The source said some governors have already advised President Goodluck Jonathan not to allow his aides to create a gulf between him and Obasanjo, for his own good.