Efforts made by President Goodluck Jonathan to shield some obvious truths during the fifth Media Chat held last night on national television, have been exposed by P.M.NEWS painstaking investigation.
Contrary to the President’s claim in the televised media chat that prior to the emergence of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the ruling party at the centre in 1999, there was no mobile phone, the truth, according to P.M. NEWS finding, is that mobile cellular services made their debut in Nigeria in 1993 with a “national” service operated by NITEL and a smaller Lagos service operated by Mobile Telecommunications Services (MTS).
The two companies, with a joint subscriber base of 12, 500, offered voice services over an analogue E-TACS network, as well as basic value-added services such as voicemail and paging, from three switches (in Lagos, Enugu, and Abuja).
Also, in 1995, MTS closed its operations due to failure to pay interconnection charges to NITEL. M-Tel subsequently emerged as Nitel’s mobile service provider. NITEL introduced the 090—phonelines. This was, however, analogue, very expensive and was reserved for the very few. It indeed was a status symbol, but it had limited coverage.
Furthermore, Multi-Links, a private limited liability company was incorporated in Nigeria in 1994 to provide telecommunication services. It only got “a Unified Access Service Licence with an initial 10 years validity and with an option to renew for a further five years to enable it further expand its services and provide a wide ranging bouquet of services covering Digital mobile fixed telephony, ISP, VAS and payphone, Full international gateway and National long distance services,” on 6 November, 2006, from the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC.
Prior to its expansion, it already introduced the 01- 775-lines into the market.
President Jonathan further claimed that since the emergence of the PDP, the country has witnessed improved standard of living. Surprisingly or maybe in the attempt to cover up the party’s failure at the federal level, he failed to state that many of the statistics churned out yearly do not correctly reflect the true prevailing situation in the country.
Last year, for instance, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) raised an alarm over an increase in the country’s poverty rate. The Statistician-General of Nigeria, Yemi Kale, presented a study report indicating that poverty had risen from 54 percent among Nigeria’s population in 2004 to 69 percent in 2010, or about 112 million Nigerians, a huge figure when compared with Nigeria’s estimated population of 163 million in 2010.
Kale further said estimates show Nigerians may have gotten poorer in 2011.
Again, this year, the Statistician-General put the current rate of unemployment in Nigeria at 23.9 per cent even though it is believed to be higher.
The United Nations has also said that with 60,000 Nigerian children infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) last year, the country has the highest number of children with the virus in the world.
Jonathan also claimed that the Federal Government had only been assisting the striking lecturers of Nigerian universities in terms of payment of arrears as, according to him, the universities are supposed to be self sustaining, getting their pay from their internally generated revenue.
But P.M. NEWS findings have shown that his claim is false as it is not in conformity with the 2009 agreement the union reached with the Federal Government. According to the details of the report released by an implementation committee in November 2012, and obtained a source, there was nothing to indicate that allowances or even salaries would be paid the lecturers through their internally generated revenue.
The report even made provision for grants for the lecturers to enable them attain more professional qualifications and degrees. The report was signed by both parties from the government and ASUU.
Many Nigerians this morning further slammed the President for mentioning that the ASUU strike was political.
According to them, the statement is unpresidential since the union has a justifiable reason for embarking on the industrial action.
Again, another obvious lie the President told Nigerians was that he had not declared his ambition to contest for the presidency in 2015.
He also denied seeing any of his billboards campaigning for his election, stressing that it was illegal to declare since the electoral laws of the country had not permitted it. Nigerians have not forgotten the recent campaigns by Dame Patience, the President’s wife, both in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital and the recent Abuja rally which brought thousands of PDP women together.
Apart from this, the President’s body language has shown his desperate interest in a second term in office. His loyalists and handlers have also, several times, given Nigerians the reason to believe that Jonathan is interested in contesting in 2015.
Analysts also believe that his ambition is the reason for the crises that have engulfed the PDP and torn the party into two.
President Jonathan claimed that his administration had fought corruption and that it is not even a major problem in the country or a major consideration for investors who want to do business in the country. In contrast to this claim, however, Nigerians and the international community have always lamented the high evel of corruption, especially in recent times and the inability of the government to check it.
There has also been a complaint that the rate of oil theft has never been as widespread and as frequent as it is now. This is even as the President has awarded contracts for the monitoring of the country’s waterways.
The secrecy with which the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, operates has also been a major point in the criticism of the present administration regarding the huge fraud being perpetrated in the petroleum industry.
At the last count, Transparency International rated Nigeria the 8th most corrupt nation on earth. This was in July this year, when it released the 2013 Global Corruption Barometer, which grouped Nigeria along with Zambia, Paraguay, Venezuela, Mexico, Russia, Zimbabwe, Liberia and Mongolia as the leading corrupt nations in the world.
Most informed analyses have always singled out corruption as the fundamental problem inhibiting Nigeria’s march to progress. President Jonathan’s comment will thus be deemed an absurdity.
Culled from P.M.NEWS Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Who is fooling who,d president thought he can lie us,let him continue 2015 will jugde.
ReplyDeletein times like this, must we insult our leaders? I thot that P.M News was to educate d ppl rather than to add to d moral decay in d society.if can't respect d president, I think u shld atleast respect d office. I dnt knw if u can justify most of these ur statement. Remember that there s a higher court than d court of justice. That is d court of conscience.
ReplyDeleteF"*k u annonymous 9.28am...even if its ur father dat is there he shld be told d truth...listen to urself..respect d president or his office...to blazes wit jonathan n his office...uneasy lies d head dat wears d crown..wat has he done...d clueless fool dat he is...pple like u shld be taken somewhere n put to sleep...
DeleteBros. U re a bastard for dt comment. Respect d office while pple die and starve cod of his ineptitude?
DeleteOBASANJO spent $16b on POWER, but he left power with NIGERIA in total darkness, PM news today is singing his PRAISES, but my dynamic PRESIDO that is doing his best to FIX the rot of OBJ and past leaders yet PM news and others will not let him have PEACE with their bias JOURNALISM. MUMU PM newspaper.
ReplyDeleteBoko Haram should serve your head as lunch. You are obviously mentally challenged.
DeleteBoko Haram should serve your head as lunch. You are obviously mentally challenged.
Deleteall dis fooools dat use to critises jona wether u like it or not ur vote or wihout ur vote jona is there till next six yearrrrrrs.eck
ReplyDeleteYou can only rig the election in 2015. Jona has fallen.
DeleteRubish. I thought pm news had something serious to refute. Its about perspective. The president told the truth from his point of view.
ReplyDeleteMy brothers, don't mind these useless clueless media institution we have in this country.
ReplyDeleteAm going to defend GEJ as follows
1. How many were able to afford the services of those so called telecom operators?
2. Were there GSM service operators prior to 1999?
3. For the lecturers, we all know that most of them are all rogues. Let me use NAU Awka for example, raised their tuition fee severally to generate funds, they sell post ume form, they also sell scratch cards to check results, over 13k is collected as acceptance fee for those that gained admission. Other sources of revenue are grants donated by private individuals in form of lecture halls, huge sums of money to the tune of over 700million, buses etc. They also run primary/secondary schools, pre-science units, also owns a teaching hospital at Nnewi.
What do they do with all that money?
4. GEJ as we all know has not declared his intention, all he does was to defend his rights as an individual.
5. The issue of oil theft did not start with his administration, its just that his administration has been bold enough to tell Nigerians the truth about the statues of crude oil production in Nigeria.
Beta press body dey talk, PM (pirate master) news sef dey talk. No face press work and leav politics alone. E b like una no wan survive again.
ReplyDeleteI have not less than 90% confidence that P.M News will never write anything good about Jonathan's administration. If they do, there will be some caveat as to what they may want to write good about him. BIASED REPORTING ABOUT A FOCUSED PRESIDENT!! NigerianEye, please post better things than those of P.M News.
ReplyDeleteJonathan is the most unintelligent pressident. In the history of Nigeria and in the world. He really does not have anything to offer, he is a bloody time waster. For his stupid supporter,we are not saying that the president must be from the north, west or east, we we are clamouring for is a good, discipline and intelligent president that can turn things arround who could be frm any part of the country. As far as this country is concern, jonathan is a disgrace to south south
ReplyDeleteTO YOU ALL GEJ ADVOCATES & SUPPORTERS IN THIS FORUM, MAY GOD FORGIVE YOU 'CAUSE I WILL NOT.
ReplyDeleteYOU WILL ALL HORRIBLY DIE [soon too] & BURN IN HELL FOR THIS UNHOLY SUPPORT. YOU & YOUR FAMILIES ALSO.
HOW CAN YOU DO THIS? THE MAN'S A SWINDLER, LIAR, WEAK & WILL DRIVE THIS COUNTRY TO DUST. OBJ'S WAS NO GOOD BUT THIS ASSHOLE HAS EXPLORED NEW AREAS OF INCOMPETENCE & VILE STUPIDITY THAT NO "PRESIDENT" BEFORE HIM HAS DONE.
AND YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO'S BEHIND HIS 2015 AMBITIONS? HIS WHORE OF A WIFE. HE HAS TO PLEASE HER AS SHE WAS THE ONLY WOMAN TO ACCEPT HIM BACK IN THE DAY. BUT A WHORE IS STILL A WHORE. NO EXCEPTIONS.
THAT WOMAN IS POISON TO 9JA & SHOULD HAVE HER LIGHTS PUT OUT PERMANENTLY BEFORE THE HIDEOUS BITCH DESTROYS US.
THE MAN LIED ON TV & YOU ALL SUPPORT HIM. HOW MUCH DID JONA PAY YOU. IDIOTS. HOPE YOU'RE READY TO PAY THE MANDATORY & FATAL PRICE FOR YOUR SUPPORT BECAUSE THAT DAY IS SOON COMING. FAST.
RESPECT FOR THAT TOAD? RESPECT FOR THE OFFICE? PLEASE. SPARE US.
The choice of who is the next president should rest with Nigerians as a whole. The crisis within PDP is PDP's problem. What we need to to do is to make sure we have free and Fair Elections
ReplyDeleteOBJ spent $16 billion on providing power generation plants/electricity. But GEJ in his wisdom sold Nepa to his friends and cohorts for less than $3billion dollar. Supporter of GEJ pls think.
ReplyDelete$16bn spent on power by OBJ was embezzled by his administration. GEJ did a better job by selling PHCN.
DeleteIf una like make una vote GEJ come 2015, if una no like make una no bother una self, but one thing is certain here, God sent him to Nigeria for a mission .... Make una remember how JONA was sent to niniveh , despite his fears about the people of niniveh and wanted to refuse going for the mission and GOD sent a shark to aid him to niniveh in other to accomplish what him(GOD) has started. So therefore, if nigerians like it or not, JONA is now sent to ASO rock to deliver us all....GOD is with you GEJ....no amount of pressure or fear that will subdue the plans God have for Nigeria through you...not even ten thousands of BH sect.
ReplyDeleteHow on earth did Nigerian Eye allow the comments of Anonymous @ 07:58 get posted? We should not allow those without any sense of decorum on the blog. NE, please spare us the display of crudeness. I will notvhesitate to unsuscribe if you continue to publish such senseless, un-guarded comments.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteFREE AND FAIR ELECTION, AND JONATHAN WILL LOOSE IN 2015, NO NEED FOR G7 TO FIGHT HIM, INSTEAD THEY SHD FIGHT FOR A CREDIBLE ELECTION .....DOUBTERS SHLD CONDUCT ONLINE OPINION POOL
ReplyDeleteMy fellow people on this platform let us ask ourselves as a citizen of Nigeria after paying tax what are the benefit I derive from this administration ? two years ago this administration increased fuel price and promised SURE-P , that buses would be given to all states to carry people with low cost, up till now no single bus around. Again there is increase in "NEPA" tariff , all without increase in our daily income, these are the areas where common man like you and me benefit from government, instead they compound hardship, in NIGERIA common man generate his light through generator, we provide water by ourselves and we pay taxes. I have a belief that no single commentator have derived a positive impact from this administration, on education they are less concern about the school where a common man send their children, because their children are not schooling here. when I was in school a course mate changed his school immediately his father elected a governor , who ever knows the story can testify. We need change no matter where the person comes from, a visionary, patriotic and GOD fearing president. Don't let us waste our vote come 2015. BE GUIDE.
ReplyDeleteAm a Yoruba man, I never voted for PDP in my life but I voted for GEJ believing he would be a different person, negative is the case, he has the right to contest but my vote will never be for him. with that I will satisfy my conscience, even if he is not doing it right, I will not complain but now I have right to complain because my vote counted for him. locked school for three month, fighting who ever signify intention like Amechi, encouraging corruption by amnesty for alamesia, boko haram pamper, oil theft, SUREP no more sure, just to mention few. we are watching, and report him to GOD that gave him to us, that he is not doing what HE told him to do.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous 9:36 Am, why can't you be straight forward by saying “if una like it or not GEJ must be re-elected come 2015" we are waiting to see the usual abracadabra. This time around reverse is the case because the more we see the more we understand.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why a fool, born bastard, beast would say GEJ is sent for a mission rather than saying OBJ sent GEJ for a mission. God is not a wicked one; God can't send such a dump to lead this country. Someone that can't differentiate left from right; some one that can easily get confused, I can't just understand why a reasonable can say something about these clueless leaders.
2015 is fast approaching, just wait and see how he will be booted out with that his raw wife then we will be awaiting actions from his reserved Army headed by Mujaid Asari.
So you removed my comment. how much does jona pay you, NE moderator? or is it the "TEAM GEJ 2015" members here that have you on the payroll?
ReplyDeleteWhere were you when the asshole @8:31 AM deluded himself by calling me "mentally challenged"? or the GEJ boi @9:36 AM with "spineless bastard" [Dumb as Grass]?
Aren't they still with us; they and their stupid comments? Have you "This comment has been removed by a blog administrator", huh?
Remove me if you like. I've said it as it is. The coming War {about time} will prove me right.
Funny Blogsphere we have here in Nigeria. No wonder I prefer foreign alternatives. So free. Here you must remain "polite" & "respect" even as the bastard's got his fool knife in you. How traditional. The basic nigerian answer to needless generational-to-generational suffering. Sick.
Now to the IMBECILE: the ignorant & ubiquitous GEJ apologist @ 12:34 PM. COWARD is what I call you. You can't face me so you appeal to NE to have me thrown off. You can't silence me bitch. Jona is still a weak asswipe, not even a man. His "wife" (see, I can do polite) does all his thinking for him and that's why he can't even GOVERN, not to mention TELL THE TRUTH.
Well, in the end Justice will be served & all of you will pay. Double.
And yes, fuck off. Unsubscribe to that. You won't be missed. You & your kind.
@12:34 PM
ReplyDeleteDONKEY. ARE YOU DONE?
can anyone in this forum tell me which president in Nigeria has faced as much challenges as Jonathan in the history of Nigeria? Frm promises of making the country ungovernable to reality, political to economic sabotage, etc. Commentators, knw that as u measure for someone today, u wil receive same in ten fold. Thank u.
ReplyDeleteprepare well for eternity. president is an entity as u so every body should prepare to meet God for full screening of our living.
ReplyDeleteASUU strike has been on going for a long time. while in sch, 2001 and 2002, there was a year and 3months strike in-between. why didnt the president then blame it on the opposing party? GEJ should be responsible and do what is right. we hear about the outrageous bills spent on him dialy for meals and home running plus private jet and fleet and u all plus him call d ASUU demand greedy? u must be sick. these teachers and our educative system deserves the best n the best they must have for our childrens benefit and the betterment of nigeria. An uneducated mother is just the course of all these stupidity and a man who thinks of himself n no one else
ReplyDelete