Jonathan Begs Amaechi, Others Not To Join APC; Offers Them A Ceasefire Deal

It is now obvious to President Goodluck Jonathan that he cannot win the 2015 presidential election with just 10 PDP governors loyal to him and probably One governor from APGA and Labour Party.

Consequently, President Jonathan has pleaded with Governor Rotimi Amaechi and other members of the G-7 group not to dump him and the PDP for the opposition APC.

Jonathan, who described Governor Amaechi as his brother, said if Amaechi want peace with him he should stop talking to the media and allow them to settle everything as a big family.
Amaechi said he doesn't have anything against President Jonathan as a person but the actions of people who take orders from him are ridiculing the powers of a governor under the constitution. Amaechi said governors of PDP and other parties voted for him as NGF Chairman, hence he should be recognized as such.

But I suspect that Jonathan is still afraid that recognizing Amaechi as NGF chairman might be dangerous as the opposition can easily win Amaechi and other G-7 governors over.

As a result, Jonathan refused to agree that Amaechi be recognized as NGF chairman but proposed that they should meet again on October 7, 2013, to appraise the demands.

At the end of the meeting, Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River sate wrote a statement that was read, as both parties agree to speak less on the problems until they meet again.

The PDP governors , are however suspecting that Jonathan is trying to buy time with his frequent shifting of meeting dates until such a time that it would be too late.

Stowaway: ‘I didn’t know I took a risk’

FROM TONY OSAUZO, Benin


The stowaway teenager, Ricky Daniel Ohikhena, who, on August 24, this year hid in a wheel well of an Arik Air craft from Benin to Lagos, has said he did not know that he took a risk when he did that, promising not to do it again.

“I regret it. I want to go home, I am tired.” On his dream, the boy said: “I will be happy to train as an engineer.”

The young Ohikhena, had since his return from Lagos two weeks ago, been held up in a building in the company of security personnel in the Government House, Benin City.




Speaking to journalists, the apparently home-sick boy requested that he should be allowed to go home with his mother to enable him resume school.

Master Ohikhena, who answered questions in mono syllables in the lonely facility said he was happy with the award of scholarship to him by the Edo State Government and De Rauf Foundation.




He said he was terrified when he was arrested on arrival in Lagos from Benin, adding that he was not maltreated but given good food where he was kept.

Ohikhena told journalists that he was questioned in Lagos and in Benin, revealing that he returned to Benin by road with three armed security men.

He said that on the return trip to Benin and even at his present location, he was being treated well with “good food,” but that since school has resumed, he would want to go home.




Meanwhile, Edo State Government has secured admission in one of the state’s top secondary schools for 13-year-old Daniel Ohikhena.

The State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole made this disclosure during the visit of Mr George Uriesi, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other FAAN Management team to him at the Government House, Benin City, yesterday.

According to the Governor, “without meaning to encourage anyone else, we decided to support him by sending him to one of the top secondary schools in Edo State that is owned by the Government. The reason for opting for a boarding school is that we think that there is need to closely watch him which his parents could not do.

“He is an intelligent young man with uncommon challenges, but one that has a vision. We had him examined by people who should know and the result confirmed that he is normal.




“This incident was probably the kind of trigger that we needed to improve the facilities at our Airports. You are never going to have all the money you need to do all you have to do. You should start from somewhere,” he noted.

Oshiomhole added: “It is also a security issue that we do not have any runway security lights at the Benin Airport.”