Jerry Douglas' Blog

President Goodluck Jonathan has applauded the exemplary wisdom and courage shown Monday by Pope Benedict XVI in his decision to voluntarily relinquish the Papacy because of his advanced age and growing inability to keep up with the physical and mental demands of the Office. READ RELATED STORIES: BREAKING NEWS: Pope Benedict XVI To Resign (UPDATE) Nigeria's Cardinal Arinze: the Next Pope? Nigerians Who Could Succeed Pope A statement by the President's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, said: "On behalf of himself, the Federal Government and people of Nigeria, President Jonathan wishes the Pope a very peaceful and restful retirement at the end of this month." According to President Jonathan, he is confident that "even in retirement, Pope Benedict XVI will continue to contribute to the spiritual well-being of the world in every possible way and that he will continue to offer prayers to God Almighty for global justice, equit...

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), an amalgam of four opposition parties, have raised a 12-man team to persuade former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), not to vie for the presidential ticket of the coalition party. THISDAY gathered yesterday that the pressure on Buhari, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) national leader, one of the four parties in the coalition, not to run in the 2015 presidential race is to make the party more electable without  any hangover from previous elections. The national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), another constituent part of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu, has also accepted not to seek the APC’s ticket as a demonstration of his commitment to building a virile and credible platform that would be used to wrest power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Buhari has been a serial presidential candidate since 2003 when he first took a shot at the presidency on the platform of the Al...

Four frontrunners have emerged in the search for a new Pope following the shock resignation of Benedict XVI. The major contenders to be Pope Benedict's successor include Cardinal Angelo Scola, Cardinal Peter Turkson, Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Cardinal Francis Arinze. The prominence among the candidates of Cardinal Arinze, of Nigeria, and Cardinal Turkson, of Ghana, has raised hopes that the Catholic Church may appoint its first black Pope. Catholic worshippers and clergy in Africa - where the church is rapidly growing - greeted the news of Benedict XVI's resignation with surprise. But it has also led church leaders to speculate whether the next Pontiff may come from an African nation. "I think we would have a better chance of getting someone outside of the northern hemisphere this time, because there are some really promising cardinals from other parts of the world," Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of South Africa said. Cardinal Theodore Adrien Sarr of Se...

Nigeria’s unlikely hero in the final of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Sunday Mba, has said he hopes he has done enough to earn a dream move to Europe. On Sunday in Johannesburg, the 24-year-old Warri Wolves forward scored the goal that ended Nigeria’s 19-year wait for a continental glory as they won their third Nations Cup trophy at the expense of Burkina Faso. In the 1994 final in Tunisia, Emmanuel Amuneke came off the bench to fire two goals past Zambia and give the Super Eagles their second Nations Cup triumph after they first won the tournament on home soil in 1980. Amuneke, who was then playing for top Egyptian side Zamalek, would subsequently move to Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon and eventually Barcelona. “I hope I can also get a deal in Europe after what I achieved at the Nations Cup,” said the former Nigeria U17 star, who was also the match winner against star-studded Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals of the competition. His exploits have already sparked off...

Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika gave a shocking revelation Monday on the bomb attack at Jaji Cantonment last year which killed an Army General and several others when he disclosed that the then Commander, Infantry Corps and Centre, Jaji, General Mohammed Isa had security report 24 hours earlier of the plot to bomb Jaji but he chose to ignore the warning. The army boss gave startling information at a briefing at the army headquarters. His words, “our Intelligence and Military Police departments had gotten information of a plan by terrorists to attack the Jaji Cantonment and the intelligence was immediately relayed to General Isa. The same report that Gen. Isa got was received by the GOC 1 Division on the day before the attack. “The GOC had to immediately cancel his trip and returned to base. Isa did not act on the report. Isa did not give instruction to his subordinate. I was surprised when I saw Isa at the annual COAS Conference and I asked him, what he wa...

Stephen Keshi‘s resignation and eventual U-turn, has sparked a series of reactions, counter-reactions and of course, a revealing of secrets. It has been made to understand, that the 51-year-old deliberately took the action to step down, so he could draw the attention of those in authority, to the unfair treatment he has been getting from the Nigeria Football Federation. Related Article:   “I Have Decided To Continue With My Job” – Keshi Releases Statement After Withdrawing Resignation Sources claim that Chris Green, the head of NFF‘s technical committee, has especially been on Keshi’s neck and the coach has had to put up with his interference all the while. “Green sees himself as coach of the Eagles,” an anonymous source said. “He dictates to Keshi on players to select and he is always of the view that Keshi is not good enough. He is an advocate of hiring a European coach. In fact during the Nations Cup, he was discussing with many coaches, especially t...

Stephen Keshi has withdrawn his resignation as coach of the Nigerian national team, after a meeting with the Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi. The immediate past Media Officer of the Super Eagles, Colin Udoh, who has been covering the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, made this revelation late into the night, as the confusion and drama rumbled on. Udoh confirmed that  Keshi had indeed resigned , but that it was verbal and not written. As soon as the news went viral, after the Big Boss told Robert Marawa on South Africa radio station, Metro FM, that he had sent in his resignation after the celebrations, a series of emergency meetings were held. In the end, the 51-year-old made a u-turn and withdrew his resignation. Udoh tweeted: “After a meeting with Nigeria‘s Sports Minister, Stephen Keshi has withdrawn his resignation.” The Super Eagles are expected back in the country today, although Efe Ambrose and Victor Moses, have returned to the UK. “I Have Dec...

Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala parted ways with former President Olusegun Obasanjo because of her removal as the Chairman of the Economic Team of the government while she was in London negotiating with London Club. Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, made this disclosure in his memoir, 'The Accidental Public Servant,' where he narrated his experiences while in government and private practice. Being a key member of the powerful and influential Economic Team of the Obasanjo years, El-Rufai recalled how the team was assembled, and it included Okonjo-Iweala, the minister of state for finance Nenadi Usman  [now a senator] , FCT minister el-Rufai, the Economic Adviser to the President and later the Central Bank Governor Charles Soludo, the EFCC boss Nuhu Ribadu, and the Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement  [Due Process]  Mrs. Oby Ezekwezili. Okonjo-Iweala was the chairman. According to El-Rufai's accou...

Peoples Democratic Party on Monday said there would be no automatic ticket for President Goodluck Jonathan if he decides to seek a second term in 2015. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in an interview with reporters in Abuja, added that governors seeking another term would also not be giving automatic tickets. The President and the governors, Metuh said, would go through the primaries as stipulated in the party’s constitution. Metuh said, “I can tell you that as at today under the constitution of our party and the way we run our programmes, we are going to have primaries in 2015. “We are completely unaware of any move to change the constitution of the party. The constitution that we have, which we just amended at the last convention, provides that we must have local government and state congresses and national convention. That is the constitution we have as at today. “I ask you, is there any automatic ticket in the 2012 constitution of the pa...

Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has called on coach of the victorious Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi and golden boot winner, Emmanuel Emenike, to join the new mega party, All Progressive Congress (APC) and run for public office. The former minister of the FCT, was reacting to the duo’s feats at the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations 2013, where they defeated Burkina Faso 1-0 to lift the trophy. He tweeted: “Keshi and Emenike must be attracted to the APC and persuaded to run for public office… I will vote for both…” It is left to be seen, if both men will be lured into the new party, as they prepare to return home to a presidential reception on Tuesday.

Pictures of D'banj celebrating with the Eagles after their victory win against Burkina Faso at the AFCON 2013 tournament. View pictures below...

President Goodluck Jonathan‘s motor convoy was today involved in an accident in Paris as the Nigerian president was traveling with his aides to a meeting with the French President Francois Gerard Hollande. Our sources disclosed that the accident occurred 15 minutes away from the Elysee Palace, the venue of the official meeting with the French leader. “The car involved in the accident was the fifth car behind that of President Jonathan,” said a French police source. Jamilu Waziri, a presidential liaison officer (PLO), was injured in the accident and had to be taken to a Paris hospital where he received treatment for a broken ankle. As a result of the accident, Mr. Waziri was unable to attend the meeting.   Our source said Mr. Waziri later flew with President Jonathan who is due to arrive in Abuja shortly. The wounded officer walked with aid of a pair of crutches. A French official confirmed the accident to Saharareporters. The large size of the Nigerian delegation meant ...