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The Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation has
commended the pan Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, for
endorsing the presidential bid of President Goodluck Jonathan.

It also commended another group, the Igbo Professionals
resident in Lagos, for their objective and nationalistic position that Mr
Jonathan is the preisdent Nigeria needs at the moment.

Sully Abu, the director of media and publicity of the
organisation, said “Ohaneze and the Igbo Professionals are pointing the way to
the Nigeria of our dreams where Leadership is determined by competence rather
than ethnicity”.

Mr Abu urged Nigerians not to be deceived by those who have
been using primordial sentiments to divide the polity.

“The endorsement of Jonathan by these patriots has put paid to
the devious machinations of those divide-and-rule politicians who think they
can hoodwink our Igbo brethren by dangling fake carrots, even when their antecedents
are full of broken promises,” he said.

He called on all political aspirants to emulate the president
in embracing an issue-based campaign devoid of ethnic rancour and acrimony.

NPC forms

Meanwhile, the national executive committee of the Nigeria Peoples
Congress (NPC) at its meeting on Monday fixed the costs of its nomination forms
for members aspiring for elective office during 2011 general elections.

In a communiqué signed by its national chairman of the party,
Ngozi Emioma, the party approved N1 million for office of president and
N500,000 for the governorship office.

The others are Senate (N200,000), House of Representatives
N100,000, House of Assembly N50,000. Women aspirants, he said, are exempted
from nomination fees.

Mr Emioma said that the NEC strongly condemns the spate of
violence, arson, bomb blasts, armed robberies and kidnappings in the country
and calls on security agencies to halt the trend in tandem with section 14 (2)b
of the 1999 constitution which states that, “the security and welfare of the
people shall be the primary purpose of government.”

The NEC, he added, also urged the federal government to take
steps to alleviate the sufferings of the masses who, it said can no longer
afford three square meals a day due to the harsh economic meltdown, in addition
to various natural disasters particularly flood, erosion and desert
encroachment that have worsened the plights of these citizens.

Mr Emioma also said the NEC asked the government to expedite action on the
minimum wage the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) demanded, stressing “Nigerian
workers deserve a fair deal and improved standard of living.”