[size=14pt]Idika Kalu heads 40-man N'Delta talks team [/size]


Ani, Onoge, Ihonrebere, Omu, others in panel

From Martins Oloja, Abuja Bureau Chief
THE Presidency yesterday resumed the search for a solution to the Niger Delta question with the constitution of a 40-member team headed by a former Finance Minister, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, to hanle the dialogue.



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President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua who is expected to return to Nigeria this morning, has approved the list of nominees to serve on the Technical Committee to review and distil all previous reports on the Niger Delta, and come up with appropriate recommendations on the way forward for the region.

Vice President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is to inaugurate the committee on Monday, September 8, 2008, at the State House, Abuja at s.00 p.m., according to a statement by his spokesman, Ima Niboro.

The committee are as follows:


Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu (Chairman),
Chief E. C. Adiele,
Chief Tony Esu,
Hon. Nduese Essien,
Mrs. Grace Ekong,
Prof. Peter King,
Chief Anderson Eseimokumo,
Prof. Lawrence Ekpebu,
Prof. Austin Ikein and Youpele Banigo.
Also on the list are:

Chief Anthony Ani (MON),
Ukandi Gabriel Ogar,
Col. Edor Obi (rtd.),
Nkoyo Toyo,
Prof. Omofume Onoge,
. B. I. C. Ijeoma,
Chief Isaac Jemide,
Dr. Abel Dafioghor,
Benard Jamaho,
Mr. Sam Amuka Pemu,
Senator Stella Omu,
Ben Bouegha,
Prof. Julius Ihonvbere,
Admiral Peter Ebhalemen,
Charles Edosomhan (SAN),
Prof. E. M. Umezurike,
Dr. Godswill Ihetu,
Cyril Anyanwu,
Dr. Sam Amadi and Hon. D. I. Kekemeke are also on the list.
The others are:

Chief Olusola Oke,
Col. Wole Ohunayo (rtd.),
Engr. Tonye Princewill,
Magnus Njei Abe,
Chibuzor Ugowoha,
Mr. Ledum Mitee,
Mr. Tony Uranta,
Anyakwe Nsirimovu,
Chief Timi Alaibe and Atei Beredu.

The Niger Delta stakeholders' talks had been stalled over its headship after the uproar that followed the initial naming of former Foreign Affairs Minister, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, as chairman of the steering committee.
Gambari, currently a United Nations envoy, later opted out.

The government also charged the summit to a stakeholders' dialogue.

Relatedly, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has called on the Federal Government to take more decisive action to develop the Niger Delta.

It said the government had been too slow and sluggish in spite of all the fora and talk-shops held on the issue.

NASU said that it was physical development of the area that was required of the federal government while the oil companies there should devote significant funds for projects in the area's communities.

The national president of NASU, Mrs. Ladi Iliya, stated this yesterday at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Jos, Plateau State. She said also said that Niger Delta governors should spend a substantial percentage of their revenue earnings from the federation account for the benefit of the down-trodden of the states.

Iliya urged the Federal Government to adequately fund the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to aggressively embark on social services, such as the provision of potable water, effective health care, roads and employment for the restive youth.

While welcoming the electoral reform committee set up by the government, she prayed to God to give it the needed encouragement of patriots to recommend solutions that would impact positively on the future politics of Nigeria. She also urging President Umar Yar'Adua not to allow the outcome of the committee to end up in the archives.

Iliya pledged that NASU would partner with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other civil society groups to put pressure on Yar'Adua to implement the anticipated recommendations for a credible electoral system.

"we insist that never in life shall Nigerians experience the recent happenings in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Never also shall we allow the 'do-or-die' electioneering of 2007," she said.

Speaking on the proposed increase in the prices of petroleum products, she said the failure of the government to maintain existing refineries and build new ones was responsible for the importation of refined petrol, kerosene and diesel which prices have gone beyond the reach of the people.

Iliya, therefore, called on the government to take full responsibility for its ineptitude and not pass the buck to the citizens. She believed that if the American government can subsidise farming so that its citizens get cheap food, "there is no reason why our government will insist on the removal of subsidies from petrol and petroleum products."

According to her, government should concentrate its energy on how the old refineries can be resuscitated to work at full installed capacity and build new ones to refine the crude oil. She warned that any attempt to increase the prices in January next year as being contemplated by government would be resisted as it would add more burden to the people.

She also called on the government to urgently constitute a body to review, upward, the salaries, allowances and conditions of service of research institutes.

"The research sector suffers total neglect to the extent that even while other tertiary institutions with whom they share some salary structure have government negotiating panels and teams constituted for them the Research Institutes are sidelined,"she said.

She, therefore, implored the President to order the establishment of a National Commission for Research Institutions and Special Projects to coordinate all research institutions in Nigeria for effective performance.

On the on-going negotiations in universities, polytechnics and colleges of Education, Iliya disclosed that NASU was uncomfortable with the inability of government to conclude the talks, a delay which she said was creating an uneasy calm among workers in the sectors that was capable of truncating the relative industrial peace in the institutions.

She stated categorically that while it was not the intention of NASU of engage in any form of disruption of academic activities, "it will be fool-hardy to pretend that we can, as leaders, guarantee industrial peace except government acts speedily to conclude, approve and cause the implementation of the negotiated agreements on salaries, allowances and other conditions of service in these institutions."

She pointed out that unless drastic actions were taken to reposition Education, the desire of the country to feature among the first 20 world economies would be a mirage.

In brief remarks, NLC President, Abdulwaheed Omar, who was never introduced until when he was going to open the meeting after everybody had spoken, regarded as bad news the decision of the Plateau State government to stop deduction of chec- off dues from the workers' salaries.

Omar said that since Governor Jonah Jang came to power through the votes of the people, "it is incumbent on him and his government to respect the rule of law. I know the issue of check-off dues is very clear.

"It is mandatory on employers of government to do just that. So, His Excellency has not been adequately briefed about the situation. May be, it is one of his overzealous administrators in his government out to punish labour," he added

He promised to meet the governor on the matter.



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