₦airaland Forum

The Managing Director of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engineer Gab-riel Amuchi, has said that the agency has embarked on a drive to achieve zero potholes on selected federal roads of economic value by December this year.

He stated this while on an inspection tour of ongoing pot-holes patching along the Abuja-Kaduna road. He said that the agency has been directed by the Presidency to achieve zero potholes on the identified roads to ensure that mass vehicular traffic is not hampered during the Yuletide season.

“FERMA`s operations are now well positioned to respond effectively to the challenges of maintaining all federal roads in the country, with the acquisition of relevant machinery tailor-made for round the clock road maintenance. Among the automated equipment acquired and deployed to the selected federal roads are FP5 patchers, wheel loaders and back hoes, as well as sundry hand tools for day to day road maintenance,`` he said
http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/index.php/news/179854-ferma-targets-zero-potholes-in-december

I know for sure that if FG's determination and commitment on stable power supply via reforms in the power sector should materialise..... nigerians will give GEJ administration pass mark and kudos.... and it will earn the administration a pass mark

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, (SAN) on Sunday, said only “patriotic prosecutors” can prosecute the $183m Halliburton bribery scandal case.

Falana, who also in a statement, commended the moves by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to re-open the case, lamented that sweeping the scandal under the carpet would subject the nation to “underserved ridicule”.

He said, “No doubt, the decision of the Jonathan administration to re-open the case is in the national interest.

“But the Attorney-General of the Federation must ensure, this time, that a new team of patriotic prosecutors is constituted to handle the prosecution of the suspects involved in the Halliburton scandal.”

Justice Abubakar Umar of an Abuja High Court had on March 26, 2012, struck out the case following the failure of the prosecution to arraign the suspects in court.

Falana also lamented the failure of government to bring the individuals and firms involved in the scandal to book, even when they have been fined and convicted in the United States.

According to him, in the few instances where Nigeria had benefitted from the fines imposed on the culprits, the amount is meager compared to what the US government had derived from imposing such fines.

He said, “The national embarrassment was aggravated when it was found that Halliburton and its officials, who bribed the indicted Nigerian officials pleaded guilty to the  charges of bribery and corruption before  criminal courts in the United States and were accordingly convicted.

“While Halliburton was ordered to pay fines of millions of dollars, the convicted officials were sentenced to prison terms.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/halliburton-falana-seeks-patriotic-prosecutors/

The Federal Government is com-mitted to overhauling the power transmission infrastructure across the country to stabilize power supply, Information Minister Labaran Maku has said.
He spoke yesterday when the National Good Governance Tour team inspected the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) sub-station in Makeri, Jos.

Maku, who said stable power supply is key to Nigeria’s economic development, assured that there will be greater efficiency in power generation and stability soon.

“The Federal Ministry of Information recently conducted investigation across the country and discovered that there is greater stability in power supply in most parts of the country. We are getting there,” he said.

Earlier, Principal Manager Transmission, Thomas Duniya, said the construction of 120 megawatt power sub-station has been completed.

He said the project was executed in partnership with the Plateau State Government, which spent N47 million to compensate landowners before the project took off.

Duniya said once the sub-station is energized, there would be stability of electricity in the Jos-South district.
“Initially, the entire district was supplied with electricity through the 33 KV line, but with the completion of the sub-station, power would be supplied through a 132 KV line with 6 feeders,” he said.



http://dailytrust.com.ng/index.php/news/179517-fg-says-it-is-committed-to-power-stability-

Senate President David Mark yesterday said Nigeria will initiate discussion with Cameroon on the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula.

Mark spoke with reporters at the 127th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference in Quebec , Canada .

The conference’s theme is “Citizenship, identity, linguistic and cultural diversity in a globalised world.”

The Senate President said the Nigerian delegation would engage their Cameroonian counterparts at the conference to iron out knotty issues so as to create a forum for broader dialogue on the Bakassi issue.

He said the discussion would focus on whether to revisit the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision on Bakassi or to ensure that the rights of Nigerians who live in the oil-rich peninsula are fully protected.

The Senate President noted that the National Assembly recognised that there is a subsisting judicial decision on Bakassi.

He insisted that once there is a judicial decision on any matter, “you must be careful.”

The judicial decision hanging over Bakassi, he said, made it imperative for Nigerian delegation at the IPU to open dialogue with their Cameroonian counterparts at the conference on the future of Bakassi.

He said, “Bakassi is a different story entirely. For Bakassi, there is a judicial decision and once there is a judicial decision you must be careful.

Revisiting the judicial decision on Bakassi whether it will bring any more profit or whether we should ensure that Nigerians who are in Bakassi have their human rights fully protected and that they are not maltreated in any way by Cameroonians, is one of the issues we will sit down and discuss with Cameroonian parliamentarians who are here too.”

In his address at the conference, Mark told the Union of the need for parliaments world over to protect and guarantee minority interests.

He said, “The National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not just in total support of raising the stakes in management of diversities in a globalised world, we are already taking steps to ensure that every minority interest within the Nigerian State is well protected.

“We are working to remove all obstacles that hinder unity and harmonious co-existence.”

Harping on the ongoing constitution review by the National Assembly, Mark said that cardinal among the issues on the constitution review agenda is to revisit some constitutional issues which seemed to contradict one another and the spirit of the constitution on the rights and privileges of Nigerians.

In particular, he said that the National Assembly will take another look at the issue of “state of origin” as against “state of residence.”

Some parts of the 1999 Constitution, such as Section 147(3), he said, makes it compulsory for certain political offices to be for indigenes (not residents) of the benefiting States.

Such discriminatory tendencies, Mark insisted, tend to ignite indigene-settler rows.

He said that Nigerians feel that the problem can be best addressed by replacing the “State of Origin “ provision with “State of Residence .”

He assured that the National Assembly would work to actualise the replacement of “State of Origin “ provision with “State of Residence “ to enhance the rights and privileges of every Nigeria in any part of the country, irrespective of his or her state of origin, language, ethnicity and religion.

Apart from institutionalising “State of Residence “ he said that the National Assembly is working to ensure that “our women and other minority interests are well secured by entrenching in the constitution provisions that advance their course.

Mark noted that more than ever before, humanity has come to understand, both by reason and compelling needs of interdependence, that though language, ethnicity, culture, race, religion, gender, political inclination and economic status may differ “it is in brotherhood that we can all make progress.”

He posited that proper management of citizenship, identity, linguistic and cultural diversities in a globalising world is an international challenge, but with local solutions.

For him, if every nation plays its role creditably in the management of diversities within their local environment but with global outlook enshrined in various international treaties, declarations and conventions, “we would have made an impressive progress towards this end.”

 
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/nigeria-opens-dialogue-with-cameroon-on-bakassi/

Lack of access to finance and inadequate electricity supply are among the major impediments to the country’s economic growth, President Goodluck Jonathan has said.

Jonathan said this in a speech at the inauguration of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy in Abuja on Tuesday.

Jonathan, who was represented at the event by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, said the Federal Government was not happy that the N30bn security fund for agriculture had not achieved its desired objective.

He said, “This year, government provided security of N30bn to fund farms. That was not achieved. Government will continue to support the Central Bank of Nigeria’s decisions that promote sustainable economic development. The private sector will not be able to perform its role if it lacks access to affordable financial services, which is what led to the launch of financial inclusion strategy today.

“Today, Nigeria stands as the least producer per capita and this has to change. The private sector, particularly SMEs, is the engine of economic development. This is why government is focusing on the enabling environment for private enterprises to thrive.”

The President said through the financial inclusion programme initiated by the CBN, the government would address the problem of lack of access to finance, while other steps were being taken to address the issue of inadequate power supply.

These include the constructing of 10 new power plants, 90 per cent of which are completed and will add 5,000 megawatts to the national grid.

Jonathan said the Federal Government was constructing about 4,000 kilometres of transmission lines consisting of 330 and 120 lines with associated substations, expanding existing substations and transmission lines, and constructing hundreds of substations in all cities across the country.

The President had similarly said small and medium enterprises remained the major vehicle to create employment in an increasingly industrial world.

Jonathan spoke while receiving the United Nations Special Envoy for Financial Inclusion, Princess Maxima of Netherlands, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said financial inclusion was necessary if all citizens would directly feel the impact of growth in the economy.

He commended the CBN for the new strategy to provide access to funds.

“It is important for us to have structures that will enable all Nigerians have access to financial services as well as funds, and we have started programmes targeted at empowering the youth, women and the creative industry,” he stated.

Earlier, Maxima had commended Jonathan for supporting the financial inclusion strategy, and for the work of the Economic Management Team, and the effective coordination of relevant ministries and departments.

http://www.punchng.com/business/business-economy/inadequate-finance-electricity-impede-nigerias-economic-growth-jonathan/

The beleaguered senator representing Borno Central Senatorial District, Senator Ahmad Zanna, and former Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, traded accusations Monday over the arrest of a commander of Boko Haram, Shuaibu Bama.

The Joint Task Force (JTF) had last week announced the arrest of Bama in a serving senator’s house in Maiduguri.

Although the JTF did not mention the name of the senator, Zanna, who acknowledged Bama as his nephew, accused the JTF of distorting the facts of the arrest, stating that contrary to the claim, the Boko Haram chief was arrested in Sheriff’s house.

The senator, who was grilled for about nine hours in Abuja by the State Security Service (SSS) over his alleged links with the Islamic sect, blamed Sheriff for his travails.

Zanna, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defeated Sheriff, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) candidate who contested to represent the senatorial district in the last general election.

Speaking with reporters before he left for the SSS headquarters, Zanna insisted that Bama was arrested in Sheriff’s house and not his.

He also said that he was willing to lead a Federal Government delegation to open talks with the sectarian group, if only it would help to end the insecurity in the country.

He blamed Sheriff for his travails, saying the former governor had not forgiven him since he defeated him in the last senatorial election.

“My historic defeat of the former governor of Borno State in the person of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has never gone down well with many persons and individuals in this country.

“Therefore, this latest campaign by the JTF in Borno State to deploy falsehood against me, even though they arrested Shuaibu Bama in Sheriff’s house.

“That they choose to tell the world that they arrested him in my house, is part of the campaign to rope me in by declaring me a Boko Haram member, financier, sympathiser, harbourer or even an activist so as to declare my seat vacant.

“This is being perpetrated to pave the way for Ali Modu Sheriff to by hook or crook come to the Senate, no matter what,” Zanna added.

He also called for the immediate withdrawal of the JTF, adding:  “What I’m trying to say about the JTF is that they are not doing things according to the rules of engagement and they are unnecessarily killing people more than Boko Haram, so what is the use of them being there?”

According to him, the constitution does not allow the JTF to kill people at will.

He said the JTF had never consulted with the leaders or elders of Borno to resolve the insecurity challenges posed by the insurgency of the Boko Haram sect.

“The JTF did not consult the leaders in Borno at any given time; they went there and started harassing the people instead of them to sit down from the outset to discuss with the people of Borno,” he added.

He blamed the Boko Haram insurgency on the inability of leaders to separate politics from security.

Sheriff, in a rebuttal Monday, refuted Zanna’s claim that Bama was arrested in his (ex-governor’s) house.

The former governor, in a statement by his Special Assistant, Umar Duhu, described Zanna’s attempt to link him with his problem as laughable and mischievous.

He urged security agencies to fully investigate Zanna's links with Boko Haram and allegations of gunrunning.

“On this note, we want to call on the relevant security authorities to fully investigate the incident and Senator Zanna’s possible links with Boko Haram, and also his hajj-by-road activities for which he was suspected to have used as a façade for the importation of arms and window for the training of terrorists,” he said.

He said it was common knowledge in the state that Zanna deceived youths by saying that he would take them on pilgrimage by road only to send some of them for terrorist training.

“Some of the so-called pilgrims by road have been traced to terrorists’ camps in Afghanistan and Syria, and not Saudi Arabia, their preferred destination.

“It is very much on record that 27 of such pilgrims are still missing up till date,” he said.

Sheriff wondered what Zanna's nephew would be doing in the house of a man he said was his political rival.

He further said that contrary to Zanna's claims in the media that he had parted ways with the suspect, "we can authoritatively confirm that his nephew, Bama, was still his associate up to the time of his arrest.”

At the SSS headquarters in Abuja, Zanna revealed how he gave his aides N1.5 million to buy Sallah rams for the insurgents and their threat to attack him unless he gave them N10 million.

THISDAY gathered Monday night that Zanna arrived at the SSS headquarters in Abuja at about 1 pm where he was processed for interrogation.

He gave further insight into his relationship with the dreaded Islamist sect and reiterated his denial that Bama was arrested in his Maiduguri home.

He told his interrogators that he gave N1.5 million for Sallah rams to the sect members following their threat to attack him.

He, however, added that when the insurgents accosted one of his aides at gunpoint to know how much he gave him, he lied to them that he (senator) gave out N1 million.

He explained that when they took his aide to his house for a search, they retrieved N250, 000 and left a message with the aide for him that he should provide them N10 million or they would come for him.

The senator, who was released at about 10 pm, is expected to report back at the SSS headquarters by 11am Tuesday http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/sheriff-senator-in-blame-game-over-arrested-boko-haram-chief/128484/

Senate President, Senator David Mark, on Monday said that time has come for the country to shift from the syndrome of state of origin and embrace state of residence.

He said that immediate elimination of state of origin and enthronement of state of residence would go a long way to cement relationship in the country.

Mark spoke to journalists in Quebec, Canada, after the opening ceremony of the 127th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, with the theme “Citizenship, identity, linguistic and cultural diversity in a globalised world.”

He noted that one of the issues that would be addressed at the on-going constitution review is a shift from state of origin to state of residence.

He wondered why a person who has lived in a particular place for 20 years performing all necessary civic responsibilities could not become an indigene of the area.

He said, “You should know that one of the issues we’ve been discussing in Constitution amendment is shift from state of origin to state of residence because it is an important issue.

“You are resident in a place for 20 years and still, they don’t take you as part and parcel of that place.

“I think it’s a difficult task but in my candid opinion, I think if we have an open mind and we approach it from a nationalist perspective, rather than a small, clannish perspective, I think we would get it right.

“Let’s forget the business of state of origin and go to state of residence.

“Once you are resident in a place and you perform your civic responsibilities for the period, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t benefit, provided of course you don’t claim dual residency.

“Some Nigerians may be very clever. They would come from Ondo State and are resident in Benue, when the benefits of Benue are not commensurate with their expectations, they shift to Ondo State.

“We can’t have that. Once you take a particular area, you should just be a part and parcel of that particular state.”

He described the theme of the conference as extremely relevant.

The theme of the conference, he said, is not “just international, it is also national because that is the only way we can domesticate and implement the theme.”

 

 http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news-update/why-state-of-origin-should-be-abolished-in-nigeria-mark/

chei.......Tinubu......the wind has blown and the anus of the fowl has been revealed..

mallam el rufai, why this rage and bitterness, all because you are not part of GEJ administration...... life is more than this.... and islam does not propagate hatred and propanganda....even if we need be analytical it has to be objective.

After several postponements, Nigeria's First Lady, Patience Jonathan, returned to Nigeria a few minutes ago from Germany where she was hospitalized for several weeks. Mrs. Jonathan arrived on a presidential jet around 3:45 PM Nigerian time

She was welcomed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja by officials of the Peoples Democratic Party, some female ministers, women groups and as well as party faithful bussed to the airport for the purpose.

"I did not have a terminal illness or cosmetic surgery," she told reporters at Abuja airport on arrival, broadcast live on state television. "I thank God Almighty for bringing me back... God has a plan for all of us."

Presidency sources had previously told SaharaReporters that Mrs. Jonathan was billed to arrive home last week Thursday but that plan was overruled by the hospital authorities in Wiesbaden, Germany, and the trip was aborted.

While her exact diagnosis has not been confirmed by the presidency, Mrs. Jonathan will continue some of her treatment in Nigeria.  In a direct reflection of Nigeria’s decrepit medical facilities, she will be making trips to Germany in the future for further analysis and treatment.

Mrs. Jonathan is also a civil servant in her home state of Bayelsa, where she was named a Permanent Secretary a few months ago.
http://saharareporters.com/news-page/nigeria-first-lady-back-abuja-german-hospital

A good number of women, believed to be members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, have just poured out of the party’s headquarters  in the Wuse District of Abuja and are right now on their way to the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The women, being led by the PDP women leader, are being bussed to the airport in several vehicles bearing posters welcoming Mrs Patience Jonathan back.
A presidency source said other party leaders and government officials are also making their way to the airport.
Reports had emerged from the Presidential Villa last night indicating that the first lady might arrive Nigeria Wednesday.
Mrs. Jonathan has been in Germany for months where she has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that there is a buzz around the presidency with officials privately discussing the first lady’s expected arrival.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/103934-govt-officials-pdp-women-head-to-airport-to-welcome-patience-jonathan.html

Hmmmmn"........ Tell me it is not true

MI, 2Face, Ali Baba, Tee A, 9ice, Mode9, Paul Okoye, Others, Walk Against Domestic Violence

Gone are the days when women who used to be battered by their husbands will wallow in self-pity and solitude as some women have reportedly died in the process without a word of it going out. But today, Domestic Violence is no longer spoken about in hushed tones as more women are speaking out against it and even men have joined the campaign. This is why top Nigerian superstars and celebrities have joined hands with LWTZE Concept, an initiative of Soundcity’s OAP Olayinka Adamu, to stage a momentous yet unusual walk against domestic violence.

Taking place on Saturday October 13th 2012, the walk would kick off at 10am from Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where most of Nigeria’s biggest celebrities, activists, advocates and concerned citizens would step out to strategically address the prevalent issue of domestic violence and the disturbing rate of abuses in our society.
Some of the passionate superstars lending their voices to this life-saving crusade include 2face, Ice Prince, Paul Okoye, MI, 9ice,Timaya, Mode9, Tee A, Kween, Kenny Ogungbe, Kennis all star, Labi, Durella, Ali Baba, Tunde Ednut, Dpizle, Rayce, Harrysong, Chidinma, IllBliss, GT Tha Guitarman and Steel amongst others.

http://www.informationnigeria.org/2012/10/mi-2face-ali-baba-tee-a-9ice-mode9-paul-okoye-others-walk-against-domestic-violence.html

To eliminate the existing near-monopoly where two airlines are dominating the domestic services, the Federal Government is facilitating the registration of four additional airlines, which would fully commence operation by next year.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has been urged to register airlines that met outlined conditions without impediments or delays as Nigerian air passengers are suffering and paying exorbitant fares for local travel.

Since Dana Air was grounded in June and First Nation Airways stopped operation, air fares have skyrocketed and people scramble to buy tickets and sometimes have to bribe their way to get seats in flights, especially in Abuja where touts hold sway and at peak periods fares could rise as high as N40,000 for one hour flight.

Although it is expected that Dana Air would resume operation by end of October and Med View Airlines, which recently joined scheduled air operation, would also resume this month but these airlines have few aircraft in their fleet so they would not have enough capacity that could help to cut down the fares.

Presently air transport is the costliest in Nigeria, which is the highest in any peaceful country in the world and why this is considered anti-development is because the country has a safe airspace with modern instrument landing system and radar and the high cost of fuel is not peculiar to Nigeria.

An industry insider told THISDAY on Wednesday that if government carries this plan out it would encourage the development of the domestic market and sharpen competition among the domestic carriers and of course, knock down fares.

“In the last few months the situation has been dramatic due to the grounding of Air Nigeria, Dana Air and when Arik stopped operation for three days Aero’s lack of capacity led to the suffering of passengers.”

The source said that Nigeria is quickly losing the West and Central African market to Asky and Kenya Airways which now operate as local airlines in the region because it is only one Nigerian airline that operates in the sub regional routes.

“Also in the domestic routes Arik and Aero can be described as a duopoly because of their relatively higher capacity. IRS does not have the capacity now so if anything happens to one of its aircraft it will shut down its routes like when that truck damaged its flight on Wednesday.”

The source said that it would be a welcome development if government would encourage the establishment of more airlines, “as long as the issue of effective regulation is there.”
Also by next year the Ministry of Aviation must have concluded plans to give single digit long terms loans to airlines to assist them to acquire aircraft.

It has outlined plans to assist the operators, including those that have temporarily stopped services, to acquire modern aircraft from manufacturers and lessors with funds that would be made available by that arrangement.

This fund, THISDAY gathered, would be provided solely for aircraft acquisition and the bank and the Ministry of Aviation would monitor its disbursement and the acquisition of the aircraft.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/fg-plans-to-introduce-four-airlines-next-year/127473/

Hmmmmn, Hon Bankole is also guilty of this....and now that he is out of office,...he's just realising this.......

Why can't Dino MELAYE just make an official statement to clear his name in this mess if truly he has integrity.... And a name to protect......if the reverse should be the case....he would be the one exploiting weaknesses of the masses to campaign against govt.

Great.....good integration programme

It is glaring that Dino is self centered pocket activist ....... Trying to seek attention to himself......recent unfolding sex escapades and irresponsibility acts has shown he has no common dignity

The Nigeria’s external reserves have increased to a two-year high of $41.662 billion as at Tuesday, October 9, this year, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed.

The CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said Thursday at the Nigeria Investment Forum (NIF) in Tokyo, Japan, that the reserves had accreted from $41.510 billion, which it closed on Friday, October 5, representing an increase of $152million within two working days.
The last time the external reserves rose to $41.51 billion was in April 2010.

The NIF was one of the supporting events of the 2012 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group. It offers an opportunity for Nigeria to engage her major development partners and prospective foreign investors, who are desirous of, either initiating or continuing discussions with the country’s senior government officials and business leaders.
Sanusi, who  enthused that external reserves were now staying  above $40 billion mark for the first time in two years, attributed the build-up to the swelling of excess crude proceed account (ECA) as a result of high oil prices as well as closure of fiscal leakages and stable exchange rate.

He noted that the amount in the ECA was $8 billion as at October 3 and had been projected to grow to $10 billion by the end of this year.
Sanusi, who also represented the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said was that eventually, subsidy on petroleum products would be removed, even though he acknowledged that it was difficult removing 50 per cent of it at the beginning of the year.

According to him, “there have been concerns about the unsustainable subsidy regime and we now have a taskforce and a number of importers are now being investigated for subsidy payments that do not relate to importation of petroleum products.
“In 2011, over N2 trillion was paid as subsidy for importation of petroleum products .This has come to about N888 billion in 2012. Ultimately, this subsidy will have to go. It is difficult to remove, but the government was able to remove 50 per cent this year- it is a major, major achievement, especially for the fact that for a long time no one could remove the subsidy.”

Sanusi spoke alongside the Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga; President, Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Sam Ohuabunwa; Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. David Ige; Minister of State for Power, Mr. Darius Ishaku; Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BOI), Ms Evelyn Oputu; and  Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ms Bola Onagoruwa, amongst others.

Aganga told the Japanese investors and others from other countries present at the forum that it was better for them to invest in the Nigerian economy now because doing so another time might be too late.
He said with all the growth indices and benefits inherent in the economy, especially in terms of high returns on investment, there was no better time to invest in the economy than now.

According to him, the days of talking about potentials were gone,  Nigeria is an investment destination.
Aganga alluded to the 2012 World Economic Outlook  (WEO) launched last Tuesday, which reported that seven of the fastest-growing economies were in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria and the downgrading of the developed countries.
Similarly, he pointed out that investments were currently finding their ways into the economy as a result of the crisis in the Eurozone which has also been predicted by the WEO report to grow at zero per cent in 2013.
Speaking on behalf of the organised private sector (OPS), Ohuabunwa testified that Nigerian manufacturers had never had it so good in a long time.

“I think for the first time, we are seeing the impact of reforms. Some critical areas have been affected. There has been reduction in infrastructure deficit. We are not spending as much money as we used to spend on diesel and if the current situation continues for some time, there will be reduction in the cost of goods produced in the country. “Another area that the organised private sector has suffered is funding and the BOI  has been able to provide the needed funding.”

In his contribution, Ige, who represented the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, spoke about the opportunities for discerning investors in the gas industry.
He said enormous gas reserves of 187 trillion cubit feet abounded in the country with gas current gas wells  production of 7.8 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d).

According to him, 3.2 bcf/d (41 per cent) of production  for  export as liquefied natural gas (LNG); 2.5bcf/d (32 per  cent) for re-injection and other operational  usage; 1.2 bcf/d (15 per cent) for gas flaring; and 0.9 bcf/d  (12 per cent) for domestic consumption by power and industries.He noted that the gas growth agenda of the government translated to 1.8mm barrel of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) industry, which is potentially within top three in Africa.  This, he said, was an unprecedented platform for investment opportunities.

Besides, Ige, while talking about the gas to power initiative, said the Federal Government’s efforts in power were targeted at meeting a projected 3 bcf/d of gas demand by about 37 existing and proposed power plants which have a collective potential to generate about 12 Gigawatts (GW) of electricity by 2015

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/nigeria-s-external-reserves-hit-2-year-high/127506/

2013 Budget: Education, Defence, Police Get Top Priority As Jonathan Proposes N4.9tn
Posted by daniel in Home » Nigerian News on October 11, 2012 - Leave Your Comment
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday morning, presented a N4.9tn budget proposal to the National Assembly for the 2013 fiscal year.
In the estimates titled, budget of “fiscal consolidation with inclusive growth,” Education, Defence and Police were allocated the highest share of N1.095trn
A breakdown of the N1.095trn shows  the Education sector getting N426.53bn;  Defence, N348.91bn, and  Police, N319.65bn.
Missing copiously from the budget was a provision for fuel subsidy, an indication perhaps that government may fully remove the subsidy in 2013.
The presentation was done even as the National Assembly slammed the Executive for the poor implementation of previous budgets, warning that it would no longer tolerate such tardiness.

While presenting the budget, Jonathan stuck to his original proposal of $75 per barrel of crude and rejected the $80 recommended by the House as the “realistic” crude oil benchmark for the 2013 budget
Observers believe that the development might set off a fresh budget dispute between the National Assembly and the Executive.
The N4.92trn proposed for 2013 is five per cent more than the N4.7trn budgeted in 2012.
The President had proposed a $75 benchmark in the 2013-2015 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper he sent to the legislature in September.
The 2013 budget has a deficit of N1.03trn. The House had argued that with the extra $5, the deficit would be cut down to N666.3bn.
Jonathan argued that his administration decided to stick to the proposed benchmark because of the unpredictable nature of oil prices in the international market, adding that the decision was taken “based on a well established econometric methodology of estimating oil price moving averages.”
The government puts daily oil production for 2013 at 2.53 million barrels as against the current 2.48m computed for 2012.
 Fiscal consolidation
The 2013 proposals  also  has the Health sector getting  N279.23bn as allocation; Works, N183.5bn; Agriculture and Rural Development, N81.41bn; and Power, N74.26bn.
The funding of the power and gas sector, the President said, would be complemented with a proposed infrastructure Euro Bond of about $1bn (about N160bn) in order to complete the gas pipelines and other infrastructure investments.
According to the President, the projected  GDP growth rate for 2013 is 6.5 per cent, different from the 6.85 per cent it earlier proposed in the MTEF.
“The revision is underpinned by the fact that the severe floods experienced over large parts of the country are expected to impact on economic activity in 2013, especially Agriculture. However, the growth prospects may improve with the plan to boost dry season farming,” he said.
Out of the aggregate expenditure of N4.92trn, Jonathan said that N2.41trn was earmarked for recurrent expenditure and N1.5trn for capital projects. The sum of N380.02bn was also allocated to Statutory Transfers and N591.76bn for Debt Service.
Jonathan added that the budget proposed a reduction in recurrent expenditure from 71.47 per cent in 2012 to 68.7 per cent. Similarly, he said that capital expenditure would increase from 28.53 per cent in 2012 to 31.3 per cent in 2013.
He said, “Based on the above, the fiscal deficit is projected to improve to about 2.17 per cent of GDP in the 2013 Budget compared to 2.85 per cent in 2012.
“This is well within the threshold stipulated in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 and clearly highlights our commitment to fiscal prudence. We are determined to further rein in domestic borrowing, and this way, ensure that our debt stock remains at a sustainable level.”
The government anticipates the gross federally collectible revenue in 2013 to be  N10.84tn “of which the total revenue available for the Federal Government’s Budget is forecast at N3.89trn, representing an increase of about nine per cent over the estimate for 2012.”
To promote agriculture and industry, the Federal Government proposed ‘supportive fiscal measures’ for some priority areas.
The President said from January 1, 2013, importation of machinery and spare parts for local manufacturing of sugar would attract a zero per cent duty while import duty and levy on raw sugar would be 10 and 50 per cent. He also announced a five-year tax holiday for ‘sugarcane to sugar’ value chain investors.
According to him, import duty and levy on raw sugar would be 10 per cent  and 50 per cent respectively, while refined sugar would attract 2o per cent duty and 60 per cent levy. Rice –both brown and polished – would attract 10 per cent  import duty and 100 per cent levy.
“All commercial aircraft and aircraft spare parts imported for use in Nigeria will now attract zero per cent duty and VAT. This will appreciably improve safety in our skies as newer fleet and less onerous maintenance will prevail,” he said.
Business unusual
Indications, however, emerged after the speech that the President’s proposals might have a tough time at the National Assembly.
The first salvo came from the Chairman of the National Assembly, Senator David Mark, who warned that budget proposals “were mere estimates and not immutable figures.”
He said, “As to whether the National Assembly has the power to make inputs to Appropriation Bills laid before it, our stand is that parliament is constitutionally empowered to make inputs. What the 1999 Constitution enjoins Mr. President to lay before the National Assembly are mere estimates and not immutable figures.
“And once the estimates are so laid, their consideration becomes subject to the constitutionally prescribed modes of exercising legislative power. Therefore, we do not think that the constitution intended to turn the National Assembly into a mere mechanical rubber-stamp that must robotically pass budget estimates as presented.”
He added that the National Assembly would deploy “its weapon of oversight” more than ever before in order to ensure the full implementation of the nation’s budgets.
“The need to ensure efficient utilisation of public finance for the promotion of the public good will be our guiding principle. We will work to ensure that the lofty developmental goals embedded in the budget are fully realised,” he said.
Mark noted that in exercising its constitutional power, the National Assembly would be mindful of the fact that the social and economic challenges currently facing the nation were the severest in the country’s contemporary history.
“The National Assembly is also conscious of the fact that urgent steps need to be taken to address dire infrastructural challenges,” he said.
Mark also pointed out that the nation’s budgets tended to incorporate every conceivable project, including those that the local governments were better positioned to execute.
“I advise that we depart from this practice and target projects that are realistically attainable with defined mechanisms for implementation and easy monitoring,” he said.
On his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, told Jonathan that the committees of the House, which just returned from an assessment tour of the 2012 budget projects, passed a “clearly unimpressive” verdict.
Tambuwal reminded the President that legislators had no “other motives” when they demanded budget implementation other than to ask for the dividends of democracy to be delivered to the people through the execution  of projects.
The speaker called for a change in poor implementation in 2013 to avoid Executive-Legislative disputes. He also opposed the rising debt profile of the country, especially domestic borrowing, which he noted had crowded out private investors in the economy.
Tambuwal said, “It is important to state at this point the clear provisions of Section 8 of the Appropriation Act to the effect that approved budgeted funds shall be  released to MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) as at when due. This is sadly observed more in breach.
“The Composition of the Public Procurement Council provided under the Public Procurement Act is very critical to budget implementation. The sanctity of extant legislations and respect for the rule of law are critical hallmarks of true democracy. We, therefore, once more call on Mr. President to expeditiously constitute this council so as to free the Federal Executive Council from the burden of contract administration, so they can concentrate on the more sublime issues of their constitutional roles and responsibilities.
“It will be recalled that the 2012 budget contained a deficit and the main source of funding this deficit was domestic borrowing. Figures emanating from the Debt Management Office regarding domestic borrowing are however worrisome. At a whopping $33.6bn, government appears to be monopolising domestic borrowing to the unhealthy exclusion of the private sector. This is certainly a matter of grave concern because global statistics on sustainable debt-GDP ratio percentages cannot continue to be used as guide for an economy that is not keeping pace with global trends.
“In our effort to address this concern, only yesterday(Tuesday), in passing the 2013-2015 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, which is the basis for annual budgets, the House resolved to raise the oil price benchmark from $75 per barrel to $80  per barrel with the objective that the difference of $5 per barrel be channeled exclusively towards reducing the deficit in the budget and consequently reducing domestic borrowing for same purpose by 66 per cent. This will make available these loanable funds to our private sector which will stimulate the economy and job creation for our teeming unemployed youths.”
http://www.informationnigeria.org/2012/10/2013-budget-education-defence-police-get-top-priority-as-jonathan-proposes-n4-9tn.html

walahii.... the timing for presentation is good,however same efforts should also be geared towards executions for better delivery of democratic dividends

The task force said it was the IED and not its members that burnt houses and other property of civilians.



The Joint Task Force, JTF, Operation Restore Order, in Maiduguri on Tuesday made desperate attempts to deny that it extra-judicially killed scores of innocent Nigerians in the Borno capital on Monday.

In two separate statements (statement1 | statement2), within 20 minutes, the JTF spokesperson, Sagir Musa, claimed that because there has been no “established or recorded case of extra judicial killing, torture, arson or arbitrary arrest by the JTF in Borno state”, its officers could not have been involved in extra judicial killings.

Mr. Musa admitted that members of the JTF had been engaged in unprofessional conducts in the past, He, however, said those cases were documented.

On Monday, the JTF was reported to have killed over 30 civilians and burnt over 50 houses because a Lieutenant and some officers reportedly died after an Improvised Explosive Device, IED, planted on their route exploded. The task force in its statement said “the attack led to the death of an officer and two soldiers with others severely injured.”



We did not burn houses, blame IEDs

The task force used the second statement to dissociate itself from the burning of houses and other property which occurred along Lagos Street in Maiduguri and also explain possible causes for the burnt property.

Mr. Musa said the IEDs contain “acid and highly inflammable substances that propagate blasts and thermal effects which set houses and shops around the vicinity on fire.”

He claimed that it was the effect of the blasts that wreaked the Monday havoc in the state as opposed to media reports which puts the blame on the JTF.

Several houses, cars, and shops were burnt in an attack residents and eye witnesses said was carried out by men of the JTF



Our concern is the IED

The task force spokesman said the “major concern of the JTF in Maiduguri is the planting of IEDs on roads which have resulted in the death of some of our troops and many civilians.”

“It should be noted that the JTF has lost some of its personnel to adversary’s action through roadside IEDs and gun fire attacks from residential areas, trees and roof tops during patrols,” Mr. Musa said.

He accused the Boko Haram sect of asking residents to vacate their houses for what they call “Gods work” adding that such threats always result in mass exodus of people out of their residences for fear of terrorist attacks.



We never killed civilians

The JTF also said the relative peace being enjoyed in Borno is down to the effort of its officials, and that often times “terrorists killed were during gun battles with the JTF troops.”

Mr. Musa said soldiers made a lot of sacrifice to keep Maiduguri safe from the insurgents.

“Arrests and seizures made are always displayed at JTF HQs for the press to see and to understand the enormity of what the troops are facing and the sacrifices made daily to keep the state safe,” he said.

He said killing of civilians are done by sect members, citing the example of “two Chinese construction workers who were killed on Sunday 7 October 2012 at Gubio about 80 kilometers from Maiduguri by the sect assassin squad.”

Mr. Musa’s statement confirms PREMIUM TIMES report http://premiumtimesng.com/news/102760-three-chinese-killed-in-borno.html, Saturday, of the killing of the Chinese construction workers.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/103026-jtf-denies-killing-innocent-civilians-in-maiduguri.html

Haba....... Dino Melaye, no try at all oooo, he wouldn't have allowed this little issue to bring out his chameleonic nature and cluelessness

The Federal  Government has unveiled plans to increase the local refining capacity of the nation’s three refineries to 90 per cent by 2014.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, disclosed this at a meeting convened by the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) on Tuesday to find solutions to the current shortage of petroleum products in most parts of the country, according to a statement by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
Alison-Madueke explained that the planned turnaround maintenance and upgrade of the refineries could not hold as earlier scheduled because of the negative travel advisory given by the Japanese authorities to JGC, the original builder of the Port Harcourt Refinery, which stopped its officials from coming for the upgrade and maintenance of the plant.

She said, “With that hurdle surmounted, we have put in place a new plan complete with new schedules and timelines to bring the refineries back to life and get them to run at higher capacity.

“The maintenance and upgrade work will start with the Port Harcourt Refinery, which has stayed the longest period without turnaround maintenance.”

The minister said contract for the TAM would soon be signed and that rehabilitation and upgrade work would, thereafter, move from Port Harcourt to the Kaduna and Warri refineries until the last one “comes on stream by the beginning of the last quarter of 2014.”

Asked by the Chairman of the committee, Senator Magnus Abe, to shed light on the cost implication of the project and the expected production figure at the end of the rehabilitation work, the minister put the cost of the maintenance and upgrade of the three refineries at $1.6bn, adding that they would produce at 90 per cent installed capacity.

On the current fuel supply challenges, Alison-Madueke explained that a mixture of factors ranging from unsettled subsidy claims, which hamstrung private marketers from importing products and the vandalism of the System 2B Pipeline at Arepo, Ogun State, had made supply and distribution of products across the country difficult in spite of intervention from the strategic reserves.

She said the Department of Petroleum Resources, which is charged with the responsibility of monitoring and enforcement of product quality and pricing, had been going round the country to ensure that marketers sold petrol at the government approved price of N97 per litre, and had closed 75 stations caught selling above the regulated price.

Meanwhile, long queues persisted at filling stations across the country on Tuesday, with some marketers capitalising on the situation to sell petrol above N97 per litre.

On actions being taken to resolve the supply and distribution hitches, the Managing Director, Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, a subsidiary of NNPC, Mr. Haruna Momoh, explained that distribution of products in a country as big as Nigeria could only be done effectively through the pipelines, and called on community leaders, state governments and other stakeholders to collaborate with the company to safeguard the pipelines and ensure free flow of products.


http://www.punchng.com/business/business-economy/refineries-fg-targets-90-production-capacity-by-2014/

Dino Melaye's Wife,tokunbo,attacks Hubby Openly Over Pregnancy Tale With Actress

Coming from the pregnancy mess controversial former Kogi lawmaker, Dino Melaye has been involved in with light skinned Yoruba actress, Bisi Ibidapo Obe, his legal wife, Tokunbo, has shown her displeasure over the matter.

Dino, known for his 'fight' against bad governance, has reportedly denied vehemently the responsibility of the pregnancy of Bisi, who he reportedly dated for some months before now. Dino and Tokunbo are married with three children.

Reacting to the pregnancy tale her husband is entangled in, Tokunbo took to twitter to tweet some sarcastic tweets about the issue, which has lingered on for some weeks now.

She first questioned a lady on why she would use Dino picture as a profile picture on her handle. "hi babes, just wondering why you have my husband's pix as your avatar?! I'm so sure he's not the 'D' (Dino)?! she queried

Her other tweets and retweets read, "You have a Masters degree in lying, but I have a PHD in detecting bullsh*t! Don't lose yourself, trying to hold on to someone who doesn't care about losing you! If you want me, show me. If you need me, tell me. If you have me, show me off. If I'm worth it, fight for me.

"Trust is like paper…Once it’s crumpled, it can’t be perfect again. There's a limit to what one can take, if you keep piling load on the camels back, there comes a point that back will surely break! Never lie to the girl of your life, for the girl of the night.

"If you succeed in cheating someone, don't think that the person is a fool ... realize that the person trusted you much more than you deserve. I forgive a lot, but I never forget what's said and done."

Tokunbo then concluded her set of tweets with "I rest my case, I hold my peace. One day the truth will [be] 'out' and everyone will know what you are! :-D (Dino?)."
http://nigeriafilms.com/news/19154/35/dino-melayes-wife-tokunbo-attacks-hubby-openly-ove.html

Nigeria will sell 10,000 barrels per day (bpd) of its light sweet crude to an Indian State-run Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) based on a deal signed by Chevron and the Indian corporation.

 

However, Reuters reported that the contract states that that Chevron will provide barrels of light sweet crude to the Indian company at the official selling price, the contract is for the year ending March 2013

 

According to Reuters, “This is the first time that BPCL has signed a contract for Nigerian oil because it normally buys West African crude on the spot market.”

 

It was gathered the Indian company usually buys from Libya and Algeria under contract terms. The company operates 240,000 bpd and the 190,000bpd in Mumbai Refinery and Western India Kochi plant in Southern India respectively.

 

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) India had surpassed the United States to become Nigeria’s main market for oil exports. Before now, Nigeria exported mostly cashew nuts to India and received Machinery, rice and electronic but now petroleum.

 

The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mahesh Sachdev, noted that the development is an indication of growth and development in the two countries.

The NBS data also publicized that in 3 months, India-Nigeria bilateral trade reached $5.15 billion in the which, is the highest surpassing that of US.

According to NBS in the period under review (the first quarter of 2012), Nigeria exported was valued at USD 4.2 billion and $ 3.7 billion.

 

“If this growth persists, India can be expected to emerge as Nigeria’s largest trading partner in the next quarter. Interestingly, Nigeria was India’s 14th largest trading partner last year.” he added.

http://businessnews.com.ng/2012/10/09/nigeria-to-sell-10000-barrels-of-sweet-crude-to-indian-firm-daily/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NigeriaBusinessNews+%28Nigeria+Business+News%29

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday decorated the new service chiefs appointed on Friday. He charged them to tackle the spate of terrorism being experienced in some parts of the country as well as end crude oil theft on the nation’s territorial waters.

Jonathan, assisted by Vice President Namadi Sambo, decorated the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh, with their new ranks at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika was not decorated as he retained his position as the Chief of Army Staff.

The President assured the service chiefs of his support always and promised a better welfare package for the armed forces.

The President said, “May I further reiterate that the security of life and property in all parts of this country is a sacred obligation which our administration will do everything in its power to live up to. We cannot allow threat to national security to compromise our national transformation efforts.

“In this regard, we will step up initiatives aimed at strengthening and repositioning our security agencies for greater efficiency to discharge their constitutional responsibilities.”

Jonathan told Ezeoba to quickly settle down and tackle the issue of security on the nation’s territorial waters with a view to ending the scourge of crude oil theft in the county.

“The unacceptable rising incidences of crude oil theft must be tackled frontally. Considering the direct adverse implication of the activities of crude oil theft on our national economy, I expect the Chief of Naval Staff and other service chiefs to immediately go to work to urgently bring the issue of crude oil theft to an end.”

Jonathan commended Admiral Oluseyi Petinrin and Air Marshall Mohammed Umar for their dedication and patriotism while in charge as the CDS and CAS.

Ibrahim thanked the President on behalf of the new service chiefs and assured them of their commitment and determination to deal decisively with the security challenges.

Meanwhile, the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff, Petinrin, in his valedictory address stated that the Federal Government had made a tremendous progress in the campaign against terrorism in the country.

Petinrin stated however that the military wouldn’t have been able to achieve so much in combating the terror threat and reducing it without the cooperation of the media.

Earlier, the outgoing Chief of Air Staff, Umar, urged the Air Officers to note the importance of other services in the conduct of joint operations without underestimating the combat capabilities of the Air Force in the quest to win battles.

http://www.punchng.com/news/jonathan-tasks-service-chiefs-on-terrorism-oil-theft/

Ovokooooooo! Eyaaaaaa........Dino should ve employ the use of Gold circle before netting the goal on the actress.........Dino the ambassador and skipper...ministry of women affairs

Hmmmmn.........why not wait and let d man finish his tenure first

Isaactop9: I hv been following topics on this forum were people always blast the president for every thing dat happens.
Dont get me wrong Jonathan's government is not the best as expected by nigerians but jonathan's govt has made nigerians exposed to ways the govt is runned. We should start enumerating things Jonathan has done for nigeria
1. Jonathan has made govt exposed
2. Which Nigerian leader has pressured his cabinet members to deliver lyk jonathan
3. A humble president whose humility has been taken for stupidity.
4. A president who listens to the people as seen in the 5000 naira saga.

For once, it is good to be objective and @OP , I like your post, in all fairness, GEJ administration is trying though we are not where we are expected to be as a nation, but the man needs our support for umpteen times I see him as a listening president.......this aspect of his administration is what Nigerians, critics and oppositions inclusive should ve exploited positively and constructively to make GEJ move the country towards greatness rather we implore it to the detriment of our nation. Whether, we like it or not, if any party or anybody comes to pilot the affairs of the country, he/she must start from where GEJ stops......so, why are we deceiving ourselves......we need not destroy our legacies.

Bola Tinubu in the dock
ACN loses its hold in the Ikoyi/Obalende local council area.
Bola Tinubu, the national leader of the largest opposition party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, suffered a huge political blow on Thursday as the court declared the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the local government election in his locality.
Mr. Tinubu, also referred to as the ‘Lion of Bourdillon,’ has his house on 26 Bourdillon Street, Ikoyi, in Ikoyi/Obalende local council of Lagos. He is a two-term former governor of Lagos and his house serves as a Mecca of sorts, with hundreds of party faithfuls trooping in daily to seek political favour or direction.
But on Thursday, the ACN leader’s political might was demystified as the Lagos State Election Petitions Tribunal annulled the election of Adewale Adeniji of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, as the Chairman of Ikoyi/Obalende local council in last year’s local government elections.
The tribunal ruled that the PDP candidate, Babajide Obanikoro, is the rightful winner of the election.
Mr. Obanikoro is the son of Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Ghana and a former PDP governorship candidate in the state, Musiliu Obanikoro.
Mr. Adeniji, like many other ACN candidates and eventual winners in the local government elections, was hand-picked by Mr. Tinubu.
How PDP won
The tribunal ordered the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, to withdraw the Certificate of Return presented to Mr. Adeniji and issue same to the ‘real’ winner of the keenly contested poll.
The tribunal further held that after a careful examination of the valid votes cast, the PDP’s candidate polled 6,780 votes against ACN’s 6,248.
The PDP successfully proved that the results of the election were not collated at ward levels as well as at the polling centres.
The annulment comes as a massive blow to the ACN, which got a landslide victory in the 57 local councils of Lagos when the elections held in October 2011.
Pockets of violence were recorded in the several councils in the run up to the release of the results, last year, as thugs from both political camps clashed.
“The petitioners (the PDP) have been able to discharge the burden of proof vested on them as regards to the collation of the results,” the tribunal said.
“It transferred the onus to the respondents who did not tender any LASIEC Form 9A which is the first stage of any election.
“The petitioners have shown that the non-collation of the results at the units and ward levels substantially affected the outcome of the result declared by LASIEC.
The ACN will also pay N100 thousand as legal costs to the opposition party, according to the tribunal.
The tribunal’s ruling confirms the allegations by PDP members that some of the results announced for elections into the local councils were manipulated in favour of the ACN. .http://premiumtimesng.com/news/102521-tinubu-receives-political-knock-out-as-pdp-wins-his-local-council-election.html