₦airaland Forum

The biggest and oldest Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, mega station in Abuja, was this afternoon gutted by fire.
Officers of the Federal Fire Agency, the National Emergency Management, NEMA , Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, and other rescue agencies successfully put out the fire at the station located on Olu Obasanjo Way in the city centre.
Although the cause of the fire is unknown at the time of this report, the incident had caused heavy traffic hold up on adjourning streets and other interceptions, including the Sultan Abubakar Way.
The station, believed to be the first NNPC mega station in Abuja, is patronised by many motorists. It dispenses fuel to motorists from about 12 pumps and operates 24 hours.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, Altine Daniel, said she was not aware of the incident.
“Which NNPC? To be frank, I am not aware,” she told PREMIUM TIMESin a telephone interview.
The fire incident is the second major one in the federal capital in the last three weeks.
On December 5, the Conoil filling station opposite the NNPC headquarters, Abuja, went up in flames as a tanker was discharging 33,000 litres of petrol.
http://premiumtimesng.com/news/151740-breaking-abujas-oldest-biggest-nnpc-mega-station-gutted-fire.html

Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Thursday presented the 2014 budget estimate of N4.6tr to the National Assembly.
She laid the document on the table before the senators during their plenary, presided over by Senate President David Mark.
Mark said the action was in conformity with section 81 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which empowered the President to communicate the budget to the National Assembly.
Iweala, who was accompanied to the Senate by some of her colleagues in the cabinet and the Director-General of the Budget Office, explained to journalists after her assignment that the aggregate expenditure of N3.73tr was expected as revenue.
She, however, said the SURE-P fund was not part of the estimated budget.
She put the capital expenditure at about N1.1tr, which according to her, is about 27 per cent of the budget.
The balance, she added, was the recurrent expenditure, “which is about 72 per cent of the budget.”
She said, “This budget is the budget for job creation and inclusive growth; meaning that its a budget which will continue the president’s transformation agenda for several sectors of the economy.
“The budget is going to support the push in agriculture; it will kick-start the housing sector where we can create more jobs; it is designed to promote our policies that would support manufacturing because jobs would be created there.
“Industries will also be created in solid minerals. All these support will continued to be unleashed. Job creation is the key to really solving the problems of the Nigerian economy.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/okonjo-iweala-presents-n4-6tr-budget-to-national-assembly/
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/12/jonathan-presents-n4-6trn-budget-estimate-2014/

A former Governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, on Wednesday led a delegation of All Progressives Congress in the state to the national secretariat of the party in Abuja to protest against the coming of the Governor of the state, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso, to the opposition party.
Shekarau, who spoke when he addressed some leaders of the party in Abuja, led by its Interim National Chairman, Bisi Akande, and a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Shekarau recalled the efforts made by the opposition parties in Kano State towards the success of the merger of opposition parties.
He said, “Being experienced persons in the politics of this country, I believe you know very well the politics of Kano State. We have been working hard to make the party succeed.
“Kano had five members in the merger planning committee, so Kano will be the last state that will do anything to make the party fail. Politics is about people. If we do not have people, there will not be a party.
“We have come to register our displeasure with the leadership of the party. What we are presenting is the feelings of the people we represent. There is no sector of the party that is not represented.
“We have worked hard to make the party successful, I think when we were forming the party,we had a vision of internal democracy in building APC and if we cannot continue with that vision, then we should forget democracy in Nigeria”.
A former Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party in the state, Sani Hotori, said APC was a product of patience and sacrifice committed by opposition parties.
He said, “Although we have not seen the Memorandum of Understanding, media reports have it that the MOU has vested the leadership of the APC of the state on the five defecting ‘new PDP’ governors.
“Mr. Chairman, as a consequence of these powers alleged to have been vested on the governor of Kano, most members and supporters of our great party in the state are voicing their worry and vehement opposition.
“They are saying that APC national executive had been so fixated in its desire to have in its fold the five defecting governors of the ‘new PDP’ that it ignored the peculiarities of Kano State and preeminence of other founding leaders of the APC, influential party members and their supporters”.
http://www.punchng.com/news/kano-apc-rejects-kwankwaso-as-party-leader/

Good news

The Lagos government said illegal cabs constituted a security threat.
The Lagos State Government is set to crackdown on illegal operators of taxis in the metropolis, the Commissioner of Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, said on Wednesday.
Mr. Opeifa said at a stakeholders’ meeting in Ikeja that the illegal operation of taxi cabs constituted a security threat in the state.
“We will not tolerate illegal operators of taxi cabs in the state, especially those who do their business in hotels and other public places.
“How can anybody just put a cab on the road and operate it, without approval from the state government?
The practice has serious security consequences and we will clampdown on erring operators,’’ he said.
The commissioner urged those who intended to run taxi business in the state to register with the state government before commencing operations.
Mr. Opeifa said the ongoing registration of owners, drivers and conductors of commercial vehicles was a way of ensuring proper organisation in road transport operation.
He urged those who had not registered with the appropriate authorities to do so before the December 31 deadline.
The commissioner said that the government would start enforcement from January. He said that the government also planned to introduce uniforms for drivers and conductors of commercial vehicles.
He appealed to stakeholders to cooperate with the state government in building a sustainable and efficient transportation system in the state.
http://premiumtimesng.com/news/151683-lagos-clamp-illegal-taxi-operators-commissioner.html

Finally you have gotten the admission, the next thing would be your matriculation,
Actually A Nigerian University will teach you lots and lots of things, but there is only one thing that you will learn from a Nigerian University.

[b]And that is "QUEUE".

You will Stand in a "queue" to get your jamb form
You will Stand in a "queue" to get the post ume form
You will Stand in a "queue" for your registration and clearance
You will Stand in a "queue" to pay your school fees
You will Stand in a "queue" to pay your hostel fees
You will Stand in a "queue" to enter the lecture hall
You will Stand in a "queue" to enter the exam hall
You will Stand in a "queue" to check your first semester result.
You will Stand in a "queue" for your academic adviser to sign your course registration form
You will Stand in a "queue" to fetch water in your hostel
You will Stand in a "queue" to buy food from a fast food joint

And Even when you graduate
You will Stand in a "queue" to collect your certificate

And After your NYSC
You will Stand in a "queue" for job opportunities

Right now My Topic is Currently Standing in a "queue" to enter front page[/b]

The Katsina State House of Assembly, on Tuesday passed a law that prescribed life imprisonment for those found guilty of rape.
The assembly, which amended Section 283 of Katsina State Penal Code Law, Cap 96 of 1991, also provided 14-year jail term and a N50,000 fine for those with lesser offence.
The sponsor of the bill, Alhaji Rabiu Idris from Funtua Local Government, had earlier said that the amendment was to ensure that rapists received severe punishment to serve as deterrent to others.
Idris said the measure became necessary in view of rampant cases of rape in the state.
He observed that judges were constrained in handing over severe sentences as the offence was not specified in law.
The new amendment now reads: “Whoever commits rape, shall serve life imprisonment or lesser charge of not less than 14 years in jail together with N50,000 fine.”
The law also requires the offender to pay compensation to the victim.
The Speaker, Alhaji Ya’u Gwajogwajo, directed the legal department of the house to prepare a clean copy of the law and forward it to the state governor for assent.
It would be recalled that the house had recently passed another law, which was signed by the governor, prohibiting homosexuality, lesbianism and sexual harassment in the state.
The law prescribed 14 years imprisonment on conviction and N10,000 liable for offenders.
http://www.punchng.com/news/rapists-to-serve-life-imprisonment-in-katsina/

Thats too bad. Lord have mercy!

The commission projects to spend $7.9 (about N1,264) per voter for a total of 73.5 million voters.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Monday in Abuja that it would not be able to conduct the 2015 general elections in states under the state of emergency rule.
The commission’s Chairman, Attahiru Jega, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ forum on the preparation and challenges ahead of the 2015 general elections, organised by the Senate Committee on INEC.
Mr. Jega said that the decision by the commission was to avoid contravening the law.
The Federal Government had in November extended the emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states by six months. The emergency rule was initially imposed on those states by President Goodluck Jonathan due to the violence by the Boko Haram insurgents.
Mr. Jega, however, said that the commission was hopeful that the security situation in the affected states would improve before the 2015 general elections.
“We are working very closely with security agencies and our hope is that the security challenges in these areas will be long addressed before the 2015 elections.
“We hope that these challenges will be solved or dramatically reduced before 2015. What is clear is that, we cannot conduct elections under a period of emergency.
“If there is generalised insecurity, how can we hold elections? .It will be disrupted or people will not come out. Ideally, elections should not hold under a period of emergency,” he said.
Mr. Jega said security was a systemic challenge, but stressed that the commission was working hand in hand with security agencies to ensure adequate security in 2015.
He, however, assured that preparations for the 2015 general elections were on top gear, adding that the commission would need about N92.9 billion to conduct the elections.
He said the commission projected to spend $7.9 (about N1,264) per voter for a total of 73.5 million voters.
He said that the projection represented a reduction of $1 (N160) as against the $8.8 (N1,478) that was projected in 2011, representing 10 per cent drop.
Mr. Jega said the commission was anxious to meet its funding requirements ahead of the elections, adding that it was also looking at the possibility of holding the elections between January and February, 2015 to allow for time to resolve all litigations.
The INEC boss said that the commission had so far prosecuted 200 electoral offenders.
“If you compare 200 successful prosecutions with the large number of electoral offenders, it is just a drop in the ocean.
“INEC does not have the capacity to handle a large number. We have been working with the NBA to get accelerated persecution of electoral offenders.
“We hope to persecute more before the 2015 elections. The largest number of offenders we have is with regards to multiple registrations,” he said.
Mary Dan-Abia, a Director with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), however, stressed the need for adequate protection for corps members who would be engaged by the commission for the elections.
“Corps members are only ad hoc; they are not INEC staff; but since this is a national assignment, they are usually very enthusiastic about the job.
“However, politicians, INEC staff and members of the public tend to be antagonistic toward them to the point that they are abducted on their way to the polling unit and assaulted.
“We wish that everybody should be aware that they are doing a national assignment and so should not be looked at as enemies,” she said.
Ms. Dan-Abia appealed to security agencies to ensure adequate security protection for the corps members before, during and after election.
The Chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Victor Umeh, advocated that N25 billion be appropriated to the 25 remaining political parties to encourage more serious parties to perform better.
Mr. Umeh described the allegations that APGA was given N8 billion by the presidency for the November 16, Anambra governorship polls as baseless and unfounded, adding that there was no iota of truth in it.
Earlier, Chairman of the committee, Andy Ubah (PDP-Anambra), said that it was important to address any lapses that might be observed, to strengthen the election management body for optimal performance in 2015.
“The 2015 general elections will be an important election for Nigeria, the sub-region and the rest of the international community.
“The burden of delivering on successful elections lay squarely on our shoulders,” Mr. Ubah said.
http://premiumtimesng.com/news/151567-2015-inec-rules-out-election-in-states-under-emergency-rule-demands-n93-billion-for-poll.html

President Goodluck Jonathan will henceforth turn back visitors who do not wear the 2014 Armed Forces Remembrance emblems.
Jonathan said this on Monday in Abuja at the appeal launch of the emblem where about N105m was raised for the Nigerian Legion.
The President added that the seating of the emblem would also be a requirement for government officials or visitors to gain access to all government establishments across the country.
He said the directive would remain in force until activities marking the 2014 remembrance were rounded off on January 15, 2014.
http://www.punchng.com/news/jonathan-to-turn-down-visitors-without-remembrance-emblems/

The South African President Jacob Zuma on Monday unveiled a nine-metre bronze statue of Nelson Mandela with his arms outstretched to symbolise unity and reconciliation.
“We laid Tata to rest in Qunu only yesterday and today Monday), he rises majestically at the seat of government, as a symbol of peace, reconciliation, unity and progress,” he said.
Tata is the Xhosa word for father, and Mandela is revered as the father of the new South Africa born at the end of apartheid in 1994 when he became its first black president.
Reuters reports that the 4.5 tonne statue was the largest of Mandela created in the world and was inaugurated on the lawn of South Africa’s hilltop ‘Union Buildings’, the seat of the central government, overlooking the capital Pretoria.
The brown sandstone Union Buildings, built by British colonial architect Herbert Baker, were the site of Mandela’s swearing in as president nearly two decades ago.
It was also the location where his body lay in state for three days last week as over 100,000 people paid their respects in person, before his state funeral in Eastern Cape
The inauguration coincided with December 16 reconciliation day, commemorating the ideal of racial and political reconciliation that Mandela preached after his release in 1990 from 27 years in apartheid prisons.
Reuters reports that under apartheid rule, Reconciliation Day had remembered the 1838 Battle of Blood River, in which some 500 Afrikaner pioneers defeated more than 10,000 Zulu warriors.
But it was renamed in 1994 in a bid to heal the wounds of three centuries of white dominance.
http://www.punchng.com/news/south-africa-unveils-mandela-unity-statue/

At last ASUU has finally called off its 5 month strike...
How did you react when you heard the news?

wirinet: He is fighting for his life "(political life )" and is ready to tell Jonathan anything he wants to hear including subtle blackmail.

You are right, But it is getting too much, he is trying to make himself feel very important in Nigeria as a small god, he needs to change that his attitude and face reality.

fighting just for ordinary chieftaincy title, thats too bad.

Tukur Likes boasting. Is he trying to say that without Him Jonathan can never survive He is only bragging and making noise.

An Abuja High court has freed former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, of charges of abuse of power.
The court gave its discharge verdict Friday morning, exonerating Mr. El-rufai of criminal charges.
The former FCT minister, now a leading member of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, was charged under the Corrupt and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 for using his position to corruptly revoke a plot of land from its previous owners – Power Holding Company of Nigeria Plc – and re-award same to his wife, Hadiza Ahmed El-Rufai.
Vindicated, but no grudges
Reacting swiftly to the news of his acquittal, the former minister said he holds no grudges against his ‘persecutors’.
“It is a vindication he never doubted will come, confident in his innocence and the integrity with which he served this country,” Muyiwa Adekeye, his spokesperson said. “Despite the magnitude of the pains he has endured, El Rufai has decided to put all this in the past. He intends to move on, stepping confidently into the future with forgiveness and goodwill, devoid of the cobwebs of grudge.”
Mr. El-Rufai has been on trial since 2008.
http://premiumtimesng.com/news/151390-breaking-court-frees-elrufai-abuja-land-grab-case.html

No fewer than 200 staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on Thursday in Abuja protested against the planned sale of the nation’s refineries, and vowed to resist the decision.
The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was said to have stated that the privatisation process would be completed before the first quarter of 2014.
The workers, under the aegis of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers Senior Staff Association and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, as early as 8.30am, gathered within the premises of the NNPC singing solidarity songs.
They were dressed in red shirts and red cap to match.
They were led by the NNPC PENGASSAN Group Chairman, Sanusi Abdulkareem, and NUPENG Group chairman, Richard Otuvwere.
Some of the Placards read, ‘We say no to illegal sale of our refineries, we cannot be fooled anymore’. ‘Hide not under privatisation to hijack our refineries’, among others.
http://www.punchng.com/news/nnpc-staff-protest-planned-sale-of-refineries/

The National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, (retd.) has said that international terror organisation, Al Qaeda, has made inroads into Nigeria’s security system.
Dasuki however said that the country was responding effectively to the threat of terrorism through the making of relevant laws and policies to destroy the terror networks in the country.
The NSA’s comment was contained in a keynote address read on his behalf by Ambassador Layiwola Laseinde, who represented him at a one-week Strategic Communications Plan workshop for counter-insurgency organised by the National Defence College, Abuja on Monday.
The event declared open by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Mr. Aliyu Ismaila, who represented the Supervising Minister of Defence, Labaran Maku, was organised in collaboration with the United States Department of State’s Centre for Strategic Counter-Terrorism Communication, the British Ministry of Defence, and Albany Communications.
Dasuki said that the country had come to the realisation that military action alone would not suffice in the campaign against terrorism. He stressed that an enlightenment campaign was a necessity in the quest to defeat fundamentalists’ ideologies and terrorists’ tendencies.
Dasuki said that the need to build a consensus against violent acts of terror remained one of the reasons strategic communications was included in the nation’s counter-terrorism operations.
He said, “Global terror, championed by Al-Qaeda, has encroached upon the frontiers of Nigeria’s security and well-being. Nigeria is responding to this threat on all fronts.
“Through new and relevant legislations and policies, security agencies have continued to dismantle terrorists’ infrastructure in Nigeria.
“Nigeria realises that military action on its own will not counter terror if not accompanied by a robust public diplomacy aimed at defeating the ideology of hate and building consensus against violent extremism.
“This is why strategic communication is an essential part of our counter-terrorism operations…”
Dasuki said that strategic communication in the country would enhance the exposure of the true intent and form of government “that the Al Qaeda-modelled Boko Haram seeks to impose.”
He said that the strategic communication strategy would also strive to place emphasis on the fact that terrorism was un-Islamic and that counter-terrorism was not targeted at Islam.
Dasuki said that efforts would be made to improve Muslim-Christian relations and promote the rate of literacy in the North as the fundamentalists were exploiting mass illiteracy in the area.
The NSA stressed that the Federal Government would promote inter-party collaboration in counter-terrorism so that all stakeholders would contribute to the efforts designed to provide safety and security in the society.
http://www.punchng.com/news/al-qaeda-has-infiltrated-nigeria-says-nsa/

He said, “This administration recognises and respects the right of workers, including the right to embark on industrial action to press home their demand and have taken concrete steps to address the grievances of ASUU.
“I therefore use this occasion to call on ASUU to call off its strike.”
“With this Nigeria’s quest to become one of the world’s 20th largest economies by the year 2020 cannot be achieved in an atmosphere of industrial disharmony.
“Nigeria’s geopolitical history has been characterised by incessant labour dispute and industrial action.
“While views may differ on the utility of industrial action as a means of advancing the collective interest of workers in the polity, it is an unassailable fact that labour and industrial harmony is sine qua non to the socio-economic development of any nation, Nigeria inclusive.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/were-waiting-for-sack-letters-say-defiant-lecturers/

Striking lecturers in the nation’s public universities on Monday made good their decision not to return to work as directed by the Federal Government.
The striking teachers also refused to sign the attendance registers in their respective institutions as ordered by the government.
They said they were only waiting for the sack letters the Federal Government threatened to give them if they did not return to work.
In many of the universities visited by our correspondents, only administrative offices opened for business while the lecture rooms were empty. Particularly, lecturers’ offices remained shut.
Among some of the universities visited by our correspondents were the University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Calabar, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, and the University of Uyo.
Others are Obafemi Awolwo University, Ile-Ife, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye.
The Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, had urged the striking lecturers to return to work or on before December 9 or risk being sacked.
But the leadership of ASUU had remained unfazed by the FG’s directive and threat. They accused the government of insincerity in the resolution of the face-off.
At the NAU, Awka on Monday, though some of the lecturers were on campus, they did not teach. The institution’s Faculty of Social Sciences, for instance, had its classrooms and laboratories shut.
The hostels were opened but students had yet to return to the campus.
At UI, only a few lecturers were on the campus. They neither taught nor signed the attendance register.
The institution’s chapter of ASUU earlier in the day had sent a message to its members, urging them to be calm and resolute in their demands.
The National Treasurer of ASUU, Dr. Ademola Aremu, said they would have wasted their time and effort if they caved in and returned to work under threat.
He said, “How can you call off a strike when there is nothing to show for it? The government is not qualified to call off the strike. Our union is awaiting the government to state all it has done in black and white. However, it is a serious insult on us for the government to be harassing us with sacking threat. We are not casual workers or labourers. Our research work has been ongoing.”
Also, at UNICAL and at the Cross River University of Science and Technology, students and their teachers stayed away from the schools.
The UNICAL ASUU Chairman, Dr. James Okpiliya, insisted that the Federal Government must meet the lecturers’ demands before the strike could be suspended.
Lecturers also shunned work at OAU even though a few of the students were on the campus.
One of our correspondents observed that many of the students who returned to campus were those residing within Ife and its environs.
The Chairman of ASUU at the university, Prof. Adegbola Akinola, who spoke to one of our correspondents, said that the strike was still on.
He said, “Our union did not close the universities, what we did was to withdraw teaching services and they will remain withdrawn until the government properly documents the agreement reached with us on November 4, 2013.”
Lectures did not also hold at ABU. The two campuses of the institution at Samaru and Kongo had only a negligible human presence as of Monday.
Lecturers’ offices and lecture halls were shut, just as the students did not show up as directed by the government.
ASUU Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Kabir-Aliyu, told journalists that they had yet to call off the action.
The UNIJOS ASUU chapter Chairman, Dr. David Jangkam, said striking teachers in the university were just waiting for their sack letters from the Federal Government.
Jangkam said, “We are waiting for their sack letters. Any government that is toying with education is not worth its salt. We expect firm commitment in solving the issues, but if the government is playing to the gallery, it is very unfortunate.”
When our correspondent visited the various departments, only a few departments had opened registers as demanded by the governing council.
There were no studies too at UNIUYO, UNIJOS, FUNAAB, LASU and UNILAG as lecturers boycotted classes.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, urged the striking teachers to call off the industrial action.
The President, who spoke at the All Nigerian Judges Conference organised by the National Judicial Council in Abuja, on Monday, said the industrial action would prevent the country from achieving theVision 2020target of becoming one of the top 20 economies in the world by 2020.
Although the Federal Government had recently threatened to sack the lecturers for going on strike, Jonathan noted that ASUU had the right to embark on the industrial action.

The protesters are demanding the payment of some allowances.
Scores of workers of the Abuja Administration on Monday protested against unpaid allowances.
The workers barricaded the entrance of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCDA, secretariat in Wuse 2 area of Abuja.
The workers sang solidarity songs and called for the removal of the FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed.
Dozens of armed police officers have been deployed to the venue of the protest with the workers remaining adamant.
The police had not dispersed the protesters as at 2:03 p.m. amidst reports that the police may use teargas to disperse them.
http://premiumtimesng.com/news/151139-breaking-news-abuja-workers-protest-demand-sack-minister-bala-mohammed.html

The government ordered the lecturers to resume work on or before December 9.
The ultimatum issued by the federal government to striking university lecturers to resume work lapses on Monday with the lecturers defiling the government’s directive.
Public university lecturers across Nigeria have been on a nationwide strike since July 1, initially demanding the full implementation of a 2009 agreement between the lecturers (Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU) and the federal government.
Following months of negotiations between the two sides, the lecturers met with President Goodluck Jonathan in November leading to the lecturers shifting ground amidst some concessions from the federal government.
Part of the agreement reached at the meeting was the increased funding to universities beginning from a N200 billion intervention fund in 2013. ASUU wants the money released to the universities within two weeks while the federal government through a presidential aide, Doyin Okupe, presented evidence that the process of making the payment to the universities had begun through the Central Bank.
The lecturers also want a non-victimisation clause included in the final agreement with the president; as well as the commencement of re-negotiation of the 2009 agreement in 2014, as discussed with the president.
However, the federal government, through the Education Minister, Nyesom Wike, on November 28 gave ASUU a week ultimatum to call off the strike; else there would be mass sack of the non-complying lecturers. Though the ultimatum was to end on December 4, the National Universities Commission boss, Julius Okojie, announced its extension to December 9.
“Government decided to shift the deadline after it received notification of Prof. Festus Iyayi’s funeral rites slated for between December 5 and 7,” Mr. Okojie said.
ASUU has vowed to ignore the government’s ultimatum with many lecturers describing it as a ‘joke.’
“I see this whole thing as a joke and I dare say it is not even worth my comments. We just keep our fingers crossed and watch. I still emphasise that such ultimatum is a display of insensitivity and a huge joke,” Oyelowo Oyewo, a Law Professor at the University of Lagos said.
However, some university lecturers have heeded the government’s directive as directed by the university management.
When PREMIUM TIMES visited the University of Abuja on Friday, few students were seen on campus while most lecture halls remained empty.
The Departments of Banking and Finance, Asian Studies, Accounting, and Business Administration are some of the departments were few lectures held.
Samaja James, a student of the Department of Banking and Finance, said she had attended some lectures.
”At least we have received three lectures this week, the first was on Monday, the second on Wednesday, and the third Friday so we are done for the week’,” she said.
A lecturer at the department, Ayeni Bola, explained his reason for resuming lectures despite the ASUU strike.
”We (ASUU) met with the President and there were some conditions and so we on our part have decided to respect the President by resuming, now its left for the President to keep to his words,
”The President cannot say we will not attend to you till you resume and we on our own part cannot say we will not resume till we are attended to so we cannot continue like this,” ‘he said.
Another student who attended lectures at the Department of Asian Studies, Haruna Mohammed, told PREMIUM TIMES that ASUU’s actions are for its interest and not those of students.
“I want to believe that ASUU does not have the interest of the student at heart; that’s why most of us decided to resume despite the few of us who stayed back at home.
”We are the ones feeling it, not them, not their kids. I mean most us have plans for the future and staying at home is not helping matters. That’s why we are here for the lecturers that are ready to (lecture),” he said.
The government is expected to announce a decision later today on its lapsed ultimatum.
http://premiumtimesng.com/news/151135-ASUU-strike-nigerian-governments-ultimatum-reaches-university-abuja-begins-partial-lectures.html

Jos—Arrangements are in top gear in Plateau State for the funeral of former governor of the state and PDP National Chairman, Chief Solomon Lar, who will be buried in Langtang, December 14.
Already, roads and other facilities are being given a facelift in preparation for various activities that would mark his final journey.
Addressing newsmen, yesterday, in Jos on preparedness for the funeral, the burial sub-committee, headed by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Yiljap Abraham
said: “Plateau State Gernment is finetuning all arrangements to ensure a successful funeral for this illustrious son of Plateau and the Middle Belt.”
He disclosed that the state government had resurfaced over 200km of roads stretching from Plateau to Nasarawa State border, to Shendam and from Heipang to Langtang for a smooth drive by the casket bearing convoy and other sympathizers.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/12/lar-burial-dec-14-langtang/

An aide of a Senator from Rivers State who pleaded anonymity said, “My boss will surely leave the PDP because his leader has defected.”
Meanwhile governors elected on the platform of the PDP are still clamouring for the sacking of the National Chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur.
This demand,SUNDAY PUNCHlearnt, would be tabled at a meeting by the governors with President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on Sunday (today).
The meeting was called by the President to discuss several issues that are negatively affecting the party.
One of the governors, who spoke on spoke on condition of anonymity, said majority of his colleagues want the chairman out.
He said the consensus among his colleague was the Tukur was not managing the party well and that he should be removed.
He, however, said they were sceptical about President Jonathan acceding to their demand.
He said, “You know we met with the President last Sunday. It was tactical that the meeting was adjourned till this Sunday to enable tempers cool down and to give room for wider consultations on the matter.
“This explains why between Monday and Tuesday, there were series of meetings and consultations between the PDP governors and other stake holders on what should be done.”
He stated that the PDP governors were not happy over the state of affairs of the party, adding that the suspension of Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Abubakar Baraje and two others as well as the defection of five governors from the party were indications that those managing the party were not handling it well.
He added that the governors were not happy that since the August 31 special national convention of the party, Tukur and members of his National Working Committee had refused to call for National Executive Committee and caucus meetings.
http://www.punchng.com/news/defected-govs-vow-not-to-return-to-pdp/

Four of the five former Peoples Democratic Party’s governors, who defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress, have vowed not to return to the ruling party.
The governors—Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano); Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara)— spoke separately toSUNDAY PUNCHon Friday in Abuja, while reacting to reported moves by the PDP to bring them back.
The National Chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur, on Wednesday and Thursday, said the party was still discussing with the rebel governors with a view to bringing them back.
The four governors and their Adamawa State counterpart, Murtala Nyako, had defected to the APC on November 26, in Abuja.
Two other PDP rebel governors — Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger) — however chose to remain in the PDP.
On Friday, Rotimi Amaechi described moves by the PDP to get him and his four other colleagues who defected to the opposition APC, to return to the ruling party as “medicine after death”.
Amaechi toldSUNDAY PUNCHthat he was not going back to the PDP despite reports of attempts to make him and his colleagues change their minds about their defection.
The governor, who spoke through the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Mr. Tony Okocha, noted that there was no going back on his decision to dump the PDP.
The governor explained that the former PDP governors gave the ruling party and its leaders enough time to resolve the internal crisis but that nothing came out of the process.
He said, “The move to get them back to the PDP is medicine after death. The arrow has already been shot and that means it (arrow) has left the bow. There is nothing anybody can do to stop the arrow or redirect its course.
“The PDP realised that there was crisis in the party, but refused to resolve it. We have moved and we are not going back.”
On claims by Tukur that Amaechi and the aggrieved governors had not defected, the governor explained that it was better for Tukur to come to terms with the realities on the ground.
He pointed out that he was currently in the APC, adding that he and his supporters had left the PDP with a view to moving the state and the nation forward.
“He (Tukur) is still living in illusion. He had better come to terms with the stark realities. Amaechi is in the APC and we have all crossed,” he said.
Speaking in a similar vein, the Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, foreclosed a return to the PDP, noting that his defection to the APC was not a fluke.
Responding to questions on the subject, the governor, who spoke through his Director of Press and Public Relations, Baba Dantiye, said he “ is now a member of the APC in mind and in soul.”
The Sokoto State Governor’s spokesman, Mallam Sani Umar, simply said, his principal had made his point and, as such, “there is nothing more to say.”
Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed on Friday said he had no further response to claims by Tukur, that none of the aggrieved governors had defected to the APC.
When one of our correspondents sought Governor Ahmed’s response through his spokesperson, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, he replied that the governor had no further comment on the matter.
“We do not have any further comment on the issue,” he said.
Ahmed had on Thursday restated his commitment to the position taken by the Abubakar Baraje-led defunct New PDP, which moved into the APC.
Meanwhile, senators elected on the platform of the PDP have yet to formally defect to the APC, two weeks after their governors moved to the opposition party.
The affected senators have been attending meetings called by the Kawu Baraje’s led faction of the party since the crisis started.
Apart from Senator Bukola Saraki who led his followers to identify with the APC in Kwara State, none of his colleagues has made such a move.
The only action that the senators took that could be construed as supportive of their leaders’ defection was their boycott of a recent meeting called by the National Working Committee of the PDP. The ruling party’s NWC had summoned all the PDP senators to a meeting last Wednesday, but senators from the states ruled by the defected governors stayed away.
After the meeting, the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, insisted that none of the 74 PDP senators had defected to another party.
Ndoma-Egba said the Senate had a standing rule guiding members who wished to defect from one party to another but noted that none of his colleagues had notified the senate leadership as required by law.
On Friday, our correspondents made attempts to contact some of the affected senators on the telephone but they did not pick their calls. Also, text messages sent to them were not replied to.
However, some of their aides who spoke with our correspondents on the issue confirmed that their bosses deliberately stayed away from the meeting led by Tukur, on Wednesday.
They said their principals would soon defect to the APC but were still studying the political situation.

It was uncertain on Saturday whether the Academic Staff Union of Nigeria Universities would call off its five-month-old strike, despite the Federal Government’s Monday ultimatum.
There were speculations that the university lecturers would suspend the strike after the burial ceremony for an ex-ASUU President, Prof. Festus Iyayi, who was killed in an accident involving the Kogi State governor’s convoy.
However, sources in the union who spoke to our correspondents on Saturday insisted that the strike continues.
The Chairman, ASUU, University of Benin, Dr. Tony Monye-Emina said, “The strike has not been called off. The authority (of the institution) is following government’s directive; we are not shifting our stand. It is not a local strike.
“It is not true we are calling off the strike. How can we be holding a meeting tonight? The burial is going on and it continues tomorrow (today).”
Also, ASUU in Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, vowed not to obey government’s order that lecturers should return to classroom on Monday.
The Chairman, ASUU, OOU chapter, Dr. Nasir Adesola said the lecturers would not succumb to threats by government to sack them.
Adesola, who is also the South-West Coordinator, ASUU, stressed that since the lecturers did not go on strike in the first instance because of government, they would not return to work by coercion from government.
He stated that the lecturers would only go back to the classroom when the government had met their demands.
“We didn’t go on strike because of government order. The reasons for which we embarked on the strike have not been discharged by the government. Those orders of government are just part of executive recklessness. We are not returning to work on Monday,” Adesola said.
Similarly, the ASUU Chairman in Enugu State University of Technology, Prof. Gab Agu, said lecturers would not resume on Monday. He said it was a rumour that the union would call of the strike.
He stated that the National Executive Council of ASUU would meet and agree before the strike could be called off.
Same with ASUU in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where the Chairman, Dr. Ifeanyi Abada, said only the ASUU NEC could announce the suspension of the strike.
The Governing Council of the University of Ibadan had on Friday, based on the directives of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities and the National Universities Commission, said the institution would be re-opened on January 4, 2014.
In the official bulletin of the university, which was signed by its Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Mr. Olujimi Olukoya, the council explained that the re-opening became necessary in view of the consideration of all matters relating to the on-going ASUU strike, at its recent meeting.
http://www.punchng.com/news/monday-ultimatum-ASUU-to-dare-fg-again/

A bride narrowly escaped death in an auto crash while on her way from her wedding. The accident involving a NNPC tanker with number plate XG 321 MKA, a cargo truck and two saloon cars happened at about 4: 45pm on Saturday, close to the Otedola bridge, Alausa, on Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.

Our reporter who witnessed the accident said the NNPC truck, while descending the slop from Alausa at top speed, could not hold its break. It then ran into the first car and squashed the second one against the cargo truck.

The bride and her husband were said to have jumped out of their car.

When our reporter got to the scene of the accident, the groom was no where in sight. The groom’s elder sister who spoke to our repoter while cuddling her baby explained that they were just coming from the wedding reception of the couple.

She was seen kneeling down and thanking God for their escape but refused to give the name of the couple.

The fire coming out of the truck was put out by sympathisers as the tanker was carrying petroleum product. The accident also resulted in gridlock which was controlled by men of the Federal Road Safety Corps

http://www.punchng.com/news/bride-escapes-death-after-wedding/

Senate President, David Mark on Friday told the Minister of Aviation Princess Stella Oduah to be professional in handling matters in the sector so as to meet up with the international standard
Senator Mark who gave the admonition when he received the aviation minister who was in courtesy visit to his office told her (Oduah) to rise up to the challenges facing the sector and not to fold hands waiting for months before solving them so as to make it safe and secured.
He noted that there were challenges facing the Nigerian Aviation sector but the challenges were surmountable .
Aviation Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah
The Senate President said” Aviation Industry in Nigeria must meet international standard . You cannot lead such a global body if your own house is not good enough. The current turbulence in the Aviation industry should not be a permanent feature. It should be resolved as quickly as possible so that we can guarantee safety in the industry.
“In other climes, they also have challenges, mechanical or otherwise, but they have the capability and capacity to resolve them quickly. This is how it should be and not waiting for months or years to resolve them.”
Advising the newly elected President of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, the global body that regulates civil Aviation Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliyu, who was part of the entourage Mark charged him to demonstrate leadership and represent Nigeria creditably.
He told Aliyu that whatever “you do positively or negatively would ultimately affect the nation. You must not let us down. You must be honest, fearless and courageous. You must sell Nigeria to the outside word . You must improve upon the standard of operation.”
Aliyu, the first African to head the 69 year old organization, was elected president of ICAO by 36 member states of the council on November 18, 2013 at the 38th General Assembly of the organization in Montreal, Canada.
Speaking earlier, the Aviation Minister Oduah, briefed the Senate President on the journey to the election of Aliyu to the world body saying that all other contestants to the sit stepped down for the Nigerian candidate on account of his rich credentials.
Princess Oduah said that Aliyu’s election was a manifestation of new innovations and transformation in the Aviation sector.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/12/professional-aviation-matters-mark-tells-oduah/

The Minister of Interior, Patrick Abba-Moro, has said that the country loses about N50 billion Naira worth of property every year to fire incidents.
Abba-Moro, however, warned that the country risked losing more of its commonwealth to fire incidents due to the effect of climate change.
The minister disclosed this in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Thursday, during the 5th National Council on Fire while speaking with journalists.
He said that his ministry had already presented the National Fire Service Code to the Federal Executive Council which had been found relevant to President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda.
Abba-Moro noted that the next step was how to get the code to the local and state governments by presenting the Fire Safety Code to the National Economic Council.
He expressed hope that when that was done everybody would embrace the imperatives of the code.
The minister said that the available statistics had shown that fire incidents had been occurring due to the expansion of cities without corresponding provision of fire safety, building plans approval without due consideration for safety requirements, hazardous materials being manufactured and handled without recourse to safety.
He stated, “We’ve already presented the national fire safety code to the federal executive council and it has been properly noted and found germane to the present transformation drive of the present administration.
“Let me equally say that by the time we get through with the state governments, by the time people become aware of the need to embrace a common code for fire prevention and disaster prevention, Nigeria will be the better for it.
“As I am speaking to you now, we are losing an average of N50bn worth of property annually and so many lives are lost every year but because fire disasters are not regular occurrence, people hardly take proper notice of what happens. But when fire disasters occur, especially against the impending climate change, it would cost this nation very seriously in loss to commonwealth,” he said.
The minister noted that the conference was an annual event whose primary objective was the networking among major stakeholders of the fire service infrastructure in order to create the necessary synergy required for the implementation of a common national code for the fire service.
Abba Moro said, “All the imperatives that will make fire service effective to save the nation of monumental losses in our commonwealth through fire accident has been taken into their proper perspectives and we’ve emphasises the basic requirement for an effective fire service system in the country.
“From every indication, people are being gradually sensitised on the importance of developing and sustaining an effective Federal Fire Safety system which is another major achievement as far as the conference is concern.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/nigeria-loses-n50bn-to-fire-disaster-annually-minister-2/

FIFA, the world football governing body, has announced new prize money for the 2014 World Cup and hosts of future age-group events.
It said in a statement, following its executive committee meeting on Thursday, that there would be new prize money of 576 million dollars (about N95 billion) for next year’s tournament.
This was an increase of 37 per cent in comparison with the 420 million dollars (about N69 billion) on offer for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The winner in Brazil will receive 35 million dollars, followed by 25 million dollars for the runners-up.
Twenty-two million dollars and 20 million dollars will be for the third- and fourth-placed teams respectively, and 14 million dollars for the quarter-finalists.
The governing body also announced that South Korea would host the U-20 World Cup in 2017, with South Africa staging the U-20 Women’s World Cup a year earlier.
India will have an opportunity to showcase its credentials as a major event destination by hosting the U-17 World Cup in 2017, while Jordan will hold the U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2016.
The governing body added that Mexico City and Kuala Lumpur would stage the FIFA Congress in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Meanwhile, Nigeria has been grouped in Group F with Argentina, Iran and Bosnia Herzegovina in the 2014 World Cup draw held on Friday in Brazil.
According to the draw, Nigeria will play its first match against Iran in the group match.
http://www.punchng.com/news/fifa-increases-world-cup-prize-money/