₦airaland Forum

Abuja – President Goodluck Jonathan has reversed the change of name of the University of Lagos which he renamed Moshood Abiola University in a broadcast to mark the 2012 Democracy Day.
Chairman, Governing Council of University of Lagos, ProfessorJerry Gana disclosed this yesterday in Abuja during his inauguration alongside three others by the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufai
The name change had been the subject of litigation and protests from students and alumni of the institution while a court recently ruled that the change was illegal.
Gana who hailed President Jonathan for retaining the name ofthe institution. said the president had upheld the Constitution by reversing the change of name of the university.

“This is a pointer to the fact that the current administration is committed to entrenching democracy and justice in the country.’’
Gana, who was responding on behalf of the four councils, saidthey would ensure that the universities’ communities settled down in peace.
“I assure you that we will do our best to be fair, just and honourable in the discharge of our duties.” He also promised effective leadership with integrity, honour and justice.
Gana said members would work according to the rules governing the institutions.
He thanked Jonathan for the appointments and said they would put in their best as Nigerians deserved nothing less.
The other governing councils inaugurated by the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’I, were for the University of Benin, ObafemiAwolowoUniversity, Ile-Ife and Michael Opara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
Their Chairmen are Sen. Bob Dickson, Prof. Rowland Ndoma-Egba and Prof. Anya O.Anya respectively.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Sen. Uche Chukwumerijie said the lawmakers’ job had been made easier by the appointments.
Chukwumerijie said the committee’s oversight visits to the institutions had identified lack of leadership by the absence ofgoverning councils and the quality of members of the boards as challenges facing the institutions.
He said the Federal Government had by the appointments taken care of the issues.
“There are councils for those that did not have and the members who have been appointed are men and women of proven integrity and experience in academics.’’
The lawmaker described the appointees as round pegs in round holes and the right captains in the ship.
Chukwumerijie charged the councils to immediately tackle falling standards of education, corruption, cultism and many ills that had continued to affect the development of education.
The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, said no university could function effectively without a governing council.
Okojie urged government to consider training and retreat for members to enable them to keep abreast of global best practices in university administration.
He also advocated financial autonomy for universities in the country.

BY EMEKA MAMAH
The Igbo Youths Movement, IYM, Thursday gave the Senior Special Adviser, Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, 48 hours to apologise to Ndigbo over his alleged “uncivilised vituperations,” against elder-statesman, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, following the latter’s remark that Nigeria was becoming a failed state.
This was made known by the National President of IYM, Mr. Elliot Ukoh.
In the statement entitled, “Okupe’s Disgraceful Outburst,” Ukoh said, “Nigerians were shocked by the uncivilized vituperation of Okukpe over Prof. Nwabueze’s remarks that Nigeria was drifting towards a failed state.
“Okupe’s outright insult on the person of the eminent constitutional lawyer and his use of adjectives such as irresponsible and unpatriotic to describe the elder citizen’s genuine concern on the parlous state of the Nigerian ship, merelyconfirms Okupe as an unpolished man as only such people use gutter language.
“If Okupe disagrees with Prof. Nwabueze or any other commentator for that matter, he should not resort to insults. If Okukpe believes that Nigerians could be fooled about the reality of the Nigerian situation, then it is lamentable and he needs to bepitied.
“Google’s failed state index, places Nigeria at No.12 while Somalia is No. 1 among over 200 countries of the world. Okupe’s master has been incharge of 34 states in Nigeria for the past one year, while Boko Haram has Bornu and Yobe States”

Abuja – The State Security Service (SSS) on Wednesday paraded three suspects, including a 50-year old Shiite leader, for allegedly spying for Iran.
Marilyn Ogar, the Deputy Director in charge of Public Relations, who paraded the suspects, said that they were arrested on Dec. 17, 2012, following a threat of terrorism in the country.
Ogar said the SSS had stepped up measures, including sustained covert operations on suspected elements to track-down terrorist network, determine their probable course of action and stop them from executing such plans.
“As a result of painstaking investigations, which lasted six months, the service arrested one of them, an indigene of Ilorin, Kwara State on Dec. 17, 2012, for involvement in espionage and terrorist activities.’’
Ogar said the suspect confessed that he was recruited by `some Iranian elements’ during his studies in Iran in 2011 andthat he was trained in the use of AK 47 rifle and pistols.
She said the suspect confessed that he was trained in the production and detonation of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and tasked to establish a terrorist cell in the South-Western part of Nigeria with particular emphasis on Lagos.
According to Ogar, the suspect’s Iranian sponsors requested him to identifies and gather intelligence on public places and prominent hotels frequented by Americans and Israelis to facilitate attacks.
She said the suspect also confessed to being charged with theresponsibility of providing specific details on some organisations belonging to America and Israel in Lagos.
“He said he was tasked to provide names of prominent Nigerians “who if attacked could unsettle the West,’’ Ogar said, adding that he gave them Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and former Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki’s names.
“He also said that his Iranian handlers directed him to secure their communications by using codes to represent the targets,such as Uncle for Israel and Aunt for America.
She said that the suspect claimed to have received a total of 24,000 dollars and 3,500 Euros between 2011 and April 2012 from his sponsors.
According to Ogar, the money was to enable him relocate from Ilorin to Lagos to set up business, process visa and for his personal upkeep.
She said the suspect recruited three other suspects, one of who is now at large, in his bid to set up a terrorist cell in Lagos.
Ogar said the suspects were involved in activities that threatened national security, adding that they would soon be charged to court.
The suspected Shiite leader, however, denied being a terrorist.
He said he had no link with any terrorist group and that he was not working against the interest of the nation, but admitted he had an Iranian business partner.
“Every Nigerian should watch out for people hunting for individuals in Nigeria,’’ he said. (NAN)

Mr. Kayode Fayemi is reported to have described Goldie as a “great daughter of Ekiti State” and one has to wonder upon what was this greatness achieved?

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It is about two years away, but 2015 is already sparking big rows.
Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu spoke at the weekend on an agreement which he said the President signed – that he (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan) would spend one term in office.
The Presidency is yet to react to the statement, but more Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)governors are threatening to release copies of the agreement.
Aliyu’s statement is said to have rattled the Presidency.
It was also learnt that some National Assembly leaders areclaiming to know about the one-term agreement with the governors.
The Nation learnt that all PDP governors have copies of the agreement, which was allegedly signed before the presidential primaries in January, 2011.
A source said the agreement accounted for why the Northern governors dumped former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar who lost woefully at the presidential primaries.
It was learnt that Jonathan entered into the agreement “to appease the North”.
According to another Northern governor, who spoke with some PDP leaders and National Assembly members yesterday in Abuja , the “one-term agreement is real”. “We are just waiting for the right time to talk,” he said.
“I have a copy of the agreement and some of us have come together to enforce the agreement. We will soon release a copy of the agreement to the public to prove a point — that we are not just raising the alarm.
“I think the right thing is for the President to stick to the agreement. Some of us were almost stoned for sacrificing the interest of the North for the Southsouth.
“We hope the President will own up to this crucial agreement. It is a welcome development that the Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum was theone who raised it.”
It was gathered that the Presidency was rattled by the revelation, forcing strategists to spend hours planning a response which did not come at press time last night.
A source said: “The comments of the Niger State Governorwere initially greeted with disbelieve by the President’s strategists, who worked through the night on the appropriate response.
“The issues highlighted by the strategists were how to manage why the President went into the agreement; plausible reasons why the pact might not subsist, and tackling the bearer of the message, Governor Babangida Aliyu.
“They considered the governor’s disclosure as a serious challenge.”
Niger Delta activist and human rights campaigner, Annkio Briggs, has described as sheer blackmail the allegation that President Jonathan signed an agreement to serve only for a term in the run-up to the 2011 Presidential election.
Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone, Briggssaid if it turned out that there was such an agreement, it must have been obtained under duress since there was nothing that compels Jonathan to serve for four years.
Arguing that the Northern governors appear bent on usingthe controversial agreement to blackmail Jonathan against running in 2015, should he decide to do so, Briggs insists that the agreement remains null and void since it was not signed on behalf of Nigerians.
She said: “If that statement is true, then you can see that Nigeria is in trouble if a set of people can sit and decide how politics should be played. Does it mean that the power of choice no longer resides with voters? In my opinion, it is totally wrong if Jonathan has to be put in a position in which he has to sign under duress that he would serve for a term. If such a document exists, then it must have been obtained under duress.
“In the first place, Jonathan has no right to sign that document on behalf of Nigerians and, particularly, on behalf of the Southsouth people. He has a right to run for a second term of four years just like any other Nigerian if he so wishes. If Babangida Aliyu wants to run for President,he should do so without resorting to blackmailing Jonathan. That also applies to any Northern governor who plans to run. They should stop blackmailing Jonathan.
“If he signed such a document, that means he has signed it under duress and therefore the document is a nullity. If Jonathan decides to run in 2015, it should be based on his performance in office. We cannot run away from the fact that the Jonathan Presidency has been under serious threat by those who vowed to make the country ungovernable. And so, that kind of document is not acceptable to us.”

“Some of them even sold my things off.

honprof1: U got it wrong ! Obasanjo hasn't draw back... The party is divided.

miiraaj: If not Buhari, who can flush corruption out of Nigeria's system?

Elueme: Mr man, can you throw lights on the criminal charges against alhaji Maina that the president is shielding? Reason like a human for once and expunge your supposed brain from rational rascality. Take time to ask yourself some questions and also provide a sincere and factual answers. You won't be a hero by inordinate hate for the president

tomakint: The Ultimatum was seven days, and under the constitution it's a case to be handled by the leadership of the civil service, the more reason Jonathan had to step into the case, you don't expect him to be everywhere at the same time a lot is going on, he has lots of tasks to fulfil each day with lots of files to treat, the Senators are just trrying to be mischievous and act as if they are working

aurenflani: I think Bamanga Tukur is working to checkmate Atiku because JEG has never underestimated the guy. He is a hardcore politician you know.

seunfly: What is he trying to say?

pluto04: I didn't quite understand this. Isn't the senate overreaching itself? With all these orders from the legislature to the executive; sack Bola, sack Arumma, sack Maina, does Nigerian president now report to the Senate? Do the legislators understand the principle of separation of powers at all?