₦airaland Forum

The University of Port Harcourt invites candidates who chose University of Port Harcourt as their 1st and or second choice in the 2010 Unified terciary Matriculation Examination(UTME) with score of 180 and above.

Date- 4th - 6th August 2010
Time- 8am-1pm

Note-
Registration online is between 12th-24th July 2010

Goodluck

Fumzy-
08024027253

FIFA president, Sepp Blatter said at the weekend that Nigeria’s failure to make an impact at the 2010 World Cup did not surprise him.

Blatter added that Nigeria and indeed Cote’d Iovire planned for failure when they chose to make changes to the managements of their teams two month to the World Cup.

“It would have been a miracle if Nigeria and Cote’d Ivoire had gone through.
“You cannot manage a national team when you coach two or three months before the competition,” said Blatter.
Nigeria hired Lars Lagerback, but the Swede coach failed to take Nigeria out of the group prelims, despite making a promise of taking the team to the semi-final.

This result left Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan fuming and he sacked all the national teams from FIFA events. He made a u-turn, but Nigeria Football Federation president Sanni Lulu, his first vice Amanze Uchegbulam and Taiwo Ogunjobi were gone in the aftermath. The Swiss-born Blatter downplayed referees mistake at the World Cup.

“We are bound by the best referees we have,” Blatter said. “We tried to get them on top but naturally referees are human beings and they commit errors like everybody.”

Blatter said it was not possible to judge this World Cup in comparison to others, but described it as “special”.
He said: “It was a World Cup on a new continent with a new culture and therefore it must be analysed on different levels, but if you look at the enthusiasm in Africa and also the repercussion in the world, if you look to the television audiences around the world, if you look to the fan-fests everywhere in the world then I have to say it was a special World Cup.”

Germany coach Joachim Loew on Saturday said the South Africa 2010 World Cup was a good event for his players and Germany.

Germany defeated Uruguay 3-2 in Port Elizabeth on Saturday to win bronze.

According to him, the performance of the team in South Africa has convinced him that Germany is capable of winning future tournaments.

He noted that the team posted results that many would not forget in a hurry at the event, which ended on Sunday at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.

Loew said, ”We made impact at this competition in our own way and I am okay with the bronze medal. We have a good team that I believe could have gone all the way but in football the best team is not always the winner.

”Beating Uruguay to win bronze is good for the confidence of the players, especially for future tournaments.

”This team is looking up to Euro 2012 and the Brazil 2014 World Cup. They have gained all the experience needed here and we are happy to go home with a medal.

”We have so much depth and understanding. It is unfortunate we are not in the final of the World Cup but I am happy that we have done well and people will easily remember that, ”Leow said.

Meanwhile, German President Christian Wulff says he will award Loew the country‘s Federal Cross of Merit for taking the national team to third place at the World Cup.

Wulff said in a televised press conference on Sunday that the players would be decorated with the Silver Laurel.

About 300,000 people were reported to have gathered at public viewing areas in Germany to watch Saturday‘s match.

About 100,000 were near Berlin‘s Brandenburg Gate, roughly a third the number that attended previous Germany games.

Mike Adenuga

For dispossessing a woman of her N1,750 at gun point, Mr. Olayinka Afolalu, must die by hanging, the Supreme Court has ruled. The apex court put the final nail in the coffin of the convict while upholding the conviction and sentence of Afolalu who had wanted his conviction by an Ekiti High Court and the appelate court overturned.

The Supreme Court's record shows that Afolalu and three others still at large, had on 27 April 2002, while armed with guns, carried out a robbery operation along Igede Road, Ilawe Ekiti in Ekiti State. They robbed one Mercy Ogunshakin of the sum of N1,750 and raped her daughter, Ifedayo Ogunshakin.

He was immediately arrested while other members of the gang escaped. He was charged with two counts of armed robbery.
Count one reads, "Robbing one Idowu Fanikun (F) of the sum of N225.00 (Two Hundred and Twenty Five Naira) while armed with offensive weapons, to wit guns, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms Special Provisions Act CAP 390 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 as amended by the Tribunals Certain Consequential Amendments Decree No. 62 of 1999."

Count two reads, "Robbing one Mercy Ogunshakin (F) of the sum of N1,750.00 (One Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Naira) while armed with offensive weapons, to wit guns, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms Special Provisions Act CAP 390 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 as amended by Tribunals Certain Consequential Amendments Decree No.62 of 1999."

At the trial, Afolalu pleaded not guilty to the two charges. He denied participating in the robbery and set up a defence of alibi by claiming that at the time the robbery was committed, he was watching video film with his friends in the house of one of such friends.

At the conclusion of trial, the trial judge found him not guilty of the first count charge and discharged and acquitted him on that charge.

However, he was found guilty on the second count. The court rejected his alibi and held that the prosecution had proved his case beyond reasonable .

The court found that Afolalu was identified as one of the armed robbers who participated in the robbery.

He was consequently convicted and sentenced to death.

His appeal to the Court of Appeal was dismissed. He consequently appealed to the Supreme Court. At the apex court, he raised one issue to wit, "Whether the accused was proved beyond reasonable doubt by the evidence adduced by the prosecution as the actual person that committed the offence of armed robbery at the house of the complainant."

He argued that both the trial judge and the Court of Appeal were wrong to have convicted him because they failed to observe some cardinal principles of law.

He said that he should have been presumed innocent and that the two courts failed to examine his alibi claim.

The state, as respondent, however asked the court to dismiss the appeal. It said the appellant's defence of alibi had been successfully destroyed by the evidence of the prosecution placing him (appellant) at the scene of the robbery at the time the appellant claimed he was elsewhere.

The state further argued that the robbery took several hours during which the suspects had sex with the daughter of the complainant and that the time spent robbing the family was long enough to afford the daughter who testified as the Prosecution Witness 1 sufficient opportunity to be in a position to identify the appellant.

In his judgment, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, who delivered the judgment of the court with which four other justices of the court agreed, dismissed the appeal and upheld Afolalu's conviction and sentence.

FIFA and CAF Executive Committee member, Dr Amos Adamu has charged officials of the Nigeria Football Association to clear themselves on allegations of corruption in order to put those in football administration in good light.

Speaking at the NFA extra-ordinary congress in Abuja last weekend, Dr Adamu also urged the new Executive Committee members to ensure the national team, the Eagles won the 2012 African Cup of Nations and got a ticket for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil .
“If you are accused of corruption, you have to go and clear yourself so as not to allow the public to see those of us in football administration in bad light”, Dr Amos Adamu told the delegates at the NFA Extra-Ordinary General Assembly.

Apparently peeved at the current allegations of corruption against NFA executives, the former NFA sole Administrator noted that it was bad that the general pubic now see those administering football as corrupt.
“The general public sees football people as corrupt, and I cannot explain why it is so. People should go and clear their names very urgently, because if sponsors see us as corrupt, they will not come to football again.
It’s only when they see us in good light that sponsors will come”.

Adamu however noted that the new Executive Committee members have a great responsibility to show the world that they can bring the country’s football back to the glory days.

Piqued over the Eagles’ dismal outing in South Africa the former Director General of the National Sports Commission said there was need for football administrators to show that they were responsible citizens that could be trusted.

“ The new NFA leadership has a great responsibility to show the world that it can return Nigerian football to its rightful place”, he emphasised.

Fourteen-year-old carpentry apprentice, Lekan Dauda, said he knew that his boss, identified simply as Gbenga, preferred punitive measures to corrective ones whenever he (Lekan) erred.

But by his account, the apprentice never envisaged the traumatic experience he had on May 11, 2010, in the hands of Gbenga, the man asked to teach him carpentry.

Lekan told PUNCH METRO that his problem, which had confined him to hospital bed for two months now, started when he lost N3,000 deposited by a customer for a carpentry job.

He said, ”It (N3,000) was for a job that we were supposed to do for him (customer). I put that money in my pocket and was doing other things. Later, I went to the toilet and the next thing I observed was that the money was no longer in my pocket.

”It was while I was searching for it everywhere that two of our neighbours in a nearby shop asked me what was wrong. After I had explained to them, they beat me with electrical wire and said I was lying.

”Immediately my boss came, they told him and I also explained my own side of the story. His friend came around and asked him to beat me and make sure that I confessed.”

Lekan said he endured the beating and refused to cry. But his stoic endurance invited more trouble for him.

Determined to get the ”truth” out of the apprentice, Gbenga and his friend allegedly tied Lekan‘s hands and legs and hung him by the hands to the door of the shed built in front of the carpenter‘s shop at Aladura, Jakande Ilogbo, Okokomaiko. They packed saw dust under his dangling legs and set the saw dust ablaze. As the saw dust smoldered, they asked Lekan to confess.

He, however, said that since truth was constant, he maintained his earlier stance that he did not hide the missing money. ”But truly I did not hide that money or steal it. I told them that it might have fallen from my pocket, but they did not believe me. They continued to add more saw dust to the fire so that I would confess. I refused to cry and I refused to confess because I did not steal that money,” Lekan said.

But Gbenga and his friend were determined to smoke the ”truth” out of Lekan to the extent that they did not perceive the odour coming out from the young lad‘s burning legs. ”Some passersby told them and they cut the rope tying my hands. That of my legs had already burnt. Immediately they cut it, I fell because I could not stand again,” Lekan told PUNCH METRO on his hospital bed at Ever Life Hospital, Ijanikin, Lagos.

Lekan was taken to a nurse around the area and when it dawned on them that it was more than what the nurse could handle, he was taken to the hospital.

Although Lekan‘s father, Fasasi, reported the matter at Ilogbo police post, he however told PUNCH METRO that he was more concerned about his son. ”I want him to get better first, and then I will go back to the police station. Someone told me that if I involved the police now, Gbenga would not contribute to my son‘s hospital bill,” he said.

Our correspondent however learnt that the matter had been turned into a family affair because Gbenga and Fasasi are relatives. It was also gathered that Gbenga paid N15,000 to the hospital.

But a coalition of non-governmental organisations including Gender Equity and Development Initiative, Women Law and Development Centre Nigeria, Innovative Strategy for Human Development and Female Leadership Forum, has vowed to ensure that justice was done on the matter.

The Executive Director of GEDI, Mrs. Morenike Alaka, who spoke on behalf of the coalition, said the group wanted two things done. She said, ”One, why is Gbenga and other people who violated that boy are walking free? Forget the story of the father; the fact is that the police have the father‘s statement, which is enough for them to start investigation.

”Two, psychologically the boy is traumatised, there is need for him to go for treatment and don‘t let us forget the fact that the hospital bill is there. The man paid a deposit of N15,000 and since then, he conveniently made himself scarce. The fact is that Lekan has run a bill of N150,000 in that hospital and don‘t let us forget that the hospital is not a charity centre, who will pay? And frankly, we don‘t think Lekan should go back to that Gbenga.”

But Gbenga told our correspondent on the telephone that he was not as wicked as people think. ”That boy has stolen my money more than four times and in this instance we wanted to scare him. We did not know that the fire was hurting him, the boy did not make one sound, and he was just looking at us. Nobody planned it this way. I did not run from that hospital, I paid N15,000 and I have paid another N5,000. I am still going to give more. Lekan is my relation, I would not hurt him intentionally,” he said.

The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Olusola Akinmolayemi, said Lekan took his first step last week after almost two months of being incapacitated in bed. ”He suffered a third degree burn. That means that the burn had gone beyond the skin and gone to the muscle. It had affected the colloid, the ankle joints were stiff; he was in a bad shape when he was brought here. But he is healing well, we are exercising the ankle and I believe he should have a normal life after his experience,” Akinmolayemi said.


Despite the doctor‘s assurance, Lekan‘s legs still ooze with putrid smell. He said although he liked carpentry, ”I don‘t want him again, he scares me,” he said.


Lagos State police spokesman, Mr.Frank Mba, told our correspondent on Sunday that the police had commenced investigation into the incident after waiting for Lekan‘s father in vain.

Nelson Mandela yesterday, turned up at the World Cup closing ceremony to greet his fans.The former South African president was smiling as he was driven across the pitch in a golf cart with his wife, Grace Machel.

Earlier, one of his grandsons said Fifa had put Mr Mandela under “extreme pressure” to attend. Mandla Mandela said the engagement would be “strenuous” for the 91-year-old, who is increasingly frail.

The crowd at the Soccer City stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg, welcomed Nelson Mandela with a mixture of cheers and vuvuzela blasts.
The anti-apartheid icon shook hands with officials before leaving the field a few minutes later.

The Nobel laureate cancelled plans to attend the opening ceremony after his great-granddaughter died in a car crash the night before the tournament.

Speaking to the BBC earlier, Mandla Mandela said: “We’ve come under extreme pressure from Fifa [the governing body of world football] requiring and wishing that my grandfather be at the final.
Heads of state and leading figures from business and entertainment have jetted in for the game, which will see European champions Spain take on the Netherlands; neither team has ever won the competition.

The BBC’s Jonah Fisher, in Johannesburg, says the tournament is judged to have been a success for South Africa.

More than three million people have attended the games, while the widely predicted security and transport problems have failed to materialise.
Nelson Mandela’s attendance will be seen as the perfect end to a competition that has boosted not only his country but all of Africa.
However, he remains in fragile health and is still in mourning for great-granddaughter Zenani Mandela, 13, who was killed in a car crash after leaving a World Cup concert in Soweto on the eve of the tournament.

On Thursday, Mr Blatter expressed hope that Mr Mandela would attend the final, saying: “He has had this trophy in his hand when he was in Zurich in 2004, and it will be a wonderful moment for him, for football, for Africa – if this can be a possibility.”

South Africa’s Soccer City erupted in lights for the World Cup closing ceremony, with singers performing a melody of local music from urban hip-hop to a cappella chorals.

Shaking performing
The blazing farewell to Africa’s first World Cup began with a flyover of three Gripen fighter jets, as the calabash-shaped stadium was bathed in blue and red lights and then ignited by fireworks that appeared to set the field alight.
Performers danced into the shape of a vuvuzela that spouted lights leading to Colombian superstar Shakira performing her song “Waka Waka”, the tournament’s official anthem, with local band Freshlyground.

About 780 dancers clad in colourful urban youth gear broke into synchronised dance, sending the 85,000 fans into a celebratory frenzy.
Giant projectors illuminated a highlights reel using the pitch as a screen, showing the best moments of the 32 teams who played in games leading to the final between the Netherlands and Spain.

Performers marched across the field with lights leaving a trail of national flags behind them.
As the show started in Johannesburg, fireworks went off in Cape Town above the Castle of Good Hope, the oldest surviving Dutch colonial structure, to the cheers of thousands who gathered in a plaza to watch on a jumbo screen.

Grammy winning South African a cappella act Ladysmith Black Mambazo sang “Rain Rain Beautiful Rain” as life-size puppets of the nation’s wildlife glided around the pitch, with elephants and hippos gathering at a watering hole.

A larger-than-life marimba was then projected on the field, played by performers jumping on it.In a symbolic gesture to thank the nations who participated, illuminated words “thank you”, written in different languages lit up the field in the final moments.
The ceremony was broadcast live to 215 countries and territories, with more than 700 million people expected to watch, according to FIFA.

[size=15pt]Who else would deserve that slot if not the one that miss the best chance ever in any match[/size]

POST UTME SCREENING EXERCISE 2010/2011

Nasarawa State University invites all candidates who chose Nasarawa State University as their First or Second choice and scored 180 and above in this years UTME for a Screening exercise.

Date- 28th- 30th 2010

Time- 10am

Visit their site for more details!

The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has attributed sudden deaths among Nigerians of productive age to inadequate healthcare information and facilities in the country.

Answering questions at the News Agency of Nigeria Forum in Abuja on Sunday, he described the development as a shame.

Chukwu, who also described what he called “rampant strikes” by medical doctors in the country as “terrible and worrisome,” pointed out that sudden death could be prevented if promotional and preventive health measures were provided for the people.

The minister said, “We had instances where people have died suddenly; Nigerians in important places. People upon whom their families depended died suddenly, and this is in the very productive group; people between the ages of 30 and 55. It’s a shame.

“So health is very important, and I think when we begin to understand it in Nigeria, we would then have recruited more advocates.”

Chukwu urged stakeholders in the health sector, including individuals, institutions and the National Assembly, to do what was necessary to “make us stay healthy.”

On whether Nigeria was meeting the annual budgetary requirement of 15 per cent for the health sector as contained in the Abuja Declaration, he said meeting the target required political will.

He said that the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory had agreed to work toward meeting the target by 2015.

The minister also told the forum that the government was doing everything possible to avoid strikes by medical workers.

He said, “We are also worried in the ministry, and every Nigerian should be worried because when you have a strike, the effects are terrible and people die.

“Yes, when someone dies, it is statistics but when your relation dies, it is for real.”

He gave an assurance that the issue that necessitated the recent strike by resident doctors was being adequately addressed.

Urging the doctors to be patient, the minister said, “My ministry has over 100 parastatals; it is not easy, because if you leave out anyone of them, you will get more problems.”

He said that he was happy that the doctors had demanded that something should be done about their residency programme, and described their demand as a “progressive idea.”

However, Chukwu noted that the programme had not been audited for many years, stressing that there was the need to determine if the country was gaining anything from it.

He also also added that the government had deployed 2,488 midwives in 262 Local Governments Areas nationwide to ensure safe delivery by women.

“We are training them with modern knowledge and skills and pushing them out. We have just sent out 2,488 midwives in the first phase. And we distributed them among 262 Local Government Areas to the primary health care centres where the action is the front line area,” the minister added.


The minister said the midwives were trained under the Midwifery Service Scheme, an intervention to ensure that deliveries were handled by skilled and trained medical personnel, especially in the rural areas.

Chukwu added that some retired midwives were being recalled to be part of the scheme because of the inadequacy of trained medical personnel needed to handle safe deliveries.

He said the scheme, which started as a pilot programme in six states, now covered 12 states, adding that by 2011 it would cover the 36 states and the FCT.

The minister said the government was trying to extend the National Health Insurance Scheme to communities for the benefit of rural dwellers.

“We want to see how within this short tenure of ours we can ensure that some communities, even if we start it as a pilot thing, they can start benefiting from the NHIS ” he said.

The minister also said that the Federal Government would tap into the facility of the Global Fund to produce subsidised drugs for the treatment of malaria.

The Global Fund was established in January 2002 to dramatically increase global financing for interventions against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. It was initiated by the UN and supported by governments, churches and other donors, in addition to individual donors.


Chukwu said, “Global Fund has what they call AMFM; it has nothing to do with the media. It is a facility for producing cheaper drugs for malaria, so we are tapping into that facility.

“We are now in the process of ensuring Nigeria is part of it. That’s what we are doing to ensure that these drugs become more affordable.’’

He explained that it was difficult to eliminate malaria because it had to do with the environment, which Nigeria had been unable to tackle.

Chukwu suggested the use of larvicide on the environment to interrupt the life cycle of the larvae which develop into mosquitoes, the main vector of the parasites.

He said that a vaccine that could kill the plasmodium which causes malaria after a mosquito bite was already being developed.

According to him, with the vaccine, Nigerians would no longer bother about mosquito treated nets and bites.

Chukwu said that the N22bn which Nigeria spends annually to cure the disease could be used to meet “our other needs.”

The minister also disclosed that the ministry had inaugurated a Sector Planning Team to implement the National Health Strategic Development Plan.

LAGOS—A Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained Lagos Polo Club from expelling one of its members, Abe Ibraheem because he sued the club.
Justice Okon Abang, in his ruling on an ex-parte application by counsel to the applicant, ordered parties in the suit to maintain status quo ante bellum on all the issues arising from the dispute, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

The court also ordered the applicant to serve the motion on notice dated July 5, 2010 on the defendants, while further hearing was adjourned to July 19.

Should government subject every decision to public debate? It can be argued that by electing representatives into government, you have entrusted them with the power to take decisions on your behalf. You believe in them that is why you voted for them. So you have to trust them whatever decision they take.

But this kind of argument is unhelpful. We assume that every decision is alike. We assume that reaching a decision on, for instance, taking a World Bank loan, is the same as taking a decision on building an amusement park. There are decisions that require technocratic expertise. But there are decisions that do not. If my village has problems with water supply, and the government decides to build an amusement park there, this is completely out of tune. The community needs to be asked – what are your most pressing needs? That way, they would feel they have been consulted. They will feel they're part of governance. Also, government will be meeting the community's needs as defined by them and not as defined by a technocrat operating inside an air-conditioned office.

New media forums, like facebook, are also good as feedback mechanism. Government often does things without allowing the citizens to appraise the output and the outcome. For instance, if government provides streetlights in a particular place, wouldn’t it be good for the citizens to be able to report on how well the lights are working? They can also offer suggestions on maintenance in a workable, sustainable manner. Through this same mechanism, they can be encouraged to report any faults or vandalism to the appropriate authorities. Indeed, a wise government will incorporate the new media into its policy process. It gives the citizens a sense of belonging. It is a very good platform to make the people see government as their own.

There are challenges, of course. How many people have access to internet? How many have access to mobile phones? Even among those who have access, how many can actually make meaningful contributions to public debate? How do you deal with the various comments and contributions? And, sure, there are loads and loads and loads of them! More so, are you going to be taking decisions based on the comments of the internet mob? All these are real problems, obviously, but they do not invalidate the importance of new media in the governance process. If anything, new media can supplement and strengthen governance processes.

At least, according to the President Jonathan, commentators on facebook had a say in upturning the decision to withdraw Nigeria international football. Don't forget, too, that the molestation of Uzoma Okeke by naval ratings was captured on video by "citizen journalists". The "new media" cup, I would suggest, is half full, not half empty.

And Four Other Things,

Zoning and Power Rotation
The new chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, is in the eye of the storm over his statement that “zoning is dead”. My concern is that we are not getting the terms properly defined. Zoning has been with us since Independence.

It has been employed both in military and civilian eras. That is why the president and his deputy do not come from the same zone. However, what we have been debating since President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua died is “power rotation”, not zoning. “Power rotation” is a concept adopted by PDP for a North-South rotation of the office of the president to “heal the wound of the nation” after the annulment of June 12. Zoning, on the other hand, applies to the sharing of positions/offices in parties and in government in a way to reflect the federal character.

The sharing usually depends on which section of the country produces the leader. It is only natural to zone offices, even if informally, in a plural society like ours. My point is: let’s not confuse the terms as the debate continues.

Orji’s Brave Move
The decision of Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State to defect to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) from the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) is a good move. I am not suggesting that Orji is right or that APGA is a better party. No. Personally, I don’t believe any party is better than the other.

I have taken time to study the structure, funding, internal democracy and decision-making in our political parties and I have come to the conclusion that they are all alike. But it is very fashionable to pick on PDP and describe it as anti-democracy. After all, as the biggest party, PDP’s failings will be more obvious. My joy with Orji’s defection is that he did not choose PDP as most people do. It is very convenient to defect to PDP in order to use “federal might” to win elections. Therefore, anybody who does not choose the easy way out really makes my day.

A Spain in the Neck?
The 2010 World Cup comes to an end today, with Spain and Netherlands fighting it out to decide the new champions of world football. This year’s tournament has produced a lot of firsts – the first to hold in Africa; the first in which the host country (South Africa) did not make it beyond the group stage; the first in which the previous finalists (Italy and France) were knocked out at the group stage; and the first in which the two finalists (Spain and Netherlands) have never won the cup before – since 1954). Well, it is also the first in which an octopus has taken the centre stage in making predictions which have been 100 per cent accurate so far.

The octopus says Spain will win. No matter who wins today, the truth is that neither of them has been majestic or imperial in this tournament. Spain has been best at possession, yes, but 1-0 margins are not majestic. Overall, I was very impressed with Argentina and Germany, but if the Spanish win, they are certainly the best among the rest.

Good Night, Funso
We were bereaved last week. Our Abuja judicial editor, Mr. Funso Muraina, died while on medical leave. Because I’ve not been in the country since May, I really did not know he was seriously ill.

His death was so sudden to me. It’s so painful. Late last year, we were together in Abuja and he was discussing his future plans with me. He said he wanted to launch a book as part of his 50th birthday this year. But now it would never be. He had sent me an email last month to wish me well in my programme, joking: “Please buy Agege bread from London when you’re coming back.” Death is so cruel.

By Simon Kolawole

I’ve been on the Mo Ibrahim Governance for Development in Africa (GDIA) Fellowship at the University of London for the past two months, but, trust me, I’ve kept a close tab on events in Nigeria. As I was putting finishing touches to my research, news broke that President Goodluck Jonathan had reversed his decision to withdraw Nigeria from international football for two years. At first, I said: “Another Yar’Adua is born!” The late President Yar’Adua was popularly known for changing his mind every second.

But, on a second thought, I was pleased that Jonathan changed his decision. His spokesman, Mr. Ima Niboro, said the president decided to reverse the decision because of the opinions expressed by a broad range of Nigerians on the social networking website, facebook. Why was I pleased? It helped my research! Rather than condemn the president, I would rather say “good move”. It is always good to listen to public opinion on some issues – public debate could be very useful.

The area of my research was “New Media and Participatory Governance in Africa: An Inquiry”. The general idea is: how can “new media” offer citizens a space to have influence over public policy? By “new media”, I refer to the internet and mobile telephony as platforms for ordinary citizens to air news and views, as different from the “traditional media”, namely newspapers and radio/TV stations which are run by professional journalists.

Facebook, twitter, blogs and mobile telephony belong to the “new media” platform. This platform offers a very good prospect for “participatory journalism” and “citizen journalism” (that is, citizens, even though not professional journalists, act as journalists by providing news and views). “Participatory governance”, on the other hand, is the involvement of citizens in the decision-making process of government. Citizens “participate” in this process through public debate with the aim of influencing public policy. “New media” is a very good platform for participation – both in journalism and governance.

Obviously, democracy has a problem – the problem of participation. You call that a contradiction? Yes, it is a contradiction. Democracy itself is participation. It is the right of the people to determine their destinies. Democracy is the right of the people to decide what and who they want – as opposed to monarchy or aristocracy. Voters elect representatives and then entrust them with the mandate to take decisions on their behalf. But the representatives, once in power, often choose to take decisions without recourse to the voters.

Nigeria is a country of 140 million people. Less than half are registered to vote. Less than half of those registered actually vote. And when you elect about 500 people to take decisions on behalf of 140 million, the representatives are in fact a minority. They may decide to do whatever they like when they get into government. The voters are no longer consulted. The voters’ voice is no longer heard, much less heeded. They are cut off. They do not participate in the democratic process except at election times when politicians remember that they need them again. We end up with the tyranny of the elected representatives who are more or less completely disconnected from the citizens. That is a major problem with democracy not just in Africa but globally.

How then do you involve citizens in the decision-making process? The idea of a free press is fundamental to democracy. But who owns the media? In Nigeria, most newspapers and broadcast stations are owned by politicians or by entrepreneurs who are beholden to politicians. Globally, citizens are fast losing faith in the traditional media. They believe the media is censored or censors itself because of political and economic interests.

Therefore, the citizens on the streets fear that what they are reading is highly censored. They also fear that their own views may not be published. So they resort to self-help by setting up a form of new media to air their views. Some scholars actually believe that the new media is more open, more democratic because the operators do not necessarily have any political or economic interest to protect. Or, put some other way, everybody is free to participate in the new media no matter the interest or bias. Everybody is a commentator. Everybody is an analyst. Everybody has a voice.

There are a lot of problems with that for sure – issues of ethics, libel, credibility and all that. In fact, there is a sense in which new media can be seen as anarchy. People can take advantage of it to malign others, settle political scores and publish absolute falsehood. That is a very present danger. While professional journalists may be conscious of the possibility of libelling someone and facing court action, the “citizen journalists” are not.

They believe they can write anything and publish anything even if there is no proof. These are clearly shortcomings. But, really, I am more interested in the positive use of new media to influence public policy. We cannot throw the baby away with the bath water. Governments can create websites or set up an SMS service to allow citizens to participate in public debates. President Jonathan, for instance, has set up a facebook account for comments and contributions to the electoral process. That is modern governance.

US President Barack Obama used the new media platform very well during his novel campaign. Offering this kind of platform to citizens is very good for participatory governance. (Read see what Facebook can do 2)

As Labour leaders hail Jonathan over review

Lagos— The National Committee on Minimum Wage said its report would be submitted to the Federal Government today.
A member of the committee, Mr Solomon Onaghinon, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos yesterday.
Onaghinon, the Secretary-General, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, commended the Federal Government for the upward review of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure.

The scribe gave the assurance that workers would improve on their productivity. “We want to express our delight over the way Jonathan met our demand. We promise to cooperate with him to ensure a fruitful administration,’’ he said.
The secretary-general explained that the new salary structure was different from the minimum wage being demanded by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. The NLC is demanding N52, 200 as the minimum wage.

Meanwhile, other labour leaders have hailed the upward review of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure by the Federal Government, describing it as a relief to the suffering public servants.

But for providence, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, would have been killed over the weekend.

The traditional ruler escaped assassination last Friday by a lone gunman who attempted to kill him during the Muslim Juma’at prayer in Kano.

The suspect, 19 year-old Usman Abubakar, who lives in the Doraji Quarters in Kano Metropolis, was however, apprehended by the Police before carrying out the act.

Also arrested is one Alhaji Abubakar Batakaye who allegedly asked Abubakar to carry out the act.
Abubakar told THISDAY at the Kano Police Command headquarters yesterday that he was sent by a Mallam (marabout) with a specific instruction to kill the emir.

“I arrived the mosque as early as 9 am that day. I was sent to the place of worship by a 65 year-old Mallam Abubakar Batakaye, a marabout with a specific instruction to kill the emir,” he told the newspaper.
He said Batakaye allegedly asked him to recite one of the verses in the Holy Quran, Qurisiyu, 12,000 times before the congregational prayers to ensure the success of the deadly assignment.

Abubakar also stated that the marabout gave him a small amulet to conceal inside his mouth in order for him to garner courage in executing the task and to mysteriously disappear after.
He said: “I regret this attempt to kill the emir; I seek for his forgiveness and pardon. I am under the influence of the mallam who directed me to commit this ugly act.

“I was influenced by the mallam who told me to commit the act. For over ten years, I have been an ally of the mallam and his order or directive for me is like a blessing.”
Spokesman of Kano Police Command, SP Baba Mohammed Azare, confirmed the story and the arrest of the duo, saying “the state commissioner of police has ordered immediate investigation of the matter and the investigating team will be led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lawal Tanko.

Also speaking with THISDAY, Batakaye denied ordering Abubakar to engage in the Emir’s murder.
“I have been attending that particular mosque for more 20 years without failing; I have a place reserved for me inside the mosque. I cannot think of attacking a monarch because our religion teaches us to regard them as the father of all,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111, has alleged that Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala is planning to kill him.

The paramount ruler in a petition to President Goodluck Jonathan and the Inspector-General of Police alleged that the governor in collaboration with a prominent businessman in the ancient city of Oyo and a commander of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the state hatched the plot to kill him in his palace.
He, however, said the plot failed because the collaborating senior police officer buckled at the last minute and reported the plot to him.

But reacting to the development, the governor denied the allegation, saying it should be discountenanced.
The governor’s Special Adviser, Media and Publicity Dotun Oyelade said: “Governor Akala discountenanced the so-called allegation as not only unfounded but a cooked up story much in line with the serial misinformation that the opposition has always engaged in where there is no motive or serious disagreement, it is spurious to concoct this kind of story.

Alaafin remains the father of the governor from whom he draws profound wisdom.”
Police sources confirmed Alaafin’s petition to THISDAY, saying the Inspector-General of Police Ogbonna Onovo has ordered a high-level investigation into the alleged murder plot.

According to THISDAY checks, the directive to investigate the plot was complied with at the weekend as a team of investigators drawn from the cream of the intelligence community swung into action, visiting the SARS in Oyo and interrogating officers implicated by the petition.

In his petition, the monarch gave details of the alleged plot, claiming the governor and a businessman conspired with the senior police officer based in the town to invade his palace under the guise of seeking the arrest of suspects in the murder of the late Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo, Alhaji Azeez Adegbile, on April 4 this year.
He further alleged that the plan was to have him and other palace residents shot in the melee that was to ensue during the invasion.

Alaafin alleged that the senior SARS officer was recruited into the plot by the businessman, who provided him with logistics for the operation, including a brand new Toyota Hilux Jeep and N2million cash reward.
The officer, the monarch alleged, initially declined to participate in the plot but agreed to play along when the governor came into the picture and offered to raise the cash reward to N10million.

Oba Adeyemi stated that rather than carry out the plot, the police officer reported the murder plot to him, and that after his (the monarch’s) personal investigation showed that the plot was real, he decided to write the petition to the President.
The monarch further stated that when the plotters found that their plan had leaked to him and eventually failed, they enlisted the intervention of some prominent South-west traditional rulers and leaders of thought to pacify him.

The paramount ruler said that much as he respected his colleagues that sought to intervene, he could not accede to their overture because of the grave implication of the plot.
Oba Adeyemi, therefore, called on the President to investigate the murder plot and ensure that the plotters are brought to book.

FOUR executive committee members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, were, yesterday, abducted by kidnappers who attacked them at Umuafouka junction near Ukwakiri in Obingwa Local Government Council of Abia State.

Those kidnapped include, Chairman Lagos State Council of NUJ, Mr. Wahab Oba, Secretary of Zone D, Adolphus Okoronkwo, and two others whose identities could not be established as at press time.
They were returning from the council’s National Executive Council, NEC, meeting which took place at Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital when they were abducted along the Ikot Ekpene-Aba road.

The kidnappers were said to have operated in a Volvo car and was believed to have targeted the bus carrying Lagos State NUJ officials. The bus carrying the Delta State contingent which was following behind was, however, lucky.
Sources said that immediately the Lagos contingent fell into the hands of the kidnappers, their counterparts from Delta, on noticing what was happening, disembarked from their bus and ran into the bush.
The Vice-president, Zone C, South east, Mr. Ambrose Nwachukwu and the Chairman of Abia State Council, Mr. Hycinth Okoli, confirmed the incident. Okoli, however, regretted the route taken by the NUJ officials which he said really exposed them to danger.
Oba’s whereabouts unknown–Lagos council

Following the reported kidnap of the Lagos Council Chairman, Mr. Wahaab Oba, weekend, officials of the council were yet to know the where-abouts of their leader. However, the matter has been reported to the Inspector General of Police, IGP.
According to Mr. Deji Elumoye, the Council’s Vice Chairman who confirmed the development to Vanguard, said the council prayed that the kidnappers should spare the lives of the chairman.
Elumoye, who said the kidnappers had asked for a N250 million ransom for the chairman’s release were yet to communicate to any member of their family or the council members.

The vice chairman told Vanguard that the National Secretariat of NUJ in Abuja was assisting the state council in finding the where-abouts and eventual release of Oba.

To the effect, Elumoye said the National President of NUJ, Alhaji Muhammed Garuba, in a swift reaction addressed the media in Abuja on the development with a view to rallying round for Oba’s release.
He said: “We are still working on the possibilities of finding him safe and sound. We are yet to get any further information on his where-abouts. But we hope and pray that he is found alive without any injury inflicted on him.
“We are also working in partnership with Nigeria Police authorities and the National executives in Abuja. We shall keep you informed as developments unfold.”

Reacting to the kidnap of some Journalists in Abia State, yesterday, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, condemned the kidnap and called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo to take urgent step to ensure the immediate release of the journalists.
NBA in a statement by its National Assistant Publicity Secretary, Mr. Gbolahan Gbadamosi, in Lagos tasked the IG to put into action, the outcome of the security meeting Onovo had with South East governors on the grave security report in that region.
He added that the association’s call on the IG was not because “our strategic partners (journalist) were involved, but for the security of all citizens.”

Fifa’s President, Sepp Blatter, has declared the first World Cup in Africa a big success. As the World Cup drew to a close, Blatter, who played a pivotal role in the continent’s hosting the global showpiece, was full of praise for Africa.

“We are not done with the World Cup, but you can see a president who is satisfied. I’m a very happy man,” he said.

“I said from the beginning that we trust Africa… it was trust and confidence. I always defended the decision we had taken. When I was asked about plan B, I said plan B is South Africa and plan C is South Africa, that’s how much we trusted South Africa.”

Blatter further lavished praise on South Africa’s match venues, going as far as saying no European country can claim to have the stadia so beautiful.

“These stadia are real jewels from the architectural point of view; they are really, really good stadia and wherever the spectators are in the stadium, they have a complete view of the pitch.
“This is an example for further construction of stadia and there is not one single European country that has so many good and high level stadia that are available in South Africa , Not one single European country. Africa can be proud to have organised this World Cup,” he said.

For Blatter, however, the World Cup would be complete if the elder state man, Nelson Mandela, could make it to the final. “It will be a wonderful moment for him, football and for Africa if he can make it to the final,” he added.

nigeria 2 vs england 1

Former Presidential spokesman, Dr. Doyin Okupe, at the weekend, said Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s emergence as president was a result of the doctrine of force majeur (an act of God), which overrides and subsequently, nullified the controversial zoning formula.

He said given the existence of force majeur, there was no way anybody could upturn the hand of God in denying Jonathan the presidency even beyond the 2011 elections.

Okupe, who worked for former President Olusegun Obasanjo, also said: “If you agree that there must be a change, you cannot bring that change by humiliating those who stand for it. Having said that, the emergence of President Jonathan today, nobody can claim credit for it. This is because we were still studying the doctrine of necessity and all that and we were confronted with a fait accompli and he has become President. Whether anybody likes it or not, he had to become President. I see Jonathan’s presidency as a force majeur. Go and check it. In any contract or agreement, there is always a clause for force majure, that is an act of God. Whenever a force majeurcomes into play, it nullifies every other agreement.”

Using a classical analogy of a contractor, Okupe said: “If I agree to supply you one trailer load of cement from Epe and when my trailer is going and the surge from the Atlantic ocean wipes it and the trailer away, I am not owing you any supply. The vehicle left my store with the cement and was on the way to the depot where you gave to me and a force bigger than you and myself acted on it and made it impossible. You cannot hold me responsible for the failure to supply.

“If there was an agreement in place that says when the North finishes, the South will come in, when the South finishes, the North will come in, it is correct. Those are normal circumstances provided there is no force majeur or an act of God. Which force can be greater than death?

“The death of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua critically altered the agreement on ground because while the agreement was on, nobody envisaged that another President would be sitting whom we will have to tell not to exercise his rights. It is a political incongruity for a sitting president that is capable, perfectly sane and able for you to now say do not run because there was an agreement. There is no basis for confrontation on the issue of zoning.”

Speaking further, he added that: “What this has thrown up is that in 50 years of its existence, Nigeria does not have a national elite group. What we have are sectional elite groups and I think that was what the President meant when he said that people were championing ethnic causes and that they were tribal bigots and all that.”

According to him, “The truth is that we are all tribal elites. When the issue of making Jonathan a substantive President came in, even Senators of the North were aware of the situation but because of their ethnic interests, they were reluctant to do the right thing. I cannot blame them because the Yorubas if they were in the same position, they would do the same thing.

“So, this is the problem we have and we must face it. We have failed to evolve a national elite group, a group that can only think of Nigeria as a nation. That is why you see the Babangidas and Atikus of this world championing the northern cause. That was why you would have seen great Yoruba people championing the Abiola cause during his time. If anything happens in the East, you will see leaders of the East coming to defend it. We have not been able to horizontally unite our elite group and the earlier we do that, the better for the country.”

On why Obasanjo has not really been meddling in the Ogun State political crisis, Okupe said the former president was handling the issue as an elder statesman, who is the political father of the state.

“I know how he feels. Obasanjo feels that he is too big a fish to swim in shallow waters. If you look at it properly, Ogun State is for Obasanjo really a very shallow water. You cannot find sharks in shallow waters. It gets stuck. That is why the man, who ultimately if everything fails, you have to go to, must not be part of the problem. So, his attitude to the whole thing is understandable,” he said.

There are apprehensions within the United Nations diplomatic circles over the Iran President‘s denunciation of a UN Security Council resolution against her nuclear programme in Nigeria, Empowered Newswire has gathered.

Iran in its nuclear programme against the US and the UN was said to have targeted Nigeria in a subtle diplomatic offensive aimed to restrain the growing international groundswell against the Moslem nation.

A senior UN diplomat hinted during the week as the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad joined other CD4 countries in Nigeria that the visit rubbed-off negatively on Nigeria and its president.

Nigeria had earlier last month joined 12 other countries in the Security Council to pass sanctions against the Iranian nuclear programme with Turkey and Brazil opposing the initiative.

Ahmadinejad had in Abuja attacked the resolution to impose sanction on his country, saying the action could not deter Iran from pursuing her interest in nuclear energy.

Incidentially, Nigeria is not only the current president of the council, but had also voted in favour of the resolution.

The Iranian leader said, ”The Western nations have committed acts of plundering of the economies of the world.”

All three African nations on the Council – Nigeria, Uganda and Gabon – voted against Iran.

While voting, Nigeria had urged Iran to open up her programme to international inspectors to douse the fear that she was not building a nuclear weapon.

But last week‘s visit of Ahmadinejad to Nigeria had generated heated reactions with diplomats expressing regret on the hosting.

The US President Barack Obama on Thursday, said, ”It is unacceptable for Iran to possess a nuclear weapon. We are going to do everything we can to prevent that from happening.

“They (Iran) are the only country that has not been able to convince the International Atomic Energy Agency that they are pursuing nuclear power for peaceful means

”We just pursued the toughest sanctions that have ever been applied against the Iranian government. Allies and partners are following up with those sanctions.”

Determined to check the high and growing rate of unemployment across the nation, the Federal Government is to set up a private sector committee on job creation.

Finance Minister and Chairman of the National Economic Management Team, Mr Olusegun Aganga who has marked unemployment as one of his cardinal areas of intervention, announced this in Abuja yesterday.
The main objective of the committee is to work with the Federal Government to develop an Action Plan that will encompass practical and specific interventions for ensuring increased job creation in the country.

This plan will leverage on existing reports on employment generation in Nigeria and make practical recommendations based on what other countries including developed, emerging and developing countries have done to ensure increased job creation, with a view to developing a pool of possible policy interventions and incentives that will create an environment that is conducive for job creation.

The committee, to be inaugurated on Monday July 12, 2010, has six weeks to submit its report.

If you spend a lot of time in Jeans, chances are you wear a lot of sneakers. Sneakers are great, and they‘re actually the ideal choice with Jeans. But with so many other types of men‘s shoes to choose from, you might not want to limit yourself to one style.

Despite being casual, denim is also versatile. The same pair of Jeans can take on an entirely different feature depending on the shoes paired with them. Here are a few of the most popular men‘s shoe styles, along with tips on how to make them work with jeans.

Sneakers

Sneakers come in so many styles that they can comfortably be worn with nearly anything in a man‘s wardrobe but they‘re still most at home with a pair of Jeans. While it is always safe to go with a classic white trainer, it is more interesting and fashion-forward to try a retro, skate, or European-styled sneaker. Tastefully interesting colours and textures will also boost your fashion rating.

Boots

For every man who won‘t part with his favourite sneakers, there‘s another man who won‘t wear anything but his trusty boots. Fortunately for those guys, boots are also a perfect match for Jeans. For variation, try something that doesn‘t look too much like a work, hiking or cowboy boot, and opt instead for something that‘s a little more chic, dressy or cutting-edge.

Slip on

From casual styles to dressier fare, there are a plethora of slip-on shoe styles to choose from – and they all carry the benefit of having no laces. As for which style will work best with Jeans, take a cue from the shirts you‘ll likely be wearing. Unless they‘re made of flannel, button-down shirts can handle something a little dressier; polo and golf shirts work well with a sporty shoe or loafer; and sweaters or Henley‘s look great with shoes that are really rugged or trendy.

Lace-up
Sneakers and many formal men‘s shoes are lace-ups, but fortunately when it comes to oxfords, there are several styles that land somewhere between the two extremes and are perfect for pairing with Jeans. Again, you‘ll want to take your cue from your shirt, and where you‘ll be wearing the shoes.

If you‘re heading out to a trendy club, you may appreciate a pair of shoes with European or very fashion-forward detailing, but if you‘re attending a more conservative affair, then you‘ll probably be best served by a pair of classic oxfords.

Former Green Eagles winger Barrister Adokie Amiesimaka last week lauded President Goodluck Jonathan for scattering the glasshouse when he announced the withdrawal of the Super Eagles from international competitions for two years and also called for the audit of NFA account.

Forty eight (48) hours after that decision, the federal government reversed the ban and Amiesimaka believes that with the withdrawal, the government is no longer under any moral pressure to carry out the change it intended.

“The issue here is that once again we have reversed ourselves and we are back to square one. The problem with our football is not Sani Lulu or Taiwo Ogunjobi. The problem is that the NFA is structured in a way that it is not accountable and it is not development oriented. Going by the present structure, the NFA is only concerned with taking part in competitions and definitely not concerned with development.

“And they cannot improve on this unless there is a change in structure. The NFA is still essentially tied to the apron-strings of the sports ministry.
“The sports minister has statutory powers under Section 19 of the NFF Act to control the board of the NFA.
“What that means is that our football administration is seriously politicised. There is too much politicisation of football than professionalization.

“We need an NFA that is structured to be development-oriented and to be accountable. These two things are missing”, Amiesimaka said.

The former Sharks of Port Harcourt chairman, stressed that the NFA needed structural adjustment, one that would see the football house function independent of the sports ministry and not change of persons.
According to him, some people argue that NFA cannot function without government funds, so that they can constantly feed on government. “The NFA can survive without the sports ministry. Corporate bodies will support football if they see the right things are done by the NFA.

Perhaps to restate its non-commitment to zoning, the Peoples Democratic Party has said its presidential ticket form is open to all Nigerians who are interested in the presidency in 2011.

The party also declared that forms for those who are interested in the governorship, national and state Assembly primaries would be sold to all members of the party.

The PDP National Organising Secretary, Chief Uche Secondus, who stated this in Abuja while speaking with newsmen on Friday night, said the party‘s guidelines for elective office did not recognise zoning and that all Nigerians interested in seeking elective office would be given the forms.

According to him, since Nigeria‘s Constitution does not recognise zoning, the party will want to also toe that line.


He said, ”The guidelines for elective offices including the primaries for the presidential candidate of the party is open to all Nigerians to contest irrespective of geo-political zone, religion and sex.


”What we have in the PDP guidelines for the primaries to elect our presidential candidate, governorship candidates and members of the National Assembly is that every one that is qualified as stated in the 1999 constitution is free to contest irrespective of where the person comes from.

”We are taking our bearing from the 1999 Constitution as the basis for the guidelines for the primaries.

”Every Nigerian is qualified to contest the presidential primaries bearing into cognisance age qualification as stated in the 1999 constitution, educational qualification and the person is a bona-fide member of PDP who has paid all his financial dues and above all the person must be a Nigerian. That‘s all.

”As we have it in the national anthem, ‘though tribe and tongue may differ,’ but we are all equal to contest as far as the PDP primaries are concerned.


”PDP constitution cannot be above the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, therefore, anything that is inconsistent with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a nullity.”

Asked if President Goodluck Jonathan was free to contest, he said yes, adding that ”the President is a Nigerian and therefore like all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe and religion, he is qualified to contest the PDP presidential primaries in line with its guidelines.”

The party‘s constitution, section 13.10, places the burden of organising the primaries on the office of its National Organising Secretary.

It will be recalled that the party National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, has said that the party jettisoned its zoning formula since 2002.

He said since some northerners were allowed to contest the party‘s 2003 primaries with former President Olusegun Obasanjo then, the idea of zoning was no longer being practised.

He also stated that some southerners, including former governors of Rivers and Cross River states, Dr. Peter Odili and Mr. Donald Duke, in 2007 picked the presidential form of the party with the late President Umaru Yar‘Adua.

Nwodo had said, ”There is no zoning on ground right now. Absolutely no zoning, because in 1999, there was zoning and only one northerner insisted on his alienable right in the Nigerian constitution to contest against the zoning arrangement of PDP.”

Meanwhile, a former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, has said the war against zoning of the office of President was not because of Jonathan.


He said those who were insisting on zoning were doing so because of their selfish interests.


The Ijaw leader, who spoke through his lawyer, Mr. Kayode Ajulo, implored Nigerians to reject zoning, which he said would only breed mediocre leaders.

The only reason the likes of a former military dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida(retd), Senator Iyorcha Ayu, Gen. Ibrahim Haruna among others, could give to support zoning, he said, was for their selfish interest.

He said, ”Zoning is not only illegal but felonious and impracticable under our present dispensation, it was not even practiced in the entire Chief Olusegun Obasanjo‘s eight years in power gleefully cited by the zonists.

”Zoning is unconstitutional and the constitutional provision of federal character should not be erroneously used to justify the evil called zoning as the federal character principle is only for appointment into position into administrative offices not for election into political offices as stipulated in our constitution.”