₦airaland Forum

[quote author=bashy_demy link=topic=710491.msg8698048#msg8698048 date=1310425191]We have alot of fools in the house the like of high chief and son of devil or what his name we all know Lagos was surrounded by water and Government keep warning against blacking the drainage some people through garbage into gutters is it Fashola that will leave Alausa to go to surulere to stop them or go to Ajegunle i was brought up in Ajegunle and i have been witnessing flood in some part if the area this samething happen in china,South Korea and even in US if you guys does not have anything to say you better keep your mouth shut instead of castigating Fashola what as your so call PDP over Nigeria in 12yrs of there administration except bad roads that claim lifes each day and also total black out, to my able and humble Governor without mistake there will be no correction i trust you and i know what you can do i believe after the rain you will surely find solution to this problem Goodluck Lagos state Good BRF eko oni baje[/quote]Stop spewing rubbish, Yes its Fashola's duty to stop them. One thing is to enact a law and another to enforce it. If laws are not enforced in US or in the western world even white people will do as they wish. How come he(Fashola) knows how to deal with people against tax evasion but cannot do same with the defaulters of littering dirts. Meanwhile, this has nothing to do with PDP or ACN but good governance. Anyways keep swimming your way to work while praising Fashola.

Just ignore him and dont you ever give in

Exponental:
D topic shld change 2 fo-ols on NL.

Hw many govs are better-of.
Most of dm govern their states n sleep in lagos mostly.

Why dont u advice on a way out.
Suggest wat u feel he can do 2 resolve all these. All areas mentiond above are close 2 d atlantic ocean except oba akran.

My suggestn: Gov Fash shld charge local govts on ensuring dat no drainage in their localty is stangant 24/7/365 starting 4m d beginin of d end of ds raining season.

You are the biggest foo.l on NL. So a good government would not have made plans for such mishap? Do you know what most Lagosians must have lost? Listen, it is the duty of every government to protect the lives and property of the citizens which Fashola has failed woefully to do

Jesus take the wheel

kasiem:
Umuigbo bu igbo! Onye biri ibeya biri! Okenye ga ebi, nwata ga ebi! Anyi agaghi ano ebe nwanne anyi ma n'enwe nwute! Madu ama akpachapu wee mee ife n'ese okwu! Odinala ye adigide!
Na-ihe niine a, anam eji ohere a nwanini wee n'akpo unu ncha, ka unu bia sonyerem nye olisa otito. Anam echeta mbosi amuputaram n'elu uwa. Ofor ye adiooo.

Chukwu obioma ga enye gi Ogologo Ndu na ahu isi ike. Iga adi ndu ka nkaa, were anya gi hu umu umu gi.

^^^Is that a way of saying you are happy?

Cuddlemii:
Let me think about it. This thread changed everything. Would get back to you

Sweerrie there is nothin to think about just follow your heart, lets enjoy the summer together my sugar banana

Cuddlemii:
Under my very own ears. No more Hawaii. My Italian food is sufficient for me

You are the only Bentley in my garrage, the only meat in my soup. Anybody that comes between us will kick bucket.

Errrrm, are you ready yet? So i can send the jet over

Pweety4me:
[color=#550077]Man if i talk they will say i am going to far, they will all start crowding me like i stole their village meat. . . [/color]

Then forever keep your peace. Hope your week end is coming up well sha

seanet02:
Source please? We are not the usual fishermen in your village that you play hogwash for

A quick search on the internet will give you the source, why dont you do just that or must one do everything for you? Please dont ask me for source next time

^^^I have told you before that am not a journalist. Na me be the media wey publish the story in the first place?

Cuddlemii:
Well I want white flowers all over the room I'm sleeping alone in. Then red roses on my bed, then orange flowers in my jacuzzi. I want raspberry scented candles in my bathroom. I fly strictly first class. I gulp strictly Armand de Brignac (Ace of spades). I love my gift to be Susan Rosen's bikini. I come expensively cheap, that's why I offered to treat u instead in a way you have seen or u are used to. Can u meet up to the task or I send my Chauffeur over instead. And please wear a tuxedo cos I have an allergy for cheap fabrics.

Jesus take the wheel, I dont have any problem with all that you want cos thats how i live my daily life but you sleeping alone in the room is what I cant take. You have to remove that and I will send you a 5star private jet immediately to pick you up. Pls get back to me swiftly as the offer wont remain open for long.

THE immediate past member of the Taraba State House of Assembly, representing Jalingo II constituency, who was recently appointed as Special Adviser on Special Duties to Governor Danbaba Suntai, Mr Kabiru Dodo, has been arrested by the police, over alleged connection with the Boko Haram.

The governor’s aide was arrested on Thursday on the Government House premises, before he was moved to the police headquarters in the state under tight security.

A top police officer, who was at the scene of the arrest, told the Nigerian Tribune on condition of anonymity that the aide was arrested for his alleged links with activities of the Boko Haram in the country.

According to the source, the police acted immediately, based on the infor-mation gathered from some suspects who were arrested recently, following an attack carried out on a police officer on duty at Unguwan Gadi area of Jalingo recently.

When contacted over the development, the state Commissioner of Police Mrs Chintua Amajor Onu, told newsmen that the issue was still being investigated.

The police boss said she could not make any comment over it for now, but, however, promised to brief the press after the investigation.

According to the Commisioner of Police, the police check point mounted all over the places in the state capital is the normal routine duties perform by the police adding that henceforth the police command is going to release out GSM phone numbers so that the general public may call the police when the need arises.

Mean while, as at time of filling this report, the Nigerian Tribune and other media colleagues had visited the state police command headquarters where the official vehicle of the special Adviser with Reg. No. TRGH 92 was seen parked at the premises of the State police command while other Special advisers from the government house were seen making effort to see the commissioner of police over their colleague who was arrested by the police yesterday.

FOR his alleged involvement in a N400 million (£1,651,365.00) scam in London, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal in the United Kingdom has ordered that the name of a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) representing Sagamu I State Constituency in the Ogun State House of Assembly, Adeyinka Mafe, be struck off the Roll of Solicitors.


Mafe, a lawyer, was also ordered by the tribunal chairman, W.M. Hartley, to pay £10,178.62 costs.
Other members of the tribunal are R. Prigg and G. Fisher.


Mafe, who was born in 1972 and admitted as a Solicitor on July 17, 2006, was taken to the tribunal by Jonathan Richard Goodwin, on behalf of Solicitors Regulation Authority.


Although an Order for substituted service was made by the Tribunal on February 9, 2010 and in fact service had been effected as ordered by way of advertisements in The Times on February 12, 2010 and the Law Society Gazette on February 18, 2010 for the respondent to appear, Mafe did not appear or represented.


His firm, MIB Solicitors, at 339 Hertford Road, Edmonton, London, was fingered to have misapplied five mortgage advances paid by Abbey National Plc.


“The sum of £1,651,365.00 had been paid by way of advances in respect of five transactions during March and April 2009. In respect of each transaction, the Respondent signed Certificates of title, dated from 23rd March 2009 to 7th April 2009”.


Mafe was accused to have abandoned his practice, failed to act in the best interests of client(s), failed to act in accordance with his lender clients’ instructions, held himself out as practising in partnership when he was not, (for the avoidance of doubt, this was an allegation of dishonesty), failed to comply with undertakings contained in Certificates of Title, dated 23rd March 2009, 2nd April 2009 and 7th April 2009, improperly paid away funds held on behalf of mortgagee clients, and/or failed to utilise same towards the purchase of the relevant properties, (for the avoidance of doubt, this was an allegation of dishonesty).


He was also said to have named Mr O. Ikhide as his partner in practice. “However, when the matter was raised with Mr Ikhide, he confirmed on 14th May, 2009 that he was not involved with the firm (MIB Solicitors) in any shape or form, and that he had never worked for MIB Solicitors as a partner, nor as an employee, and whilst he had been offered a position in the practice by the Respondent, he declined the offer”.


Below is the full text of the allegations, factual background, sanction and reasons.
Appearances
Mr Jonathan Richard Goodwin of Jonathan Goodwin Solicitor Advocate, 17e Telford Court, Dunkirk Lea, Chester Gates, Chester CH1 6LT for the Applicant.
The Respondent did not appear and was not represented.
The application was dated 6th November, 2009.
Allegations
The allegations against the Respondent were that:
(1) Contrary to Rule 1.02, 1.04 and 1.06 of the Solicitors Code of Conduct 2007 (“SCC”), he abandoned his practice.
(2) Contrary to Rule 1.02, 1.04, 1.05 and 1.06 of the SCC, he failed to act in the best interests of client(s).
(3) Contrary to Rule 1.02, 1.04, 1.05 and 1.06 of the SCC, he failed to act in accordance with his lender clients’ instructions.
(4) Contrary to Rule 1.02 and 1.06 of the SCC, he held himself out as practising in partnership when he was not. (For the avoidance of doubt, this was an allegation of dishonesty).
(5) Contrary to Rule 1.02, 1.06 and/or 10.05, he failed to comply with undertakings contained in Certificates of Title, dated 23rd March 2009, 2nd April 2009 and 7th April 2009.
(6) Contrary to Rule 1.02 and 1.06, he improperly paid away funds held on behalf of mortgagee clients, and/or failed to utilise same towards the purchase of the relevant properties. (For the avoidance of doubt, this was an allegation of dishonesty).
Factual Background

1. In the absence of the Respondent, the Tribunal noted an Order for substituted service had been made by the Tribunal on 9th February 2010 and in fact service had been effected as Ordered by way of advertisements in The Times on 12th February 2010 and the Law Society Gazette on 18th February 2010. The Tribunal was satisfied that the Respondent had been properly served and given notice of the hearing, and, therefore, granted the Applicant leave to proceed in the Respondent’s absence.


2. The Respondent, born in 1972, was admitted as a Solicitor on the 17th July 2006. At all material times, the Respondent carried on practice on his own account under the style of MIB Solicitors, at 339 Hertford Road, Edmonton, London N9 7ET.


3. The practice was formed on 2nd July 2007. On 14th January 2009, the Respondent purported to practice in partnership with a Mr O. Ikhide. It was contended that that arrangement was a sham, and that at all times the Respondent carried on practice on his own account.


4. The Respondent’s practice was intervened on 19th May, 2009.


5. On 17th April 2009, DLA Piper wrote to the Legal Complaints Service (“LCS”), on behalf of their client, Abbey National plc (“Abbey”), expressing concern that some or all of their clients’ five mortgage advances paid to MIB Solicitors had not been utilised towards the purchase of the relevant properties, but rather had been dispersed elsewhere. The sum of £1,651,365.00 had been paid by way of advances in respect of five transactions during March and April 2009. They indicated the practice appeared to have been abandoned during mid April 2009. In respect of each transaction, the Respondent signed Certificates of title, dated from 23rd March 2009 to 7th April 2009.


6. On 7th April 2009, a payment of £723,000.00 was made with reference to “Samanti”, and two days later on 9th April 2009, a payment was made in the sum of £695,000.00, with reference “Yinka”.


7. The Respondent’s notepaper showed himself and Mr O Ikhide as partners in the practice. However, when the matter was raised with Mr Ikhide, he confirmed on 14th May 2009 that he was not involved with the firm in “any shape or form”, and that he had never worked for MIB Solicitors as a partner, nor as an employee, and whilst he had been offered a position in the practice by the Respondent, he declined the offer.


8. The Tribunal reviewed all the following documents submitted by the Applicant which included:- (i) Rule 5 Statement, together with enclosures (ii) Statement of Costs dated 6th May 2010
9. The Respondent had not submitted any documents for the Tribunal to review.


Witnesses
10. No person gave oral evidence.
Findings as to Fact and Law
11. In absence of any submissions from the Respondent, the Tribunal found all the allegations to have been substantiated on the basis of the documentary evidence provided by the Applicant. The Applicant had referred the Tribunal to the case of Twinsectra Limited v Yardley & Others (2002) UKHL 12 in relation to the consideration of whether the Respondent had acted dishonestly. The Applicant submitted that the Tribunal had to consider whether the Respondent’s conduct would be considered dishonest by honest people, and secondly whether the Respondent himself must have been aware that his conduct would be considered dishonest. The Applicant had submitted both tests were satisfied in view of the fact that Mr Ikhide’s name had been used by the Respondent on his notepaper, representing Mr Ikhide to be a partner of the practice, without Mr Ikhide’s knowledge or permission. Secondly, the payment of £695,000 which had a reference “Yinka” appeared to be the Respondent himself as it could be seen that if the letters “Ade” were removed from the Respondent’s first name, this left “Yinka”.


12. The Tribunal were satisfied that the tests referred to in the case of Twinsectra V Yardley were satisfied and that the Respondent had acted dishonestly.


Costs Application
13. The Applicant provided the Tribunal with a Schedule of Costs which indicated his total costs came to a figure of £10,178.62. He requested an Order for those costs in full.
Previous Disciplinary Sanctions Before the Tribunal
14. None.


Sanction and Reasons
15. The Tribunal were of the view that this was one of the worst cases of dishonesty that the Tribunal had dealt with. There had been blatant dishonesty by the Respondent, who appeared to have misappropriated £695,000 for his own benefit. Members of the public must be in no doubt that any funds which they place in the hands of a solicitor will be handled by that solicitor with the utmost integrity and trustworthiness. The use of client funds for a solicitor’s own purposes was a very serious matter indeed, and there was no doubt the Respondent had brought the reputation of the profession into disrepute, and that clients had suffered as a result of his dishonesty. The Respondent was not fit to be a solicitor and the Tribunal ordered that he be struck off the Roll of Solicitors.


Decision as to Costs
16. The Tribunal made an Order that the Respondent pay the Applicant’s costs in full in the sum of £10,178.62.


The Tribunal had taken into account the cases of Merrick v The Law Society (2007) EWHC 2997 (Admin) and D’Souza v The Law Society (2009) EWHC 2193 (Admin) on the question of the Respondent’s means.


However, the Respondent had not provided the Tribunal with any details of his financial position and accordingly the Tribunal ordered the costs be paid in full.


17. The Tribunal ordered that the respondent, ADEYINKA MAFE of 73 Redlands Road, Enfield, Middlesex, EN3 5HW, solicitor, be STRUCK OFF the Roll of Solicitors and it further Ordered that he do pay the costs of and incidental to this application and enquiry fixed in the sum of £10,178.62
Dated the 23rd day of June 2010
On behalf of the Tribunal W. M. Hartley (Chairman).

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that the deployment of military is not the solution to the Boko Haram upsurge in parts of the North. He canvassed what he called “deep” intelligence on the group.

Obasanjo, who was speaking in Abeokuta, said the type of training the military offers should be kept in perspective.

“Asking the military to deal with them (Boko Haram), we need to know that the military are trained in a static way. The group should be known and identifiable when they are captured. In this way, the military would know how to deal them,”he said.

Advancing more argument to buttress his point, the former president said: “But when a man is on okada with a gun and kill people along the road, how do you deal with such person? We have to find out why they became so bloody. There is so much to know and so much to find out before you can deal with them."

On the suggestion that the group should be offered amnesty for cessation of hostility, he cautioned those canvassing such to be mindful of the implication of their request so that "amnesty should not be abused”.

Obasanjo, who spoke with newsmen after receiving a Grand Peace Legend award from the African Peace Foundation (APF), said Nigeria should not take Boko Haram for granted, saying if care was not taken, life of everyone might be endangered by the group.

For this reason, he said: "A lot of information needs to be obtained from the group: should they be talked to and if they should be talked to, how should they be talked to and if they are to be dealt with, what means? Should it be stick and carrot approach or what?”

He, however, advised Nigerians to be circumspect in pushing for the amnesty as it was important to know “what you are giving amnesty for; you should know the people you're giving amnesty to and you should know their grievances”.

The former president explained that he was neither against the amnesty package nor was he advocating that it should be ruled out, stressing that, "let us look at what we are faced with; suppose you give out amnesty, there will be more to be given out later at what time. We must get to the root of the problem before providing the solution."

Pushing for the intelligence gathering option, Obasanjo said: "You may not necessarily know the reasons for their actions but you should find out why they are doing what they are doing. We need intelligence approach along with people who will find out what is happening both internally and externally. Also, fish out the people behind the scene and how do they become a menace to the society."

He added that, "I believe if a man or group of people are not insane and believe that those who found themselves in Boko Haram are not insane, they must have reasons for doing so."

He commended the non-government organisation (NGO) for the award bestowed on him, saying that he felt highly honoured.

According to him, "significance of life goes beyond award because for people to work for peace and to acknowledge those who are working for the peace, no matter where and how it emerged, people should make the world a better place for the coming generations."

He added: "Today is an occasion that reminds me of the importance of peace in one’s life - family, community, a nation and in the world - as a whole. When you take peace out of living, then there is nothing left. The basic and fundamental essence of human existence is peace and I therefore thank the body for the honour and award. I want all Nigerians and Africans to associate with peace loving people."

Meanwhile, the Borno State government has banned all motorcycles popularly called okada from plying the roads and streets of the state capital, Maiduguri, and its neighbouring Jere Local Government Area.

Governor Kashim Shettima, who announced that the ban took immediate effect at a press conference yesterday, disclosed that the decision, though difficult, became imperative as a result of the insecurity challenges of protecting people’s lives and property.

The governor said: “We are facing a lot of security challenges that must be overcome to end the serial attacks and killings; and protect the lives and property of citizens.”

He added that the state government was, however, equal to the task of sitting atop of the insecurity situation by authorising the ban on motorcycles for private and commercial uses in the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere council area of the state.

He however claimed that as the state government was “responsible and responsive” to protecting people’s lives and property, his administration was not unmindful of the sufferings the ban would cause to residents and commuters.

In that light, the governor said the state government would immediately commence the sale and distribution of 5,000 tricycles to commercial motorcycle operators at subsidised rates.

Shettima also disclosed that in order to alleviate the suffering which might be brought on the people, the state government had placed an order for 100 brand new commuter buses.

He promised that this would be launched next week to commute indigenes of the area to schools, markets, hospitals and other workplaces, especially for those in both Maiduguri and Jere.

He said already, a committee had been inaugurated that would identify the main routes and destinations of the 100 buses.

Speaking on how to end the serial attacks and killings, he said: “Peace and dialogue are the only panacea to the Boko Haram crises,” adding that the door-to-door dialogue was still very much open to the sect and its members.

Shettima however noted that that did not mean the government had abdicated its responsibilities of protecting people’s lives and property.

The country and the state, he said, belonged to every citizen, adding that “he or she is also free to practise any of his or her religion”, noting that “there is no religion that condones wanton killings and destruction of people’s lives and property.”

Asked on the procedures for dialogue so as to bring an end to the sect’s unending attacks and killings, he said the Forum of Borno Elders (FBOE) was handling it and would continue to operate independently, until “peace and unity” were restored in the state.

In a related development, an elder statesman and former minister of petroleum, Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno, has called on the people of the state to return to God and pray for the peace of the state and urged security operatives in the state to ensure that they ease the suffering of the people rather than being harsh on them.

Monguno, who spoke to newsmen at his home yesterday, said people had come to him with so many complaints on how the soldiers were treating them to the extent that they were smashing people’s wind screen and beating them.

He said such an act was likely to anger the people and further make worse the already tensed situation.

He also observed that people in the state were afraid to go out because of the on-going killings and as such called on both the sect and government to pursue peace, which every single living creature needs to survive.

He lamented that people were being denied the right to move round and were being molested on the excuse of security. He said it was better to “jaw-jaw than war-war”.

The former minister said the atmosphere in Maiduguri was tense as “every living man or woman feels threatened and afraid”.

Following alleged harassment of the people by the military in Maiduguri metropolis, some students were stopped from going to school yesterday by their parents.

Some parents that were bold enough to take their children to school were advised by the school authorities to return them home as they could not guarantee their safety.

In some schools where the students were admitted, they were asked to go home around 12 noon in order to beat the 2pm deadline allowed for motorcyclists to ply the roads.

Also as a result of the clampdown on the motorcycles believed to be the usual mode of transportation of the sect members, many businesses, banks and markets in the city were hurriedly closed at 12 noon.

In most of the business areas like Babalayi, Ahmadu Bello Way and some markets such as the Monday Market and Baga people closed their shops for fear of the unknown so as to get home before the hours the motorcycles are outlawed.

At about 1pm yesterday, there were traffic jams on major roads as many commuters were rushing home even as there was heavy search operation by the Joint Task Force (JTF).

Major roads in the metropolis were blocked due to the high vehicular movements of motorists.

Many who had gone out without the prior knowledge of the ban on motorcycles had to quickly return home as from 12 noon, making the streets of Maiduguri to be deserted as early as 1pm.

Some residents of the metropolis had to raise their hands while passing through the checkpoints mounted by the military.

Some were stranded at the bus stop while some others had to trek long distance to get home as the motorcycles were not enough.

The available commercial motorcyclists made brisk business by increasing the fares as much as 100 per cent. Many commuters had to part with as much as N300 to get to a distance they normally paid as little as N70.

Mixed reactions have followed the announcement on the ban which was repeated continuously on air on local radio and television stations.

One Abba Modu, a resident, said the ban would add to the hardship of the people of the state, while another resident Aliyu Gana said if the ban would finally bring an end to the menace of the Boko Haram and the high handedness of security agencies then the people should pay the sacrifice.

PRIMATE of the Anglican Communion (Nigeria), Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, yesterday described the persistence of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on Islamic banking as “a follow up to demands by Boko Haram for the application of Sharia law all over the country”.


He said: “In 10 years from now, it will have grown and matured to what it is intended to be - a religious oppressive instrument and tool for social coercion of the poor to convert to Islam,” reiterating that it was “heavily skewed to put other non-interest banking at a disadvantage.”


Addressing newsmen in Agbarha-Otor, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Okoh declared “We have closely followed the CBN Governor as he arranged and rearranged his proposals. The approach of the CBN Governor on the issue of non-interest banking as it affects non-Muslims is less than sincere.”
Arguing that Nigeria’s configuration could not be compared to countries, such as the United Kingdom which, according to him, watch over their constitutions jealously, the Primate called on Sanusi to make adequate arrangement for non-interest banking generally and allow various groups to tap from it.


“Yes, many Nigerians are worried the way and manner the CBN Governor rides rough over other people’s faith to promote Islam. Let it be emphatically said that Islamic banking is not only banking, and should not be left to bankers. It is part and parcel of Islamic evangelism.


“It is a follow up to the OIC membership, the Sharia agenda, awkward membership of D8 and demands by Boko Haram for the application of Sharia all over the country,” he said

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday inaugurated 13 special advisers, saying he did not want special advisers that he would have to advise.

Jonathan had on Wednesday approved the appointment of 18 principal aides, 15 of which are special advisers.

Thirteen of the 15 special advisers took oaths of office at the inauguration in the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja, on Thursday.

It was gathered that the remaining two — Prof. Abubakar Sambo (Energy), and Yakubu Abdullahi, (Political Matters ,Office of the Vice- President) were outside the country.

Those that were inaugurated were Mrs. Sarah Akuben Pane(Social Development); Dr. Tunji Olagunju,(New Partnership for African Development), Mrs. Sarah Jibril, (Ethics and Values); Mr. Oronto Douglas, (Research and Strategy); Senator Joy Emordi, (National Assembly Matters) and Mr. Kingsley Kuku, Special Adviser (Niger Delta Affairs).

Others are Dr. Pius Osunyikanmi,(International Relations), Prof. Dan Adebiyi(Special Duties), Dr. Rueben Abati, (Media and Publicity), Mrs. Asma’u Abdulkadir (Gender Issues), Sullivan Nwakpo (Technical Matters); Mr. Bashir Sufyan (Legal Matters, Office of the Vice-President), and Senator Isaiah Ballat, (Special Duties, Office of the Vice President).

Jonathan, who again said he wouldn’t make a formal speech until all the principal aides had been cleared, stressed that special advisers should have adequate knowledge of the areas they were appointed to advise on, even more than ministers.

He noted that judging by their academic qualifications and professional experience, he expected that the special advicers would not need any advise from him.

Jonathan said, “As special advicers, you are expected to be more knowledgeable in the area that you are to advise even than the ministers.

“Let me share a joke with you. When I was talking about appointing advisers, a friend told me, ‘Mr. President, I hope you will not appoint special advisers that you will advise.’

“From your citations, I am sure l am appointing special advisers that will advise me, not the ones I will advise.”

Congratulating the special advisers on their appointment, Jonathan informed them that the challenges that came with their assignments were enormous.

He said, “I am still reserving my speech, I want to have a comprehensive speech for the government when we finish the last batch of oath-taking.

“But for today, let me congratulate all of you that have been brought on board to work with us.

“You should know that our challenges are quite enormous. If you have been following the papers (newspapers), you should know that people expect a lot from us.”

Cuddlemii:
Ok Hawaii sounds good for the weekend.

But u have to wear a bump short or thong and a lei flower on the Island.

Lets do this. Wait have u made reservations already?

If what to wear is the problem then there is no problem. Yes, I have made reservations for two. **Singing Just for two us**


[quote author=James-dman link=topic=706855.msg8677464#msg8677464 date=1310129541]Who the heck is diz High Chief of a dude, datz flirting wif my babe-2-be? ~~LMAO[/quote]Am sure you dont wanna know bro

Hotie Tima:
i will try

Thanks dear

Pweety4me:
[color=#550077]He needs to really be quiet, don't get me started, mannn who's the 1 making threads tryna find out about my absence?(when i really wasn't, just less active) yu look stu.pid right now so plseee be quiet & sit your Bottom down becus 'hotdamnirock'!! [/color]

I opened that thread just to know if you had gone back to mental home. Pweety4me pls lets call a truce. Abeg

Cuddlemii:
I have a Masseuse that does that already. Will just hook up a section for u.

If you want dinner after wards, I have a chef who speaks strictly Italian.

After your done, my Chauffeur will drive you home

Christmas has come so early for me. I dont need all that you mentioned, lets just take a trip to Hawaii island for a week end and you will never remain the same again

FOUR of the seven members of staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) arrested by the police in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, for allegedly tampering with ballot papers used in the House of Assembly election for Ekiti East Constituency II have been charged to court.

The four suspects - Ojo Oluwafemi (25), Ajayi Gbenga (42), Oni Babajide (37) and Olusola Oladapo (41) - were arraigned before an Ado-Ekiti Magistrate’s Court on a eight-count charge, which included “conspiracy to wit: alter the ballot papers used in the April 2011 House ofAssembly election in Ekiti East Constituency II”.

Oladapo was accused of collecting N180,000 from the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate in the election, Mrs. Anthonia Alaba Omonusi, out of which he gave N50,000 each to Ajayi and Oni, while Ojo got N30,000.

Mrs. Omonusi who is also the Caretaker Chairman of Ekiti East Local Government is said to be at large.

Counsel to the accused persons, Owoseni Ajayi, applied for bail, which the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Moses Lagbo, did not oppose.

Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N20,000 each, with two sureties in like sum, one of whom must be a civil servant. The case was adjourned till August 5, this year, for trial.

Seven INEC officials were arrested on June 24 at an undisclosed hotel, where they were allegedly invalidating ballot papers of the votes said to have been gathered by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election.

They were subsequently detained at the headquarters of the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Ado-Ekiti. Oladapo had been arrested for a similar offence on March 22, 2009, when he was caught with election materials and detained at the Okesa Police Station, Ado-Ekiti.

The PDP candidate, Mr. Dele Ajibola, won the House of Assembly election to Ekiti East Constituency II seat and it is being challenged at the tribunal by the ACN. Already, the ACN had secured an ex parte order from the election petition tribunal, sitting in Ado-Ekiti, to inspect materials used during the election and also carry out a recount of the used ballot papers.

NO fewer than 10 people died when a four-storey building collapsed at Mogaji Street, Ebute-Ero, Lagos Island Local Government Area on Wednesday morning.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that almost all members of the three different families who resided in the No. 4 residence on the street were still trapped in the debris at press time.

However, the Lagos State Emergency Agency (LASEMA) had since rescued the Secretary of Community Development Association (CDA), Mr Tajudeen Adeyemi, and his wife who were also trapped in the collapsed building.

It was learnt that many people were still trapped in the rubble late on Wednesday night.

According to a message from blackberry, which was passed round last night, those trapped had been making distress calls from under the rubble.

Investigation revealed that some of the rescued victims were taken to Lagos and Gbagada hospitals by the Lagos Mobile Ambulance officials, while the remains of the dead people were deposited at mortuaries for autopsy.

According to the councillor of Ward A3, Honourable Shewu Tijani Adisa Makanjuola, who witnessed the tragedy: “The building cracked and sank at exactly 11.30p.m. on Tuesday night and youths in our area commenced rescue operation, while we called the security to alert the state government which responded promptly.

“The quick response of LASEMA, the police, LASAMBUS, fire service officials, with the assistance of youths in the area saved the situation, because it could have been worse than this,” he said.

Some of the youth that were involved in the rescue operation disclosed that only people who lived on the fourth, third and some on the second floors could be rescued, while those on the first and ground floors were still trapped in the rubble.

Reacting to the tragedy, the General Manager, LASEMA, Dr Oluwafemi Osanyintolu, said that the rescue operation was in top gear, adding that government would ensure that all trapped people were rescued.

“We are still here to make sure that we rescue all the people that had been trapped and take care of them immediately,” he said.

Commenting, the state Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr Wale Ahmed, described the incident as a big tragedy and unwelcome development. He said: “In spite of the state government’s efforts directing residents to report defective buildings, the people have always refused to do so.”

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Central Business District (CBD), Mrs Derin Disu, described the incident as another tragedy and regrettable, vowing that the state government would find drastic solution to incessant building collapse in the state.

“There is going to be drastic solution to the problem, even if it needs that some structures found to be weak would be pulled down, after the ongoing test being carried out by government agency in charge. Standard of living has to be improved in this area. We want to restore Lagos to the old glory. CBD areas have to be of international standard,” she remarked.

In another development, no fewer than six people were, on Wednesday morning, crushed to death and several others injured by a commercial bus whose driver lost control around Iyana Joju Bus Stop, in Sango Ota, Ogun State.

Some of the identified deceased of the early Wednesday incident in Sango were two commercial motorcyclists, a snacks vendor and a yet-to-be identified fresh graduate, who was waiting for a vehicle.

The Mazda bus involved in the accident reportedly had brake failure around Igbala Bus Stop, while the driver was on a top speed.

In order not to crash into vehicles, he swerved to the roadside and crashed into the motorcyclists and the hawker.

The bus was reportedly coming from Ifo and was heading towards Lagos when the incident happened, resulting in a commotion, as parents of wards at a nearby primary school in the area rushed to the scene to pick up their children.

When the Nigerian Tribune visited the scene, people were seen in groups lamenting and discussing the incident, while a portion of the road was soaked with blood of victims of the accident.

For Kofoworola, Sai’aid, a 21- year-old woman currently being held in police custody for alleged murder, the world couldn’t have been more cruel. At a tender age, her father separated from her mother.

But because of her age, a magistrate court granted her custody to the mother. Having managed to graduate from Festac Grammar school with poor grades, Kofoworola was already on the streets helping her mother in her petty trade.

In a short while, she was impregnated by a man who flatly denied responsibility. She was left with no alternative than to start fending for herself and the baby.

Soon, she was introduced into ‘night runs’ and she started visiting clubs across the state. The dark complexioned and well shaped only child of her mother said she took to prostitution to keep body and soul together especially, when she discovered that her mother could not carry on the responsibility of fending for her and her three -year-old baby girl.

However, fate dealt a cruel blow on her recently when she ventured out as usual at about 3.30am in search of ‘customers’ for the night. Curiously, the man that appeared to be a prospective customer for the remaining hour of the day turned out to be after her life.

But in defense, she killed the man. Today, only fate can safe her from being confined to jail forever.

Narrating her ordeal to Crime Alert, Kofoworola who fought tears said, “Honestly it was not my intention to be going out at night to hunt for men for money.

Not even though my father has separated from my mother, he is rich except that he does not take care of us simply because he said I should come and be living with him which I objected to.

My mother sells petty wares along the road. I had to hit the roads to make ends meet after being impregnated by an unprepared man who also denied me.

That day, I had come out around past 3.00am and wanted to go to a particular club because I had to pay my daughter’s school fees. Suddenly, one man pulled by my side and demanded where I was going to and I told him.

He asked me to enter. When we were close to where I was going to, he suddenly accelerated even when I was screaming that he had driven past the place.

He later drove to a spot, a dark place and asked me to pull off my trousers which I obeyed because he was holding a knife. He said, I should give him a ‘Mouth Action’ but I begged him to have sexual intercourse with me instead that I was not into MouthAction.

He started forcing me and grabbed my bag that contained trousers and other items. He soon zoomed off again while I was screaming for help. We got to Borno road and I saw some people and started screaming aloud but nobody came to my rescue.

Suddenly, I summoned courage and started dragging the knife with him while still shouting for help. In between time, two soldiers came out and was banging on the vehicle and ordering him to open the door. But he refused.

But I think God was on my side, I was able to collect the knife from him and stabbed him in the chest before forcing myself out of the vehicle. Meanwhile, he had stabbed me on the laps, ankle and hands.

Eventually, he came out opened the bonnet of the car while the soldiers stayed afar thinking he wanted to bring a more dangerous weapon. He slumped and rolled by the car.

It was the soldiers that later called in the police who said the man was dead. The police then took me away and here I am for days now without seeing my daughter.”

The Lagos State Government on Wednesday warned that it would not allow the manipulation of the result of the proposed psychiatric test to be conducted on Mr. Akolade Arowolo, the man, who allegedly killed his banker wife, Titilayo, on June 24 in Isolo area of the state.

The government, which showed its interest in the saga during a visit by a group, Gender-Based Violence Response Network, to the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said it would verify every step after the test had been conducted.

“Arowolo (Akolade) should not hide under psychiatric problem. This matter should be properly investigated and the husband brought to book. We will not give room for any form of manipulation. Every report of the test will be verified,” she said.

The state also indicated its intention to medically evaluate Olamide, the couple’s only child, and to treat her if need be.

“We will visit the family and evaluate and monitor the child. That girl will live with a stigma of being a child of a father that killed her mummy. We will do something for her,” she said.

Orelope-Adefulire added that the saga would be a test case for the state’s law on domestic violence and would also serve as a deterrent to other men who abused their wives.

She said that protests from women in the state was no longer enough to stop the violence on women by men and urged women to speak out so that wife beaters could be prosecuted.

“This case is not an ordinary one. I am sick inside and I have realised that women have a long way to go to protect other women. The Lagos State Child Right Law and Domestic Violence Law must be implemented. Marriage should not turn a woman into a slave. We need to live to take care of our children,” the deputy governor said.

Orelope-Adefulire, who expressed emotion during her address, urged the policemen investigating the case to do their job properly and not be influenced in any way.

Earlier, the leader of the group, Mrs. Josephine Chukwuma, described Titilayo’s death as gruesome and animalistic.

She said the incident should not be treated as a private matter and urged Orelope-Adefulire to help ensure transparency in every step of the investigation on the issue.

Another member of the group, Ms. Agatha Amata, called for a re-orientation on domestic violence. “It is something everybody should be concerned about. Lagos should provide telephone lines so that people could call to report any abuse,” she said.

HUNDREDS of prospective 2011 batch ‘B’ National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members posted to the northern part of the country yesterday lay siege to the headquarters of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with a view to obtaining redeployment to other parts of the country.

The corps members who would be sworn-in today after the registration exercise closes by 12 a.m. this morning, were seen at the entrance of the NYSC headquarters with some placards reading, “We don’t want to go to Bornu or Bauchi state;” “We don’t want to be killed like others” and so on.

The NYSC public relation officer was unavailable for comments on the development, as she was said to be on tour.

But a director in the NYSC who spoke with The Guardian on condition of anonymity, reiterated the position of the scheme on the matter, saying the prospective corps members should first resume for registration and the orientation course, which will last for three weeks, at wherever they were posted after which they could apply for relocation.

The director added: “If they are not registered, then they cannot be redeployed. We posted 95,000 corps members this time, if we stay here saying we are redeploying them, what time do we have for the orientation?

But The Guardian learnt that almost all the 633 corps members posted to Bauchi State have reported to the Wailo Permanent Orientation Camp preparatory for the swearing in ceremony scheduled for today.

Bauchi State Coordinator of the NYSC, Ibrahim Tizi, yesterday expressed the preparedness of his office to conduct the orientation exercise, assuring that all arrangements have been made to ensure that the corps members had a good and memorable stay in camp.

Tizi stressed that adequate security arrangements have been made to ensure that all the corps members were secure while at the camp and when eventually posted out for their primary assignments within the state, saying: “Bauchi State is a safe place to be.”

The protest might not be unconnected with the violence that trailed last April’s general elections in which some corps members were killed in a number of northern states and raging fatal attacks by the Boko Haram sect members across the north.

When The Guardian visited the NYSC headquarters yesterday, scores of prospective corps members from the south posted to states like Kano, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe were seen waiting to get the attention of the scheme’s authorities for redeployment to other states outside the north.

A mother of one of them who spoke with The Guardian said she would not allow her daughter posted to Sokoto.

Her words: “She is my life and if anything happens to her I will blame my myself. She graduated from Madonna University. I will never allow her to go to that state. If any mishap happens and the government comes with their N5 million compensation, that can never be worth my daughter’s life.”

Some of the corps members who spoke with reporters cited insecurity in the north as their reasons for seeking redeployment.

One of them, Amah Emmanuel, said: “Yesterday, there was still an attack on the Custom, if they could defy such security personnel, what do you think they would do to corps members that have no security training? We don’t even know how safe it is to travel from here to Borno State.



http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53710:corps-members-besiege-nysc-over-posting-to-borno-others&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

The welled-up hope of a stable power supply in the country may yet wait a while before it becomes a reality, given the not-very-bright picture painted by Professor Barth Nnaji, a minister-designate, who was cleared Wednesday by the Senate.

Nnaji explained that there would be a concerted effort to increase the present megawatts generated by 1000 this year and another 1000 next year. The nation currently generates about 3,400 megawatts.

But the minister-designate expressed confidence that the nation could hit a 15,000- megawatt target by 2014, at which time electricity supply would be stable and guaranteed.

Nnaji, a former special adviser to the president on energy, gave the explanations while answering senators’ questions during the confirmation hearing session.

According to him, the government was planning to have four sources of power. These, he said, were the existing power plants, which had a generating capacity of over 5,000 megawatts but which were currently generating about 2,400 megawatts; the existing Independent Power Plants (IPPs) owned by Shell and Agip; the bulk traders who were expected to buy about 6,000 megawatts of power from private companies; as well as the hydro and coal power plants in Mambilla and Zungeru.

Nnaji argued that “if you calculate the amount of power that will come from all the four sources within the next two years, you would have crossed the 10,000 megawatts because they are already being constructed, and will soon be completed, and by 2014, we should be reaching about 15,000 megawatts.”

President Goodluck Jonathan had said stable electricity supply was a major plank of his administration’s transformation agenda for the country.

The Federal High Court, Abuja,Wednesday dismissed a motion for interlocutory injunction seeking to restrain President Goodluck Jonathan from reappointing Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke as a Minister of Petroleum Resources and seeking to restrain the Senate from screening and confirming her.

This motion was based on an originating summons filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja on behalf of Makelemi Erhuvwurotu and Afri Network For Environmental & Economic Justice Limited by their lawyer, G.M Oguntade (SAN).

They are seeking a declaration that Alison-Madueke did not undergo the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and was therefore not qualified to be a minister by virtue of the provisions of the National Youth Service Corps Act.

Upon a request by the plaintiff’s counsel, Oguntade, to withdraw the motion for injunction, Alison-Madueke’s counsel, Mr. Etigwe Uwa (SAN), argued that having regard to the stage of the proceedings and particularly the fact that she had responded to the motion for injunction and filed copious papers indicating that the prayer for the injunction was unmeritorious, an application for withdrawal of the motion by the counsel to the plaintiffs was like escaping through the side door when the contest was about to begin.

These submissions by Uwa were re-enforced by the counsel to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. D.D. Dodo (SAN).

The presiding judge, Justice J.O. Kolawole, dismissed the motion for interlocutory injunction.

During the proceedings, Uwa complained to the court about publications of the court processes in the newspapers without any prior order of the court and also a publication wherein the plaintiffs made far-reaching prejudicial comments about the swearing-in of Alison-Madueke in spite of the suit.

He argued that the publications amounted to a gross abuse of court process and explained that the plaintiffs deliberately tried to make a spurious and self-imposed case of urgency, having known of the matters about which they approached the court for over four years.

Dodo also complained to the court about the conduct of the plaintiffs in making unjustified attacks on the president in the media.

He explained that the plaintiffs were indolent in bringing the action only a day to the confirmation of the hearings at the Senate.

Dodo further explained that the president had no notice of the action as the court papers were served on the AGF at the time there was no AGF when it was virtually impossible to bring the action to the notice of the president.

The court chastised Oguntade for the conduct of the plaintiffs in fighting the case on the pages of newspapers. He stated that if any party crossed the Rubicon and published any material that was contemptuous of the court, he would not hesitate to impose the full sanctions of the law on such party.

Oguntade then apologised to the court for the media campaign.

The matter has been adjourned till July 27, 2011 for the court to hear arguments on the merit based on the originating summons.

The petition filed by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) challenging the result of the 2011 presidential election has run into stormy waters, as the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, has adjourned indefinitely, hearing on President Goodluck Jonathan application asking it to dismiss the petition because it was filed on Sunday, which was a non-working day.

Presiding judge, Ayo Salami, adjourned indefinitely the tribunal's ruling on whether to dismiss the petition or not.

At yesterday's sitting, Wole Olanipekun, counsel to Mr Jonathan, said Sunday was a non-working day and that the registry of the court, under the applicable rules, is not to be opened on a Sunday for the transaction of any business.

Mr Olanipekun further argued that the CPC could not show cause why they filed the petition on Sunday, since they had two more days to exhaust the 21 filing days as guaranteed by the Electoral Act and cited a statute, Sunday of Servant Act of 1677, which states that "no public business should be carried out on Sunday."

The lawyer also said the tribunal should dismiss the petition because it was not properly constituted, as Muhammadu Buhari and Tunde Bakare, for whose benefit the petition was filed, were not made parties to the petition.

Mr Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are challenging the legitimacy of the petition filed by the CPC seeking to nullify the April 16 presidential election. In the objection, Mr Jonathan and PDP said that the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the petition.

Joe Gadzama, counsel to the PDP, aligned himself with Jonathan's counsel to seek the dismissal of the petition.

"The prayers/reliefs of the petitioner cannot be granted in the absence of Buhari and Bakare," Mr Gadzama said.

He also said the petition, having been filed on Sunday, which is a non working day, should be dismissed.

The lawyers said the petition was a gross abuse of the processes of the court and that it dealt with hypothetical and academic issues, which could not be determined by the court.

According to Mr Jonathan and his running mate, Namadi Sambo, the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the petition because some of the grounds relied upon by the petitioner were pre-election matters which could not be determined by an election tribunal.

Open for business

But Ebun Sofunde, counsel to the CPC, told the court that the provisions cited by Mr Olanipekun cannot be read in isolation of Section 150 of the Evidence Act.

According to him, it has not been suggested that the petitioners forced the registry of the court open, saying it is the person objecting to the validity of the filing that ought to file an affidavit that there was no directive for the registry to open, even as he submitted that the question of the last day of filing is totally irrelevant.

He urged the court to dismiss all the objections raised and allow the petition, more so that two of the reliefs sought by the petitioners were not attacked.

"Since the tribunal registry was open for business on Sunday, it makes the petition deemed as properly filed," he said.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission, its chairman, Attahiru Jega; Goodluck Jonathan, Namadi Sambo, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Resident Electoral Commissioners for the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The CPC is contesting the result of the election in about 20 states of the federation. Though a copy of the petition was not made available to journalists, Mr Sofunde said the election was non-complaint with the Electoral Act 2010 alleging irregularities.

They are to call 151 witnesses to prove their case.

The tribunal had recently ordered the INEC to provide to the CPC the list of local contractors engaged by the commission to print ballot papers used in the presidential election.

The tribunal had granted the application of the CPC, seeking its order directing INEC to allow it unfettered access to ballot papers and other electoral materials used in the April presidential election in the custody of the electoral body.

FIVE years after she left the cabinet of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Managing Director at the World Bank, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday spoke on why she returned to the United States (U.S.) in 2006.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was appointed as the Finance Minister in 2003 during Obasanjo’s second term and was later moved to the Foreign Affairs Ministry before she called it quit.

It was speculated then that Obasanjo sacked her because she complained that she was not comfortable at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

President Goodluck Jonathan has chosen her to lead his Economic Management Team from 2011 to 2015 to achieve the Vision 20:2020 goal.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, a Harvard University-trained economist, who was at the Senate for screening yesterday declared that she left on her own in 2006, insisting that it was erroneous for anybody to insinuate that she was sacked.

“I was not dismissed or sacked. I left on my own after serving the country for more than three years. When you served your country meritoriously for three years, anywhere in the world, kudos must be given to you”.

“I did not run away. I was here but I resigned. When I was determined that I could no longer perform and give to the country the way that I would want, I resigned, which is the honourable thing to do. So, I did not run away.

“When the circumstances are appropriate to serve, you serve and if they are not appropriate, you go and do something else. I think three years plus of service is quite substantial, not only in Nigeria but elsewhere. In other countries, it is regarded as a good amount of time to have given the country and I intend to implement my mandate. If I am cleared, I will do my job.” she said.

She also carpetted the management of the Nigerian economy over the continuous depletion of foreign reserves, despite increasing international crude prices and the disproportion in the ratio of recurrent expenditure to capital budget.

Okonjo-Iweala warned against the determination of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to strengthen the value of the naira and declared that it was the reason that the foreign reserve was being depleted.

“I believe that right now, we are one of the few countries in the world and this was also what we found in 2003 that our oil prices are high and yet, we are losing reserves. It shouldn’t be because we should be increasing our reserves.

“At the same time, I am aware that part of the reasons our reserve is dwindling may be due to the decision to support the naira. I don’t think it is something that is untoward but if we want to revalue the naira, this will not be the time to think about it.”

While not totally against a country defending its currency, the former Minister of Finance said that it should wait “until things are more stable”.

“We are growing our economy, we are creating jobs, we make sure our young people are working and the sectors we have are really giving what they should before we think in those steps.”

She cautioned against the hasty manner in which the CBN was going about the implementation of its cash withdrawal and deposit limit as it has the potential of driving people away from the banks.

“Other countries are trying to use electronics and other means of transaction. I think that we should also be a little careful because it might have the opposite effect. If you implement a minimum or a maximum withdraw, people will decide to keep money in their mattresses and not put them in the bank because they will think they will not be able to withdraw them. We have to go about it carefully. I like the objective of moving towards a cashless society, but I think we should implement it with deliberation”.

On budgetting, she criticised the 2011 Budget which devoted 74 per cent of total spending and only 26 per cent to capital.

“In the previous government where I served, we tried very hard to put in place sensible fiscal policy that would enable us to have a reasonable fiscal deficit, but also reasonable policies that would enable us to implement the projects that were being financed by the resources of this country.

“I strongly believe that we should try as a country as much as possible to live within our means. Right now, we need to work very hard because the budget that we have is such that the current expenditure is almost 74 per cent of the budget. Therefore, there is not as much left for capital, so we need to work hard to put in place a proper framework to continue to implement fiscal policies that will enable us to tackle the various challenges in the economy while at the same time living within our means,” she said.

She insisted that the main problem with the economy has to do with creating jobs, adding that unemployment rate in the country now stands at between 14 and 16 per cent but that the figure was little compared with very large under-employment.

“The issue is how to make the economy growing in a way that it will create jobs. So, those fiscal policies have to be supportive of sectors that are going to be job creating, because we now have growth, but we need to translate that growth into jobs. Those are the kinds of fiscal policies that we need to encourage. We should privatise sectors that are job creating and try to see how we can invest in those,” she explained.

Speaking on joint venture arrangement with the oil majors, Okonjo-Iweala said it was a standard practice all over the world but that a country’s negotiators must be patriotic and knowledgeable during negotiation to get the best for the country.

“The major oil companies withdrew, citing lack of transparency, but that will make us to be able to show the world that we are capable of running our oil sector in an open and transparent way. I am not exactly sure why they thought that particular bidding was not transparent and you can imagine that the Minister of Petroleum, whoever is designated to that sector, would also be able to collaborate in terms of ensuring that the needed transparency is there to the benefit of everyone. That is all I can say. I am certainly in favour of that. I am sure the Minister will do the needful to make sure that the sector is also transparent and if people feel it is not, that is something we need to determine.

“I don’t believe we are the only country that has this kind of joint venture type of investment in the oil sector. I think the problem is that overtime, we have have difficulty in meeting our joint venture obligations but I don’t see anything wrong with them joint ventures per se. I think in the beginning, if you are going to go that route, you really need to have strong presence and advise to make sure that what you negotiate really would be to the country at the end of the day”.

The nominee also described industrialisation as very critical for the development of the country.

“I think this is really critical, I heard of Prof Nnaji talk about how because of lack of power, we have become de-industrialised. Many countries are closing, I heard some of our senators saying that we need power to make our manufacturing sector work. To achieve the kind of industrialisation we want, we need to tackle some basic infrastructure need and I believe we should prioritise these sectors that will contribute to strengthening our manufacturing and industrial sector in the budget and if we do that, we also have to have accountability for the use of the money. All on each amount that is directed to a sector, I believe we should demand result and we should monitor to make sure that those results are produced overtime.

“I think that N18,000 minimum wage we can manage, but that is not the only element in the budget. I know the states are having some issues with trying to pay. I think that, hopefully, we can work with the governors to see how they can pay the wage.

“We have other types of overhead expenditure which are also contributing to eating up the budget and we must ask ourselves this question. Are we going to be a country that is not able to release enough resources to invest in the future? We are talking of investing in power, we are talking of investing in roads and yet the money that we get in the federal budget is not adequate to go into those areas. What are we going to do? We need all your help, distinguished Senators. To make this happen is not a job for Mr. President alone,” she stated.

Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday cleared Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, Prof. Barth Nnaji, Erelu Olusola Obada and Prof. Ita Okon Bassey Ewa as ministers.

Others cleared are Comrade Aba Moro, Dr. Samuel Iorear Ortom, Mrs. Viola Onwuliri, Senator Idris Umar and Mr. Olusegun Aganga.

But contrary to the fireworks expected in the screening of Aganga, his screening and subsequent clearing was smooth and devoid of any rancour.

As is the custom, Umar was merely asked to bow and go. Mohammed was also asked to bow and go on account of his being PDP leader, Moro because he rose from grass to grace having started life as a garage tout and Ortom because he was the Director-General of Senate President David Mark’s Campaign Organisation.

Answering questions, Nnaji said it was only a segment of the junior staff of one of the three industrial unions of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) that is opposed to his becoming minister.

“There are three unions in electricity. You have the pension union, they have not opposed. You have the senior staff union, they don’t seem to be opposed. You have the junior staff union and it is a segment of the junior staff that is doing the opposition. But it is fear of the unknown.

“You have two types of fear here, one is fear of change and in any place where there is a reform in the world, this fear will hold the people in that sector and so, it is not different here. Thy are afraid of change. The second is fear of job loss. They are afraid that they will lose their jobs. But it does not make sense to us because we cannot manufacture workers from the air, it must be the same workers that are in the sector that will ultimately cooperate the sector.

“The problem is you have NEPA 1 who will be the one that will actually go to disconnect you and NEPA 2 will reconnect you with a fee. So, such people will no longer have capacity to do this sort of thing to a nation. Upon privatisation, the new owners of the companies may decide not to keep such workers that were incompetent. Anybody who is operating a business will want the people who are working to be competent. It is just normal.

“The plan is not to just leave the workers out there in the cold. The plan had been to enable us ensure that the workers benefit are taken care of and also apart from state government and the Federal Government, it is only the workers that are going to have shares in the companies. So, it is just fear.

“We believe that a segment of the workers union has been hijacked by interest groups. Those who get contracts and those who are awarding contracts. Those who want change, those who want status quo”, he said.

Nnaji dispelled fears that the huge investments in the power sector eventually went down the drain because the outcome of some of the investment will be seen in the National Independent Power Project which will be in the quantum of 4,000 megawatts.

He declared that the Federal Government does not have the money required to tackle the electricity problem as a result was talking of about $3.5 billion for generation on the average per year.

“The distinguished Senate will know how difficult it is to give that to a single sector for a year. When you now add transmission, which has a serious infrastructure crisis and then distribution and then we talk about gas, then you will be talking about almost $10 billion per year on the average over the next ten years to reach where we are going. And that is impossibility,” he said.

He lamented that many industries have died in Nigeria because of power inadequacy and cited the instance that he accompanied President Goodluck Jonathan to Kano where “we saw that 90 per cent of the industries have died due to lack of power. 40 percent of production cost comes from power.”

Aganga also decried the level of recurrent to capital expenditure of federal budgets.

He said: “The level of expenditure has increased significantly. Five years ago, it was N1.6 trillion. In 2009, it went up to N3 trillion. In 2010, N4 trillion and in 2011, it is going to go to N4.4 trillion. That is hard giving the level of revenue we have today. The second challenge we have is the level of our recurrent expenditure.

“In 2009, it represented 30 per cent of total expenditure. In 2010, it represented 73 per cent of expenditure and in 2011, it is going to be 74 per cent of the expenditure. What that means is that the amount we are investing in infrastructure and development is less than 30 per cent of total expenditure, so how can you develop as a country?”

He explained that that has been the case in the last 10 years and revealed that recurrent expenditure in 2009 extended beyond the total revenue.

Pweety4me:
[color=#550077]^^Shut up![/color]

I will let that pass

Hotie Tima:
ooo girl he wants to slap some sense into ya

You know you have a way of talking to her the way she understands, pls let her know what to expect if I should meet her

Cuddlemii:
How about I take you for a haircut instead?

On one condition: You give me a nice massage after the haircut