₦airaland Forum

I think they are banking on the road being free with the additional one lane. There are no dedicated lanes for the BRT buses plying the 3rd mainland bridge.

I am not sure that assumption that the road will be free with the expansion will hold for too long.

The reality is that once a new road is constructed in an area or a road is given a major facelift, more people move to that area eventually congesting the road if not properly sized.

I hope the LCC has done a proper sizing or else the road will soon be congested.

Sarkozy vs. Strauss-Kahn: Sex as a Weapon?

Nicolas Sarkozy and Dominique Stauss-Kahn were never friends — one conservative, the other Socialist, their political ambitions setting them on a collision course. Yet, soon after Sarkozy's 2007 election as President of France, he surprised most people by nominating Strauss-Kahn to be Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, a heartening reach across party lines. Others, however, saw a more devious motive: Sarkozy was moving his most potent challenger to the IMF's Washington, D.C. headquarters and depriving the freshly defeated Socialist Party of his charisma and leadership. The last four years, according to political observers in France, have been full of similar subtle and not-so-subtle maneuvers as both men prepared for what had been prophesied as a fierce battle for the French Presidency in 2012.

Sarkozy has taken the requisite "innocent until proven guilty" position about Strauss-Kahn and his catastrophic legal situation in the U.S. But few observers believe the French President is grieving. Sarkozy knew he had been lucky back in 2007 not to have faced the popular Strauss-Kahn at the polls (instead, the Socialists fielded the attractive but disorganized Ségolène Royal.) During a 2006 lunch discussion, a Sarkozy adviser told TIME how relieved he and his boss were that Strauss-Kahn was not running. "Of course," said the adviser with a smile, "if he did run, he'd probably ruin his own chances by getting caught in some woman's bed." (See pictures of Sarkozy in the U.S.)

Indeed, certain analysts argue that the French President may have been betting on rather cynical odds: that by sending a notorious libertine to the puritanical Mecca of America in the first place — and to the political correct strictures of the rigid IMF in particular — Sarkozy was simply giving Strauss-Kahn enough rope to hang himself with. That may explain why it was that on Monday, the daily Le Figaro quoted Sarkozy responding to the news out of New York with a reminder that he'd alerted Strauss-Kahn of the risks of being a seducteur. "I warned him about this!"

Sarkozy wasn't the only one. Shortly after Strauss-Kahn won the IMF job, Jean Quatremer — a journalist for the left-leaning Libération, wrote in an otherwise glowing profile of Strauss-Kahn that "the only real problem for Strauss-Kahn is his relation to women. Too forward. He often borders on harassment. It is a problem known to the media but that nobody talks about (we are in France). And the IMF is an international organization with Anglo-Saxon sensibilities. One out-of-line move and, "

Already sensitive to the issue, Strauss-Kahn's staff were not happy with the comment. This week Quatremer recalled that "a few hours after the publication of this piece, I receive a call from Ramzi Khiroun, one of Dominique Strauss-Kahn communcation people: 'We know you like DSK [as he is known in France] and we don't understand at all why your published this piece.' The tone was friendly (he spoke to me with the informal 'tu' although we'd never met), not angry, just saddened: how could I have done such an underhanded thing to his mentor?,  I knew that I was breaking a taboo. And Ramzi Khiroun even dared to ask me to erase the piece from my blog 'so as not to harm Dominique.' Such a scene is unimaginable in a modern democracy."

As it turned out, Quatremer (and Sarkozy) were prescient. In 2008, Strauss-Kahn was forced to admit he'd engaged in a sexual affair with Hungarian economist Piroska Nagy — who was his subordinate at the IMF. It was not quite the fatal misstep: Strauss-Kahn, though reprimanded, kept his job. Nagy eventually lost hers as part of a cost-cutting measure. (Have Sex Assault Charges Killed the Presidential Hopes of the IMF Chief?)

But that career crisis focused Strauss-Kahn and his staff on the fact that his sexual behavior could be used as a weapon against him when he eventually returned to French politics. A team of political advisers and communications experts was dispatched to Washington to help him spin the Nagy scandal and limit the PR damage. As part of that, according to D.S.K.: The Secrets of a Presidential Contender, a 2010 book about Strauss-Kahn, his minders told their boss to "stick to business and forget his hormone count." A seemingly contrite Strauss-Kahn appeared to do just that, not only dedicating himself to his increasingly urgent (and much-applauded) IMF response to successive economic crises around the world, but also working with French media to restore his image as a dedicated husband.

[b]French conservative officials loyal to Sarkozy watched in horror as Strauss-Kahn's already high approval numbers resumed their ascent. A poll in late 2009 found that Strauss-Kahn was the leading figure the French public said it wanted to see play a larger role in the future. Meanwhile, Sarkozy's own s ratings continued to decline, setting record lows for the post-war French presidency. Sarkozy allies decided to escalate the sex war, voicing overt warnings in the press that they'd go public with proof of Strauss-Kahn's lamentable private behavior if he chose to run for president — referring to long-rumored incriminating photos of Strauss-Kahn caught in flagrante delicto. A book that came out around the time quoted a Sarkozy intimate and the ruling party's spokesman noting that if Strauss-Kahn ever ran for president "he wouldn't last a week. We have the photos — they exist! We'll pass them around, and the French people wouldn't like that." Strauss-Kahn responded by threatening a libel suit; the party spokesman denied having ever made the statement. (See what Strauss-Kahn's arrest means for the IMF.)

The rumored photos have been bandied about as a potential weapon for years. One political analyst said 18 months ago that he wagered Strauss-Kahn would never run for president, because "in addition to all the stories of his sexual activity, there are photographs. They're real. And no politician would ever survive what's in them if they ever went public." An advisor to a current government minister told TIME that while he'd never seen the photographs, he had it on solid grounds that they not only existed, but could even lead to criminal charges.

The goading rumors clearly got under Strauss-Kahn's skin. As first reported by the weekly Le Point, at the G20 meeting in September 2009 in Pittsburgh, he cornered the president as both men stood before neighboring urinals, warning Sarkozy, "I've had more than enough of the repeated rumors about my private life and the supposed files and photos that could come out to undermine me. I know it's all coming from the Elysée. So tell your boys to stop or I'll take legal action." Sarkozy reportedly denied having any hand in the campaign.[/b]

The pictures, if they ever existed, have never materialized. But Strauss-Kahn was obsessed with their being used as a threat. At the end of April, at an informal meeting with editors of the left-leaning daily Libération, he railed that "For years people have said there are photos of giant sin assemblies but I've never seen any of them turn up,  Why don't they produce them, then?"

If the charges against him prove to be true, Strauss-Kahn's enemies no longer need to produce any kind of photographs. With reporting by Jeffrey T. Iverson/Paris



http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2072481,00.html?xid=rss-fullworld-yahoo

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy speaks to International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn at the opening of the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris February 18, 2011.

Another report to counter the VP's query on privatised companies that are not functioning?

johnie:
Who are the new owners of these companies?

Who was the yard concessioned to?

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=666278.msg8311385#msg8311385


https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-663363.160.html#msg8347079

Work begins on largest fertiliser plant in PH .

Wednesday, 18 May 2011 00:00 Ignatius Chukwu    . .

The proposed fertiliser plant coming on stream at the Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited (EPCL) complex will be the largest single trainurea (fertiliser) plant in the world, and this is official. By this, Indorama Corporation, core investors in the EPCL, has confirmed

BusinessDay’s Monday front page scoop on plans to splash $1.8 billion on building two plants - one for fertilizer and the other for methanol, an alternative fuel substance. Methanol is indicated as “a poisonous alcohol, a colourless volatile poisonous water-soluble liquid used as solvent, fuel, and used in antifreeze for motor vehicles”.

BusinessDay can confirm that already, a lot of work has been done in the technical surveys, environmental impact assessment, land development, adequate power supply and gas availability, while local employment is also in progress. These projects are targeted to commence production between 2014 and 2015, it was gathered.

EPCL said in a statement in Port Harcourt Tuesday that President Goodluck Jonathan has given his nod for the establishment of the two plants. The federal government, through the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), retains 25 per cent equity in EPCL, ostensibly to give an oversight power in the investment and to protect national interest, while Indorama (with the Rivers State government) has 75 per cent.

Confirming the new investment, the managing director, Munish Mundra, said substantial work has already commenced in Port Harcourt for the new plants. A press release issued in Port Harcourt by Jossy Nkwocha, Special Adviser to the MD/Head, Corporate Communications, confirmed that the fertiliser plant will be “the largest single train Urea Plant in the world; and once these plants are commissioned, EPCL’s Port Harcourt complex will be one of the largest petrochemical companies in Africa.”

The statement further confirmed BusinessDay’s story that the chairman of Indorama Corporation, S.P.Lohia, who saw EPCL through to success after the 2006 privatisation process as the first MD/CEO, met with President Jonathan Monday evening at the Presidential Villa in Abuja where the approval was given.

The press release quoted the President as saying that he was quite happy with the plans of the Indorama group to build world-class fertiliser and methanol plants in Nigeria, promising to give the company all the support it required to make the project a success for the benefit of Nigerians and the company.

Nkwocha noted that the chairman of Indorama had earlier informed the President that the fertiliser plant, when completed, would deliver one million tons of ammonia and urea fertilisers annually for Nigeria’s agricultural and industrial purposes. The methanol plant, he said, would also serve as alternative fuel for public transportation and for industries to enhance the energy sector.

On May 17, the MD, Mundra, formally announced the multi-billion naira projects adding that the company was also adding Low Density Polypropylene (LDPE) production facilities in Port Harcourt.

According to the release, Mundra is very optimistic that the project will greatly enhance the economy of Nigeria through employment generation, availability of enough fertiliser for agricultural and industrial use and for exports, revenue to government in terms of taxes, levies and VAT; dividend payments to shareholders, and development of the host communities. “We are committed to the development of the economy of Nigeria and the welfare of the Nigerian people through our investments,” Mundra said.

Indorama has been a touted as a great success story in the Public-Private Partnership programme in Nigeria, despite the initial tantrums against former president Olusegun Obasanjo and the BPE boss at the time, Irene Chigbue. Its success is being cited by one and all as a model to be emulated and its commitment to Nigeria is being reinforced by these new investments.

So far, Indorama has been able to create jobs, both direct and indirect, in the troubled Niger Delta and has also contributed significantly to the economy of the nation through employment opportunities, taxes, import substitution, export earnings, among others. Stakeholders have lauded its effort in nurturing local talents and for being a well managed organisation in Nigeria.

Indorama invested a total of $400 million in 2006 as a core investor in the privatised EPCL and it has since revamped the company to full capacity production, turning Nigeria into a net exporter of plastic resins (polypropylene and polyethylene) besides meeting the needs of the local plastic industry.


http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/news/76-hot-topic/21623-work-begins-on-largest-fertiliser-plant-in-ph

I believe these news reports must have been based on a press release issued by NESTOIL in response to the recent questions raised about the pipeline to the Alaoji IPP.

Power: Nestoil Completes NGC-Alaoji Gas Pipeline Project
By Chika Amanze-Nwachuku

18 May 2011

Federal Government’s bid to ensure availability of adequate gas to power the National Integrated Power Plants (NIPPs) has received a major boost as an indigenous company, Nestoil Plc has completed the construction of 18 inch Kilometre gas pipelines at Alaoji and Owaza in Abia State.
The contract was awarded by the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on August 31, 2010, with a completion date fixed for February 28, 2011.

The 18 inch by 3.2 KM Class 600 Gas pipeline and 18inch x 0.9KM class 600 Gas pipeline was aimed at ensuring the availability of gas at an affordable rate for domestic consumption especially in areas that have significant multiplier effect on the national economy.
The project manager, Mr. Michael Nnanna, who confirmed the completion and inauguration of the gas pipeline projects to THISDAY Tuesday night said the company has also completed the new 50mmscfd capacity Pressure Regulating facilities at Aba and the modularised Pressure Regulating and Metering facilities at Alaoji would boost electricity supply in the state.

The pipeline construction , according to him, was completed on February, 25, 2011, ahead of the set date, while commissioning of the Pressure Regulating Facilities at the NGC, Aba Metering Station was achieved with LP Gas introduction on February 28th, 2011, with the Pipeline system at Owaza commissioned on March 1, 2011.
He said the testing and Commissioning of the Alaoji main gas pipeline commenced on February 28th, 2011 with Liquefied Petroleum Gas
introduction via the hot tap loop line.

Giving further insight on the project Nnanna said site mobilisation commenced in full gear on September 10, 2010 , adding that during the construction of the NGC/NNPC Alaoji gas pipeline project, It was realised that the pipeline length at Alaoji was 3.2KM as against the contract length of 2.5KM, while the pipeline length at Owaza was confirmed to be 0.9KM as against the contract length of 1.2KM.
“The completion of this gas pipeline construction was achieved by Nestoil to consolidate her continuous excellent performance in the Oil and Gas Pipelines and Facilities Construction industry. During the construction of this NGC/NNPC Alaoji gas pipeline project, It was realised that the pipeline length at Alaoji was 3.2KM as against the contract length of 2.5KM, while the pipeline length at Owaza was confirmed to be 0.9KM as against the contract length of 1.2KM.

These differences were however reconciled with the NGC Project team, resulting in an additional pipeline length of approximately 350metres.
“With the commitment to ensure the achievement of the Federal Government’s target in respect of provision of gas to Power the new NIPP power plant at Alaoji as well as meeting her contractual obligation, NestOil sustained construction works including the additional pipeline construction irrespective of the commercial implications as well as the very high security risk status of the Project Site environment.
“A recent malicious report failed to note that the pipeline system is already in operation with the newly installed pressure let down station processing and reducing the high pressure 65 barg gas at Aba and providing the required 12.5 barg downstream pressure to the Aba customers at required temperature; while the high pressure gas of 65 barg has also been brought to the doorstep of the Niger Delta Power
Holding Company, NDPHC - NIPP power plant at the required downstream pressure”.

He said Nestoil has delivered her contractual obligations and the pipeline and process facilities are all operational currently at Aba and Owaza, while the Alaoji pipeline has been commissioned and locked up since the power plant is not yet ready to take up the gas.” The Project manager explained that the power plant construction works is a different Project and is being handled by another EPC Contractor
on behalf of the NDPHC.

“A crude oil pipeline contract that Nestoil reportedly completed last year for SHELL/NNPC, two years behind schedule, is totally unknown to
NESTOIL. The only crude oil pipeline project that Nestoil completed last year was the widely celebrated Shell/NNPC $1.1 billion (Nembe
Creek Cawthone Channel Trunkline Replacement project, for which Shell issued three commendation awards to Nestoil for successfully and
professionally completing and commissioning the pipeline, one full month ahead of schedule, without any safety incidents. He added that the company’s successful and timely execution of the complex pipeline project was widely applauded locally and internationally as the company executed the high risk activities in the face of challenging security situation without a single fatality. The Shell/NNPC pipeline evacuates about 600,000 barrels of crude oil per day from 14 flowstations and required seven major river crossings; 44 minor river and creek crossings and the fabrication and installation of two brand new main tie in manifolds.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/power-nestoil-completes-ngc-alaoji-gas-pipeline-project/91561/

Nestoil gas pipeline to boost Alaoji’s 1074mw plants

An indigenous service company – Nestoil Plc has completed the construction and inauguration of an 18 inch x 3.2km Class 600 gas pipeline at Alaoji and 18 inch x 0.9km class 600 gas pipeline at Owaza in Abia State.

The pipeline is to supply gas to the Alaoji Power Plant, one of the the power generating plants under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP). Alaoji on completion, will deliver 1074 megawatts of electricity into the national grid.

Rockson Engineering, the firm building the power station has already relocated the nearby 330kva lines that will inject power from the plant to the grid.

Nestoil has also completed and inaugurated the new 50MMscfd capacity pressure regulating facilities at Aba and the modularised pressure regulating and metering facilities at Alaoji.

The construction of the pipeline systems was completed on February 25, while the inauguration of the Pressure Regulating Facilities at the Nigerian Gas Company Limited (NGC), Aba Metering Station was achieved with LP Gas introduction on February three days after.

The pipeline system at Owaza was commissioned on March 1 and the testing and inauguration of the Alaoji main gas pipeline also commenced on February 28 with the LP Gas introduction on the 13 via the hot tap loop line.

The construction of the pipeline project was awarded by the NGC, a subsidiary of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on August 31, with a completion date of February 28.

During the construction of this NGC/NNPC Alaoji gas pipeline project, it was discovered that the length of the pipeline at Alaoji was 3.2 kilometre as against the contract length of 2.5 kilometre, while the pipeline length at Owaza was confirmed to be 0.9 kilometre as against the contract length of 1.2 kilometre. The differences were however reconciled with the NGC project team, resulting in an additional pipeline length of approximately 350m.

With its commitment to ensure the achievement of the Federal Government’s target in respect of the provision of gas to power the new NIPP plant at Alaoji as well as meeting the contractual obligation, Nestoil sustained the construction works including the provision of additional pipeline irrespective of the commercial implications as well as the very high security risk status of the project site environment.

Nestoil noted the pipeline system has become operational and that the newly installed pressure regulator has reduced the high pressure to 65 bars gas in Aba. Besides, the firm said it has started the provision of t the required 12.5 bars downstream pressure to the Aba customers at the required temperature; while the high pressure gas of 65 bars has also been brought to the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC); NIPP power plant at the required downstream pressure of 40 bars and 20 degrees Celsius temperature for their uptake whenever they are ready for gas.

The project manager, Mr. Michael Nnanna, said: “It should be stated clearly that Nestoil has delivered its contractual obligations and the pipeline and process facilities are already operational in Aba and Owaza, while the Alaoji pipeline has been inaugurated and locked up since the power plant is not yet ready to take up the gas.”

He described the construction of the power plant as a different project being handled by another engineering firm, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor on behalf of the NDPHC.

Nnanna debunked a report that the crude pipeline was completed last year for Shell/NNPC, two years behind schedule, adding that the only crude oil pipeline project that Nestoil completed last year was the widely celebrated Shell/NNPC $1.1 billion NCTL (Nembe Creek Cawthone Channel Trunkline Replacement) project.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/6597-nestoil-gas-pipeline-to-boost-alaoji%E2%80%99s-1074mw-plants.html

Power generation: Nestoil completes Alaoji gas pipeline
On May 18, 2011 · In Energy ,
By Clara Nwachukwu

LAGOS — THE Federal Government’s efforts to boost power supply in the country have been given a lift with the completion of the gas pipelines that will supply gas to the Alaoji power plant.

Nestoil Plc announced, yesterday, that it had completed the construction and commissioning of the following pipelines that will feed the plant, which is currently Nigeria’s second biggest power plant.

The pipelines include the 18-inch-3.2 km Class 600 gas pipeline at Alaoji, and the 18-inch-0.9km class 600 gas pipeline at Owaza, all in Abia State.

Also completed and commissioned are the new 50mmscfd capacity Pressure Regulating facilities at Aba and the modularised pressure regulating and metering facilities at Alaoji.

According to Project Manager, for Nestoil, an indigenous oil and gas firm, completion of the pipelines for the 1,074 Megawatt, MW, combined cycle power plant, which were completed in February and March this year, is the icing on the cake for its 20 years anniversary celebration because it was completed within budget and on schedule.

Project Manager, for Nestoil, Mr. Michael Nnanna, said, “The pipeline systems construction was completed on February 25, 2011, the commissioning of the pressure regulating facilities at the Nigerian Gas Company, NGC Aba Metering Station was achieved with the introduction of liquefied petroleum gas, LPG, on February 28, while the pipeline system at Owaza was commissioned on March 1, 2011. The testing and commissioning of the Alaoji main gas pipeline also commenced on February 28, with LPG introduced on March 13, via the hot tap loop line.”

He also explained that the contract for the construction of the pipeline was awarded to it by the NGC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, on August 31, 2010, with a completion date of February 28, 2011. It added that it mobilised to site on September 10, 2010.

Nestoil further said that the completion of the gas pipelines will further consolidate its place in the construction sub_sector of Nigeria’s plum oil and gas industry.

The company said that part of the challenge in executing the job was the realisation that the pipeline length at Alaoji was 3.2KM, against the 2.5KM stipulated in the contract, just as the pipeline length at Owaza was 0.9KM against stipulated 1.2KM. “These differences were, however, reconciled with the NGC Project team, resulting in an additional pipeline length of approx. 350m,” Nnanna added.

Accordingly, he concluded, “It should be stated clearly that NESTOIL has delivered her contractual obligations and the pipeline and process facilities are all operational currently at Aba and Owaza while the Alaoji pipeline has been commissioned and locked up since the power plant is not yet ready to take up the gas.”

Nestoil Plc is one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning, EPCC companies, and has been a major beneficiary of federal government ’s local content initiative.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/05/power-generation-nestoil-completes-alaoji-gas-pipeline/

The grace is over o!

I have seen them chase and catch up with motorists who "beat" traffic lights between 1004 and Falomo recently (after the elections).


As for the guy in white pants, what can I say but "poor guy!"

guseman:
@all
I really appreciate your comments on this thread. TO MY GREATEST SUPRISE,ON MY WAY BACK ON MONDAY THE CONTRACTOR HAS STARTED WORKING ON THE ROAD AGAIN. CAN YOU IMAGINE?

Yeah, the time on the watch was a day slow. It was monday morning 16/05/11 at 8:07 am

I was passing through the road this morning and i saw a camera man working with a TV station interviewing motorists. i hope you see the clips on TV soon,

Good.


Shows that we are not just ranting on Nairaland!

SAD!

Man dies over ex-student's election defeat
BY AROWONA ABDULAZEEZ

May 18, 2011 04:16AM

A former vice principal of Jamat Nasir Secondary School and a native of Omu-Aran in Irepodun council of Kwara State, Lekan Adedayo, 57, had plans to venture into politics after his retirement, which he didn’t shy away from sharing. Perhaps reckoning it a launching pad for his own political ambitions, he lent his full support to the bid of his former student, Shola Richard Babatunde, the candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), to represent Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero federal constituency in the national assembly.

Mr Adedayo believed that if the party he supported won at the polls, his life would change for the better. NEXT learnt that the politician had vowed that if elected he would keep his promise to help his old teacher, Mr Adedayo.

During the campaign for the election, Mr Adedayo tried all he could for his candidate to win. He went about trying to convince as many as possible on the need to vote for Mr Babatunde.

Speaking to NEXT, a friend of the deceased said that “the cause of the deceased’s death was (that) during the counting of votes after the House of Representatives election in Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero constituency, the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) got almost all the votes while the ACPN, the party he supported, got 30 votes. He asked if that was the end of everything. The people around him started consoling him. That was when he heaved a deep sigh and collapsed. Although we rushed him to the hospital, he later gave up the ghost.”

Help from the politician

One of the deceased’s children, Bolu Adedayo, a student of Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri, Borno State, lamented that he was very close to his father, who never made him feel that his school was far away from home. According to him, the loss of had created “a big sore” in his heart. He expressed conviction that his father did not die from any illness. “It was politics that killed him,” he said.

He furthered disclosed that the candidate, Mr Babatunde, and other members of the party his father was rooting for, rushed him to the hospital when they learnt that his health was failing. The hospital bills and other expenses were duly taken care of by Mr Babatunde, he said.

The son appealed to the politician to help him complete his education. He also made a case for his brother, who just concluded his national youth service, to be provided with a job.

Another friend of the deceased, Kehinde Adebayo, who explained that they were colleagues at Ilofa Grammar School, said, “Everybody at Oke Iroko Compound in Omu-Aran is in sorrow over the deceased’s untimely death. He was an easygoing person who was not really into politics. But because of his love for Mr Babatunde, this made him put his mind on it not knowing he would meet his death there.”

A resident of the town, who did not want to be mentioned, said, “I know the level of the candidate’s concern for the deceased’s family, but he should also help them in a big way because the responsibilities of family will be too much for his wives to bear.”



http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5701687-146/story.csp

Former finance minister appointed World Bank director
By Bassey Udo

May 18, 2011 12:16AM


Former finance minister, Mansur Muhktar, has been appointed alternate executive director of the World Bank. He joins former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former minister of education, Obi Ezekwesili at the 67-year-old global financial institution.

Muhktar's appointment, which is a full-time position in Washington, follows the recent creation of an additional seat for Africa region on the board of the World Bank Group. This brings to three the number of seats for Africa on the board of the since November 2010.

Nigeria is in the same World Bank Group constituency with South Africa and Angola.

Announcing the latest appointment, current finance minister, Olusegun Aganga, said this is one of the direct fallouts and benefits of Nigeria occupying the chairmanship of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) Group since last year.

Aganga, who was the first African to chair the World Bank/IMF Group, said the creation of the third seat for Africa will enhance the voice and presence of the continent at the Bretton Woods institution as well as increase its vote.

Mahktar's duties on the board will include setting of strategic directions and approving of policies and programmes of the World Bank Group in the member states; approval of internal policies, including human resources; oversight matters in relation to the functioning of the Group's duties, among others.

Mahktar's appointment has now given Africa an additional voice at the highest level of management that would be involved in the formulation and implementation of the World Bank Group's programmes on the continent.

The Group plays a very significant role in the economies of virtually all African countries.

Foreign investors, donor and credit institutions often insist on the World Bank approval of national economic policies before dealing with developing nations, within which category virtually all African nations fall.

According to the minister, the federal government was delighted over Mr Muhktar's appointment, pointing out that given his wealth of experience at the African Development Bank, the World Bank and as a former finance minister, a better person could not have been recommended for the high position.

Aganga said that Mr Muhktar understands perfectly what the issues are in respect of Nigeria and shall see how to get the best out of the relationship between Nigeria and the World Bank/IMF, bearing in mind the programmes of the federal government.

Muhktar, an economist, trained at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Cambridge and the University of Sussex. His appointment has a two-year tenure and is renewable at the end of the term.


http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5701846-146/former_finance_minister_appointed_world_bank.csp

^^^

Congratulations!

The ramp that would take traffic from Ozumba Mbadiwe on to Falomo Bridge should significantly reduce traffic around the 1004/Law School area.

I hope work on it is concluded soon.

At last, found the story in Tribune !

Amnesty: Dokubo-Asari makes u-turn
| Print | E-mail
Written by Bolaji Ogundele, Port Harcourt
Wednesday, 18 May 2011

Leader of the Niger-Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, has a made a U-turn on his decision for his group not to have anything to do with amnesty programme, asking the Federal Government to consider his group in the benefit package.

Dokubo-Asari had rejected the Federal Government’s offer at the initial stage on reason that himself and his followers were not criminals, but freedom fighters and saying that, as their activities had contributed to the development of modern-day Niger Delta, they deserved to be part of the goodies of the amnesty programme.

The former president of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), who was irked by the recent round of armed struggle in the oil and gas-rich region, spoke during a rally, marking the memorial of Ijaw national hero, Isaac Adaka Boro, in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.

The self-styled freedom fighter also admonished President Goodluck Jonathan to make delivery of good governance and rule of law, even as he called on him to reject the appointment of Justice Ibrahim Auta as the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

“We have not been part of the amnesty under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua because the programme contradicts our belief as genuine fighters who are not out to fight only for our own interest.

“Rather, we are fighting for the interest of the land and people of the Niger Delta, a land where our people suffer in the ocean of wealth.

However, as the pioneers of the contemporary Niger Delta Movements, we should not be ostracised from any utilitarian plans of the government,” he siad.




http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/22123-amnesty-dokubo-asari-makes-u-turn

I may not agree with some SLS's policies but I think this one is a step in the right direction if carefully implemented.

The long -term advantages (reduction of cash possession with attendant reduction in risk to life, risk of theft and ghana must go, deepening of banking system through increased use of cheques and other such instruments, etc) outweigh the short term disadvantages being trumpeted.

This policy is supposed to take off in June next year and only is some cities (Lagos, Abuja, Aba and I think PH).

Are we saying that one year (in the first instance, the take off date could be extended where necessary) is too short to put necessary structures in place?

If we don't start taking "little" steps like this, we would never move forward.

He had earlier sued the FG for declaring the amnesty:

Amnesty: Asari-Dokubo sues FG
On October 6, 2009 · In News
By Emma Amaize & Ise-Oluwa Ige

ABUJA — A TOTAL 232 members of the Asari Dokubo-led Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), yesterday, filed a class action before the Abuja Federal High Court to void the amnesty granted by President Umaru Yar’Adua to militants in the creeks of Niger Delta region.

Meanwhile, repentant militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo, who embraced the Federal Government’s amnesty and surrendered 157 assorted weapons and large quantity of dynamites, Sunday, to the Government at Oporoza community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State has returned to Abuja in his bid to tidy up some loose ends with President Umaru Yar’Adua.

The plaintiffs are contending that the President lacked the legal powers to invoke Section 175 to grant pardon to the militants who were never charged nor convicted of any criminal offence.

They argued that President Umaru Yar’Adua, though had the powers to grant amnesty to convicts, but that he could not exercise his powers under section 175 of the 1999 constitution except the said militants had been charged, tried and convicted for committing some criminal offences.

Some of the plaintiffs are Abaji Kom Bonimi, Obu Yellow, Daddy Mac-Harry, Asime Jenewari, Super Gayous and Alhaji Iburu.

They joined the Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Michael Aondoakaa (SAN) as defendant in the case.

The case was filed less than 24 hours after the deadline given by the Federal Government to the militants to disarm expired.

It would be recalled that Asari Dokubo was sighted a couple of months ago on the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja when he went to file the suit.

He had spoken with newsmen that he was having difficulty filing the suit and that he was waiting to see the Administrative Judge of the Abuja Federal High Court to find out why he would not be allowed to file the suit even if the issues he raised therein were unmeritorious.

Nothing was heard about the case until yesterday when it was eventually filed.
In the suit, the plaintiffs are seeking the declaration of the court that “the 1st Defendant (that is, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria), does not have the powers to grant pardon to a person under Section 175 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, without specifying the particular offence created by an Act of the National Assembly, which the person is concerned with or has been convicted of, and for which he is granting pardon.

Others prayers include:

•A declaration that it is a gross violation of the right to fair hearing enshrined in Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the President (1st defendant) whilst exercising his powers to grant pardon under the same constitution, to unilaterally decide that a person is concerned with an offence, refuse to mention the Section of the law the person has breached and unilaterally grant pardon to such a person and as such be the accuser and the judge, all in one.

•A declaration that the President (1st Defendant) cannot exercise his powers to grant pardon under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without the person concerned with or convicted of the said offence applying for pardon to the President”.

Besides, they are asking the court for “an order nullifying the pardon purportedly granted to the Plaintiffs and other persons named and unnamed by the 1st Defendant for being unconstitutional, null and void and for such further orders as the court may deem fit in the circumstances of the case.

In a written address accompanying the writ, they traced the history of the President’s amnesty and why it should be voided.

According to them, they said President Yar’Adua on June 26, 2009 made a proclamation wherein he offered amnesty to members of NDPVF as led by Mujahid Asari Dokubo whose name was said to have been included in those granted amnesty by the Federal Government.

The 13 paragraph affidavit quoted President Yar’Adua as saying “Now therefore I as Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; after due consultation with the Council of State and in exercise of the powers conferred upon me by the provisions of Section 175 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, make the following proclamation:

I hereby grant amnesty and unconditional pardon to all persons who have directly or indirectly participated in the commission of offences associated with militant activities in the Niger Delta;

“The pardon shall take effect upon the surrender and handing over of all equipment, weapons, arms and ammunition and execution of the renunciation of Militancy Forms specified in the schedule hereto, by the affected persons at the nearest collection centre established for the purpose of Government in each of the Niger Delta States; The unconditional pardon granted pursuant to this proclamation shall extend to all persons presently being prosecuted for offence associated with militant activities; and

This proclamation shall cease to have effect from Sunday, 4th October, 2009″
As at the time of filing this report no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/amnesty-asari-dokubo-sues-fg/

About two years after he poo-pooed Yar Adua's amnesty programme, Asari Dokubo now wants to be included. I heard this on the radio this morning. I haven't found a report on it in any of the major newspapers. All I have found so far is this:

Amnesty: Dokubo-Asari makes u-turn

Leader of the Niger-Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, has a made a U-turn on his decision for his group not to have anything to do with amnesty programme, asking the Federal Government to consider his group in the benefit package.

Dokubo-Asari had rejected the Federal Government’s offer at the initial stage on reason that himself and his followers were not criminals, but freedom fighters and saying that, as their activities had contributed to the development of modern-day Niger Delta, they deserved to be part of the goodies of the amnesty programme.

The former president of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), who was irked by the recent round of armed struggle in the oil and gas-rich region, spoke during a rally, marking the memorial of Ijaw national hero, Isaac Adaka Boro, in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.

The self-styled freedom fighter also admonished President Goodluck Jonathan to make delivery of good governance and rule of law, even as he called on him to reject the appointment of Justice Ibrahim Auta as the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

“We have not been part of the amnesty under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua because the programme contradicts our belief as genuine fighters who are not out to fight only for our own interest.

“Rather, we are fighting for the interest of the land and people of the Niger Delta, a land where our people suffer in the ocean of wealth.

However, as the pioneers of the contemporary Niger Delta Movements, we should not be ostracised from any utilitarian plans of the government,” he siad.


http://sturvs.com/37147/

Another "source"
http://www.worldstagegroup.com/worldstage/index.php?&id=2777&active=news

ACN defends leaders’ lobby for slots in Fashola’s planned cabinet
Wednesday, 18 May 2011 00:00 By Richard Abu News - National

THE Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has described as normal the on-going intense lobby by its leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders for slots in the new cabinet of Governor Babatunde Fashola.

The governor is expected to dissolve the current cabinet not later than the end of May. It was learnt that Fashola has already received over 100 credentials from persons sponsored by ACN leaders, some traditional rulers and other stakeholders.

The governor, who is allegedly pushing for a cabinet dominated by technocrats, may for the first time since he assumed office in 2007, appoint a Commissioner for Works in the new cabinet.

When contacted on the development and its implication for the governor’s right to pick the persons of his choice, ACN Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Ighokwe, said it was normal in any political setting given the contributions of such stakeholders to the electoral victory of the party.

He said because the party leaders and stakeholders had gone the whole hog to ensure the victory of the ACN haven expended resources and time, they were bound to be keen in making sure that their interests were protected through appointments, adding that it was not peculiar to the ACN.

Igbokwe, however, added that the buck stops at the governor’s table, “who should be able to scrutise the sea of prospective nominees and come up with men and women who are credible and ready to give the people of Lagos efficient services.

“The state governor is an experienced administrator and a technocrat. He knows the quality of men and women he wants as commissioners and advisers.

have no iota of doubt that he will select a team that will make Lagos greater and ensure quality leadership”, Igbokwe said.

The Guardian learnt that the rush for positions into the State Executive Council (SEC) was triggered by feelers from the Governor’s Office that the current cabinet would soon be dissolved.

The ACN leaders allegedly believe that this is the time to reward their loyal party members, who helped it to gain control of the South-West zone.

There are also indications that some key cabinet and government slots hitherto held by Fashola’s loyalists may be shared with party stalwarts to compensate them for their unflinching support.

Such offices are the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ministries of Finance, Housing, Justice, Works, Agriculture, Tourism, and Sports.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48301:acn-defends-leaders-lobby-for-slots-in-fasholas-planned-cabinet&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

NEW CABINET: The way forward for Jonathan – Oshiomhole
On May 18, 2011 · In Headlines
BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

LAGOS — GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, yesterday, charged President Goodluck Jonathan to constitute an Executive Council based strictly on competence, integrity, sound technocratic acumen and high sense of public purpose, even as he set a nine-point agenda for the nation’s leaders to move the country forward.

Oshiomhole who spoke at the Tell Magazine’s 20th Anniversary Lecture, entitled “An agenda for deepening democracy, good governance and development in the next four years and beyond,” said the nation needed a new vision and fresh dynamism in governance over the next four years.

He noted that Nigeria could not afford a return to the “come-and-eat tradition” of the past, which reduced governance to rewarding godfathers and other political merchants with portfolios well beyond their competencies.

Oshiomhole lamented the nation’s democracy was still not delivering on public welfare, but noted that it “works almost entirely for the benefit of elected and appointed actors, as well as their godfathers and sponsors, at the expense of the people.”


Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, former Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, Chairman, (left) and Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Guest Lecturer, at the TELL Magazine's 20th anniversary .
See more photos here

He argued that an example of how the system was only benefitting the actors of Nigeria’s democracy was the current disclosures on the floor of the House of Representatives indicating that each member had gotten N27 million in emoluments and allowances, from a N10 billion overdraft facility, and urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, to probe the “dubious overdraft facility.”

The Edo State governor who is also the immediate past President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, said that for the nation to move forward in the next four years, it must conclude the unfinished electoral reforms project, fix the economy, address unemployment, fight corruption, address the protracted power crisis, address the transportation crisis, post-election violence, revenue allocation and high cost of governance.

Governance as usual

He said: “The next four years can, and must not be governance as usual. Nigerians have voted and our votes have substantially counted. From Kano to Lagos, to Ibadan, Benin, Enugu, Maiduguri, Jos, Uyo, Kaduna and other places, both urban and rural, our people turned out and waited patiently in the sun and in the rain to cast their votes. In some places, our people organized and chased thugs away from their polling units, they trekked from vast distances in some cases, and they generally made sacrifices often beyond the call of civic duty.

“The corresponding obligation for those empowered with the mandate to rule is to ensure that the next four years make a qualitative difference in the lives of our people. The real riots will break out across the nation if this sacrifice does not result in benefits for the people, their children, their businesses and their communities.”

Dignitaries who graced the anniversary celebration included former Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola; Prof Itse Sagay; former Commissioner for Commerce, Lagos State, Mrs. Teju Philips; Ondo State governor represented by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr Oluranti Akerele.

Others were renowned journalist, Alade Odunewu; Vanguard newspaper’s publisher, Mr. Sam Amuka and Thisday newspaper publisher, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena; renowned poet, Odia Ofeimum; President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye; Chairman Editorial Board, Compass newspapers; Professor Ayo Olukotun; and Managing Director, Punch newspapers, Mr. Ademola Osinubi.

At the anniversary lecture, two books from the stables of the TELL were launched. One was Courage in Print, a collection of editorials, articles, features and opnion articles that have been published in the magazine in the past 20 years, The other book was ‘Opilogue, Not a Laffing Matter,’a compilation of the articles of the magazine’s Deputy Editor in Chief, Dele Omotunde.

Chairman of the occasion, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, commended TELL magazine saying it has now become a national institution and tasked Nigerians on the issue of quality followership.

Arguing that it was not enough to lament the poor leadership that Nigerians have been saddled with all these years, Ayoola said: “No nation can enjoy quality leadership if its followership is pathologically distrustful of its intention. We also need value driven followership. People should not just remain fence sitters. They should not just blame the problem of corruptionon leaders but assume leadership in the fight. Leadership is very important, of course as a bad leader canfrustrate the yearning of young people and create a conflict ridden society.

“I want to felicitate with TELL on this unique anniversary because the magazine has tasted times and seasons. Seasons of harsh military rule and yet, it is still alive today. For leadership to take its due place in Nigeria, our conception of leadership must move from rhetoric to application of correct values. ”

TELL’s Editor-in-Chief, Nosa Igiebor, in his remarks said, the magazine has done well in the past 20 years. Noting that it was set up by a group of young vibrant Nigerians to fight military tyranny, he said that after the end of the military regime, they had been promoting that values of nation building.

Igiebor said the magazine was celebrating the anniversary not because it has reached a milestone but to remind Nigeria that its democracy is lucky. He disclosed that the magazine faced huge challenges in its quest to fight the oddities of the military regimes noting that for the country to sustain its democracy, rule of law must be given its rightful place.

He added: “Nigeria media today is at a cross road, it suffers from a wide range of problems such as low financial investment, poor revenue and remuneration which has eroded professionalism. Nigeria media needs urgent intervention. It needs massive investment to make it fulfill its role effectively.”

Post-election violence

Oshiomhole said: “The premeditated killings, arson and destruction of property that occurred in some States after the Presidential Election are unfortunate. But even more unfortunate is the attempt to describe them as “protests”, when in fact they were merely acts of inhumanity and criminality. To describe murder and arson as “protests” is to devalue the very essence of that word.

“Coming from my background, and as a democrat, I remain convinced in the legitimacy and constitutional sanctity of protests, including street protests, over any matter. Indeed, one of the key features that distinguish democracy from dictatorship is the right of citizens to collective representation and ventilation of grievances through protests. But this must be peaceful and should not occasion any danger to the lives of fellow citizens.”

The Economy

“As we have seen already, the greatest threat to democracy are the tensions and explosions usually provoked by mass unemployment, poverty, illiteracy and other consequences of economic and social dislocation. Consequently, the most fundamental challenges which will come to define governance in the next four years lie in the management of the economy. For me, the real challenge of economic management is the creation of jobs, jobs and jobs.

The current level of unemployment, which is officially estimated at 21 per cent, is alarming indeed. It is commendable that the President already recognises the job creation imperative, as underscored by his convening of a jobs summit.

This is certainly not enough. In the next four years, the Federal Government needs to embark on fresh and more creative initiatives to boost domestic production through stable and proactive macro-economic policies, especially in the areas of interest-rate and exchange rate management.”

On power, he posited that “emerging evidence indicates that the energy share of the cost structure is 33 per cent compared to under five per cent in most industrialized countries. The high cost of generating alternative power supply is partly responsible for the massive de-industrialisation which has taken place over the past decade. That Power is central to boosting the productive capacity of the economy has been recognised by all stakeholders.

“On its part, the Federal Government has shown commitment to dealing with the power challenge, judging by the huge volume of funds expended over the last 12 years. My view is that the private sector business model should form the basis for the immediate reform of the power sector.

The country cannot afford to sustain the PHCN as an integrated monopoly while it makes no sense any longer to invest additional funds to prepare it for privatisation. Mr. President needs to exercise greater decisiveness in this regard and confront the various vested interests, which thrive on the crisis in the power sector. Among these vested interests are the Generator_importers, who recently found a spokesperson in the person of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole.”

Petroleum Products

He decried the conitinued importation of petroleum products into the country, saying, “it is scandalous that we continue to depend almost exclusively on imports for the supply of petroleum products to the economy. I believe that the President should set a date for stopping the importation of finished petroleum products, as part of a concrete roadmap to boost domestic refining through either the existing refineries or new ones.”

Road, rail infrastructure

Speaking on transportation crisis in the country, the former NLC President argued that “the other area of infrastructure which needs to be addressed is transport infrastructure. The poor transport infrastructure is responsible for the high cost of doing business after energy.

The state of our roads and rail infrastructure cannot sustain modern economic activity in a country as physically vast as Nigeria. The state of the Lagos-Benin, Abuja-Lokoja-Benin and several other roads is a clear indication of the failure of governance. An examination of the Federal budget over the past decade shows that huge sums have been allocated to these failed roads.

We must ensure value for money in our budget execution. The cost of road construction and maintenance will remain daunting as long as we continue to depend almost exclusively on road transportation for the haulage of goods and the transportation of persons. We need to put in place urgently a rail development plan, based on latest technology.”

Corruption

According to Comrade Oshiomhole, “with the unimpeachable legitimacy and the Pan_Nigerian mandate of President Jonathan, I believe that he has the moral and political leverage to take the tough measures and decisions needed to arrest the rot in several facets of the Nigerian polity, economy and society. In this regard, a task we must set for the President is the restoration of morality and order in governance, especially in the handling of public funds.

The case for immediate Presidential intervention is the House of Representatives, whose leadership has been at the centre of several controversies involving apparent abuse of public funds. The latest report of an apparently dubious overdraft facility amounting to N10 billion cannot be swept under the carpet by the EFCC and the ICPC. The public is anxious to unravel the truth about this and other previous reports of apparent misuse and sharing of public funds. It is also a national embarrassment that the public does not know the exact emoluments and overall individual entitlements of its federal legislators.”

“From current disclosures however, we cannot but reach the conclusion that severe abuse of appropriation powers is taking place in the National Assembly, for the self_enrichment of its members, on a scale that is clearly not sustainable.

In 1999 under my stewardship, the NLC had organised massive protests over the N5 million furniture allowances to National Assembly members. If N5 million was outrageous in 1999, clearly the current monthly allowance estimated to be at least N15 million per member is beyond the bounds of propriety, in a country where about 70% of the population are officially classified to be poor.

I believe strongly that the campaign against these predatory appropriations and criminal opulence must be resumed by Labour, civil society, the Media, mass organisations, professional bodies, etc.”

He also condemned the the high cost of governance, saying “the very high cost of governance in Nigeria is arguably the highest in the world”, and “the cost of governance both in the executive and legislative arms of government must be streamlined and brought under control. The burden of this cost on the economy is overbearing and must not be allowed to continue.”

Revenue allocation:

Speaking on the increasing agitation for a review of the revenue allocation fomular, the governor contended that “too much resources are currently concentrated at the centre and too little in the states where the direct impact of governance is felt more by the people. Because of this, the Federal Government is deploying huge amounts of resources annually on agriculture, primary and secondary education and other areas in which the states clearly have comparative efficiency advantage.

Devolution of resources and responsibilities to governmental authorities closer to the people is today globally accepted as a mechanism for promoting development. While the constraints of executive capacity may militate against transferring more resources to the local governments as of now, the states clearly have the capacity to undertake more effectively and efficiently many of the areas in which the Federal Government is currently holding sway.”

He declared that “given the nature of the political economy of Nigeria and the dynamics of the Presidential System, the task of setting a national development agenda rests squarely on the shoulders of the President. We need new vision and fresh dynamism in governance over the next four years. The starting point is for Mr. President to constitute an Executive Council based strictly on competence, integrity, sound technocratic acumen and high sense of public purpose.

We cannot afford a return to the come-and-eat tradition of the past, which reduced governance to rewarding godfathers and other political merchants with portfolios well beyond their competencies.We must all prevail on the President to exercise the political will to break the shackles of political IOUs in constituting his Cabinet.

In particular the economy, infrastructures and social sectors of health and education require tested and competent hands. The search for capable hands to handle these and other sectors should go beyond Mr. President’s Party, if necessary.”

“For the Nigerian people, the business is not finished yet. Having voted and defended our vote, we need to insist on the highest standards of performance by those we have elected at all levels. The Labour Movement, the Intelligentsia, NGOs and civil society, professional bodies, faith_based organizations across the country must challenge the system to deliver.
We need to challenge the President and other elected actors to live up to their electoral promises and manifestoes. The struggle to re_energise the citizenry and evolve a culture of critical engagement of the system become even more compelling.

At this point, we must return to the Media, which was the take_off point of this discourse. Our media needs to discard the culture of advert_driven obscene celebrations of periodic signposts in the tenures of public officers (e.g. 100 Days, one year etc).

The Media should be far more critical in appraising policies and in exposing malfeasances. For instance, ex_convicts should be properly addressed and described in media reports, so that the public would be reminded of their antecedents anytime they seek to intrude their obnoxious selves on the public space!


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/05/new-cabinet-the-way-forward-for-jonathan-oshiomhole/

Electricity workers want Elumelu panel’s report
Wednesday, 18 May 2011 00:00 From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja Business Services - Business News

THE celebrated but controversial Ndudi Elumelu House of Representatives power committee report assumed to have been dumped, may be stalking its way back to prominence again.

Reason: The nation’s electricity workers have given a revisit to the report as a condition for a renewed negotiation with the Federal Government over the on-going electricity sector reform programme.

The workers, who had a protracted meeting with the chief negotiator and coordinator between the government and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) Labour Unions, Comrade Hassan Sunmonu, insisted that unless the reports of Ndudi Elumelu power committee of the House of Representative is revisited, they would not resume negotiation with the government on the programme.

But Sunmonu called on the parties in the negotiation, to put Nigeria first in putting forward their positions.

“Power sector is the most sensitive and the most important in the economy. If we get it right in the power sector, then the path to Nigeria’s economic development and prosperity and for the benefit of the people and the government will be secure.

“However, if we get it wrong, the other countries in the West Africa sub-region which got their power sector right would be selling their manufactured goods to the Nigerian market.”

In a chat with journalists after the meeting between the negotiator and the house unions, General Secretary of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Joe Ajaero said: “We are aware that the report exposed several acts of corruption ranging from uncompleted power projects to even non-execution of projects, even after monies have been paid. The contractors and politicians have gone ahead to become governors and senators, and nobody has been arrested or taken to jail ever since.”

He explained that the negotiations would be an easy one, stressing that the members of the government negotiation team were people of immense respect and experience, and they have all sincerely listened to the positions of the unions.

He added: “If indeed the government is consciously seeking a way forward to the electricity quagmire in this country, the right place to begin would be to see to the full and unhindered implementation of the Elumelu Committee report on how billions of naira meant for the power sector were squandered.”

He absolved electricity workers of blame in the rot in the system, even as he called on those concerned to be truly committed to making the sector functional.

“The workers are not contractors that have landed us all in this mess. The blame of unstable power supply should not be shifted to workers. It is obvious that if the contractors had done their jobs, Nigerians would have by now enjoyed better quality of electricity.”

On his part, the President of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, Bede Okpara, called for a permanent solution to the problem of the power sector, stressing, however, that all stakeholders must be carried along.


http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48348:electricity-workers-want-elumelu-panels-report-&catid=31:business&Itemid=562

Omotier1,

Let's have your comment after May 29.

You seem to be forgetting that JC is a former ambassador and he spoke in his personal capacity.

The US government doesn't get itself involved in every single personal matter.

JC's comments were personal not the official position of the US government.

Have you heard the US goverment comment on the Strauss-Kahn matter?

[quote author=Riba_man link=topic=668929.msg8338480#msg8338480 date=1305641366]Re the Entry Visa: was is good to deny a visa to a onetime head of a country's diplomatic mission to our country? Anyone here knows that saying "Old soldiers never die, they only fade away" ? Retired diplomats are like soldiers, cultivating them has its usefulness.[/quote]We sure cultivate them. On whose side do you think Walter Carrington and Robin Sanders are? Do you think they share JC's views?

Voter Turnout Light in Volatile Nigeria States
Friday, April 29th, 2011 at 12:20 am UTC Posted 2 weeks ago
Voter turnout appeared to be light during Thursday's elections in two Nigerian states where political violence forced a delay in the vote for governor.

The atmosphere was reported to be calm but tense Thursday in the northern states of Kaduna and Bauchi. Soldiers patrolled the streets, guarded polling centers and set up checkpoints in an effort to prevent more unrest.

Most other states held gubernatorial polls Tuesday, but Kaduna and Bauchi were given more time to recover from violence that followed last week's presidential election.

Riots broke out after President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian from southern Nigeria, defeated his northern Muslim rival Muhammadu Buhari. A Nigerian rights group says at least 500 people were killed in Muslim-Christian fighting.

The president's People's Democratic Party currently controls the governorships of Kaduna and Bauchi but is facing strong challenges from candidates with Mr. Buhari's party.

The gubernatorial polls are the third and final set of Nigeria's 2011 nationwide elections. The PDP lost seats in parliament during the legislative polls earlier this month.

The top U.S. diplomat for Africa hailed the multistage electoral process this month as Nigeria's most successful polls since the end of military rule in 1999. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnny Carson said the United States deplores the post-election violence in the country's north. However, he said overall, U.S. officials noted a more responsive security presence and hope that the latest elections, while imperfect, will provide a baseline for further election improvements.

Nigeria's population of 140 million is split roughly evenly between Muslims and Christians. The country has suffered periodic bouts of Muslim-Christian violence, much of it taking place in the central city of Jos.

http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2011/04/28/voter-turnout-light-in-volatile-nigeria-states-2/


[quote author=Riba_man link=topic=668929.msg8338480#msg8338480 date=1305641366]Lastly, Nigeria must not be castigated for denying anyone a visa. Other countries deny her nationals visas day in, day out![/quote]I am glad we agree on that.

I saw at least seven of these buses last night and about two or three this morning.

I think these buses were purchased specifically for this route.

Kudos to LASG/LAGBUS!

When will the blues buses join?

Can anyone tell us where the bus terminus is on the Lekki axis?

Source, please.

And here's yet another perspective on his 'advice/criticism':

John Campbell Got It Wrong On Nigeria

Reno Omokri
September 13, 2010

Anyone who read a preview of John Campbell’s (former US Ambassador) soon-to-be published book, ‘Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink,’ would begin to entertain serious anxieties over the future of Nigeria, due to the doomsday scenario he painted of what to expect during and after the 2011 elections. His prophesy of chaos rests on three legs; one, that there is no consensus amongst Nigeria’s power elite on who to support for the position of President; two, that there is no “Obasanjo-like figure strong enough to impose one”. And three, that even though the North believes it is still it’s turn to rule, there is no clear consensus amongst them as to who would be their candidate.

I believe that Mr Campbell is wrong in his predictions of doom and that he is not basing his prognosis on any experiential knowledge of what is on the ground. Rather, he has come to his conclusion from projections and analysis based on media reports that are deliberately exaggerated by interested parties in the Nigerian project to manipulate foreign governments and by his now stale experience when he was ambassador to Nigeria between 2004 and 2007.

He says that unlike in every election since 1999, there has been no consensus amongst Nigeria’s political power elite on a candidate to support for 2011 and this portends doom. How true is this? It actually depends on who Mr Campbell refers to as Nigeria’s political power elite. In 1999, there was a consensus, but that consensus was not amongst Nigeria’s political elite. It was a consensus amongst the military administration in power and those retired military officers who had participated in bringing the current regime into power. At the Oputa Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission, Hamza Al Mustapha (late Sani Abacha’s Chief Security Officer) gave testimony on the role played by Ibrahim Babangida in ensuring that his friend and kinsman Abdulsalami Abubakar emerged as Head of State after the demise of Mr Abacha in controversial circumstances.

Having played this role as king maker, Mr Babangida who had been forced to “step aside” in 1993, began to scheme his way back to power. He knew that Nigeria could not have a return to civil rule without first compensating the people of the Southwest from where MKO Abiola, whose election he had annulled in 1993, came from. Thus, with his own ambition to return to power being the end he had in mind, Mr Babangida influenced the government of Mr Abdulsalami to come up with an exit strategy for a transition to civil rule and handover to someone from Mr Abiola’s southwest whom the North felt comfortable with.

Military consensus

Mr Babangida was able to convince the powerful group of retired military generals from the North, who had facilitated Mr Abdulsalami’s emergence, that the only person who would fit this bill was Olusegun Obasanjo, who was then in jail. He began to float this idea in the Nigerian media and the international community, especially the Western countries, were sold on this idea. I know this because in July of 1998, I met with the Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, Bastian Korner, in Lagos and he spent time trying to convince me as to why Nigeria needed Mr Obasanjo. The suspicion amongst some in the civil rights community, which I belonged to then, was that the idea of having an Obasanjo presidency may have in fact not emanated from Babangida but from outside the shores of Nigeria; but that is a story for another day.

However, working with what we know, we can safely say that Mr Babangida was able to forge a consensus amongst Aliyu Gusau (the National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan), T.Y. Danjuma (who became Mr Obasanjo’s minister of defence and who famously vowed to go on exile if Mr Obasanjo did not win the 1999 presidential elections) and Abdulsalami Abubakar, the then Head of state. Other than this military power elite, it is on record that every other political elite in Nigeria, including the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) of the late Shehu Musa Yar’adua, the Afenifere (the council of elders in the Southwest) who controlled the Southwest as at 1998-99, the Ohaneze Ndigbo (council of elders in the Southeast), the Northern Elders Forum (who were the predecessors of today’s Arewa Consultative Forum) and the G-34 who were the group of politicians who stood up to challenge Mr Abacha’s self-succession plot and who would later be the nucleus of the PDP, all resisted the emergence of Mr Obasanjo in 1998-99 and only relented when it was obvious that the deck was stacked in favour of Mr Obasanjo and there was not much else they could do to resist it without prolonging military rule.

So what Mr Campbell considers as a consensus of Nigeria’s political elite in the 1999 election was not so much a consensus as the fact that a few oligarchic clique of serving and retired military officers had made up their minds to back Mr Obasanjo. And even within that clique, there was resistance to him. Again, testimony from Mr Al Mustapha at the ‘Oputa Panel’ showed that the then Chief of Army Staff, Ishaya Bamaiyi (whom I personally met in kirikiri prison in January of 2000) resisted the imposition of Mr Obasanjo.

Now moving on to the 2003 elections. It is on record that Mr Obasanjo had alienated much of the military clique that ensured his rise to power. He had fallen out with Mr Babangida, who was indifferent to his reelection bid and had even been reported to have asked him to consider the Mandela option. Also, his relationship with Mr Danjuma was strained and the former General would later leave the government and publicly accuse Mr Obasanjo of running a government that was a “cult”. But despite the above and despite the fact that he had alienated most of the governors of his own party, who had queued up behind his Vice, Atiku Abubakar, Obasanjo was STILL able to win his party’s presidential primary as well as getting reelected in the general elections of 2003.

The Obasanjo consensus

Now coming to the 2007 elections. Even Mr Campbell himself must know that other than a consensus that the presidency should be zoned to the North, just as today, there was no elite consensus as to who the Northern candidate would be.

In fact, a strong member of Mr Obasanjo’s second term kitchen cabinet, Nasir El Rufai, had told me and also said same in public that Mr Obasanjo encouraged every Northern governor to vie for the Presidency. In addition to the Northern governors, several Southern governors who had finished their constitutionally allowed two terms threw their hats into the ring. Mr Babangida and Mr Gusau also joined the fray . And what is more, Mr Atiku Abubakar, himself a formidable politician, joined the race for President.

However, when in November 2006 Obasanjo showed his hands and openly supported a reluctant governor, Umaru Musa Yar’adua, all those who had previously indicated interest began to withdraw except those who had moved out of the PDP. The elections came, and very predictably the PDP candidate won and the opposition went to court and nothing came out of it after a 24 month long legal battle.

So what does this all prove?

It proves that rather than a consensus of the political elite being responsible for picking the country’s leader and avoiding post-election conflict since 1999, as Ambassador Campbell posits, it is the support of the incumbent and the machinery of government that determines who wins an election in Nigeria.

And why is this? It is because even though Nigeria operates in name a federal system of government, in practice she operates a massively unitary system of government with almost all executive powers concentrated in the person of the President. The person controls almost all the funds accruing to the country from oil and therefore has an enormous ability to dish out patronage - the carrot. The President also controls the law enforcement bodies, especially the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which in Nigeria is very potent in fighting governmental corruption and can unleash them on whomever he so desires - the stick.

An example may suffice on how this works. In June of 2005, the Obasanjo administration found Mustapha Jokolo, the then emir of Gwandu, to be a thorn in its flesh. A decision was made to dethrone him and this decision was supported by his home state government of Kebbi which effected his dethronement and sent him on exile. However, after his exile, no emir or traditional ruler was willing to accept him. And then the government made it known that they had budgeted a juicy sum of money to be given as upkeep allowance for whoever agreed to take Mr Jokolo into his domain. Well, the rest is now history but my point is made.

Also, one of Mr Campbell’s reasons for predicting post-election doom for Nigeria is the fact that there is no “Obasanjo-like” figure to impose a consensus candidate on Nigeria. This leads me to doubt that Mr Campbell is still up to date with Nigeria’s current affairs. There is no absence of an Obasanjo like character for the simple reason that Mr Obasanjo still exists and is in many ways as powerful (some say even more powerful) as when he was in office as president.

Even more telling is the fact that in the drama that held Nigeria captive, when Nigerians did not know the state of Mr Yar’adua or his physical location, the political elite were fiddling like Emperor Nero while Rome burnt. Yes, the G-57 (of which I was a signatory) wrote open letters giving ultimatum to the Federal Executive Council and the Save Nigeria Group took to the streets. But it was not until Obasanjo gave his now famous speech at the Daily Trust Lecture in January 2010, calling on Yar’adua to follow the ‘path of morality’ and ‘honour,’ that the political elite swung into action and voila, the Doctrine of Necessity came into being! Mr Obasanjo’s utterances were the catalyst that brought about that action.

New northern leaders

The truth is that the Obasanjo-like figure referred to by Mr Campbell still dey kampe (a slang popularly used by the former president to indicate that he was still standing) in Obasanjo, the ex-President. The final reason given by Mr Campbell to justify his doomsday scenario is that there is no clear consensus in the North as to who will be their candidate. If Mr Campbell knows Nigeria as he claims to do, he would know that rather than this being a source for worry, it is actually a good thing because if the North is to rally behind a candidate, it would lead to a bipolar race which is not good for Nigeria. It is better that the North have a multiplicity of candidates for the simple reason that competition amongst Northern power brokers would weaken the old guard and would strengthen the young Turks such as former FCT minister, Nasir El Rufai and former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu - both of whom are wildly popular in the South (almost to the point of being cult heroes) and place them in good stead to run and win in 2015 and completely consign the old Northern guard (who many blame for Nigeria’s underdevelopment) to history.

I would advise the international community to take Mr Campbell’s thesis with a pinch of salt and consult more with Robin Sanders, who is fresh from the Nigerian fields and who was very hands on as U.S Ambassador to Nigeria and who very recently gave a very optimistic report about the readiness and ability of Nigeria to conduct an even better election than any she has had since 1999.

Miss Sanders is of course in tune with the current mood in Nigeria and of Nigerians and is more competent than Mr Campbell to give an informed analysis and expectation of what 2011 holds for Nigeria and Nigerians.



Mr Omokri is Vice President, Africa, at Joe Trippi and Associates, the Washington DC political consultancy.



http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/guest-articles/john-campbell-got-it-wrong-on-nigeria.html

There are thirteen questions in that piece. Let's see how many you can answer:


The first question is-what's the status of the "power-sharing arrangement between the Muslim North and the Christian South" that he so passionately speaks about?

When and how was the "power-sharing arrangement" negotiated and agreed between the so-called Muslim North and the Christian South?

Since Nigeria became an independent state in 1960, why did it take 39 long years before it was discovered that Nigeria's political stability and long-term survival could only be achieved on the basis of the power-sharing arrangement between the Muslim North and the Christian South?

How did Nigeria survive for 39 years after its independence without a power-sharing arrangement between the so-called Muslim North and the Christian South?

If the zoning arrangement is so pivotal to Nigeria's political stability and long-term survival as Ambassador John Campbell passionately argues, why does he fail to notice that nobody made any effort to take advantage of the just-concluded constitutional amendment to ensure that it got written into the Nigerian constitution to give it the force of state law?

Isn't it curious that a ranking diplomat like Ambassador John Campbell will choose to elevate the casual arrangement of the PDP which is one of Nigeria's many political parties to the level of national policy without expressing any concern or regret that the zoning arrangement has never been subjected to any form of national legitimization say through a national referendum?

Why is Ambassador John Campbell silent on the known fact Northern politicians like Ibrahim Babangida and Atiku Abubakar who are now swearing that power MUST return to the North in 2011 collected the presidential nomination form in 2003 when Obasanjo had only done one term and so it was still supposed to be the turn of the South?

If the zoning arrangement was as sacrosanct as Ambassador John Campbell is making it seem, why did the PDP sell presidential nomination forms to Northern presidential candidates in 2003 when it was still supposed to be the turn of the South?

Why should Ambassador John Campbell be so passionate about the zoning arrangement between the North and the South of Nigeria without bothering to establish who decided that such a pivotal arrangement should conveniently overlook the fact that between 1960 and 1999, a combination of Northern generals and politicians had ruled the country for a total of 35 out of its 39 years of independence?

Why is Ambassador John Campbell not bothered about the irony of the fact that Northerners who have held power for 39 of Nigeria's 50 years of independence are the ones who are insisting that presidential power must return to the North in 2011?

Given the convergence of opinion between Ambassador John Campbell and northern regional champions such as Adamu Ciroma, Ibrahim Babangida and Atiku Abubakar, should it be taken that the Ambassador is a passionate subscriber to the 'North or nothing' political philosophy and therefore, that they are all playing the same script?

What other than subscription to the 'North or nothing' political philosophy would have convinced a diplomat of John Campbell's stature to conclude that Nigeria which didn't collapse in 1993 when a northern head of state in the person of Babangida annulled Nigeria's all-time best presidential election which was won by a Southerner in the person of late MKO Abiola whom another northern head of state in the person of late General Sani Abacha arrested and detained until he died under controversial circumstances (for campaigning for the de-annulment of the election he legitimately won!) is sure to disintegrate if a southerner in the person of President Goodluck Jonathan wins the 2011 presidential election?

If Ambassador John Campbell is for any reason afraid of telling a Nigerian story that involves asking tough and objective questions about the logic, equity and justice of one section of the country dominating and insisting on continuing to dominate the rest of the country, why must he tell a Nigerian story?

Iyineda:
Allergic to (constructive) criticism. smh

What is the constructive advice (criticism) he gave?

Please remind us.

While you are providing answers, please read this opinion written sometime last year on his book:

John Campbell's' Nigeria! .
Tuesday, 14 September 2010 23:07 VONENHACH

John Campbell was the USA Ambassador to Nigeria between year 2004 and 2007 and is currently the Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy at the USA Council on Foreign Relations.

John Campbell is also reported to have written a book entitled ‘Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink’ which is due to be released in November. Since leaving Nigeria, John Campbell has consistently commented on key issues concerning the country and in his latest commentary, he has warned that the 2011 presidential elections pose a threat to Nigeria's stability saying, 'the end of a power-sharing arrangement between the Muslim North and the Christian South, as now seems likely, could lead to post-election sectarian violence, paralysis of the executive branch and even a coup.' Given John Campbell's high profile as a ranking American diplomat as well as his stature on the USA Council on Foreign Relations, his most recent comments on Nigeria which are evidently reflective of the dominant thinking and opinions that he's distilled into his upcoming book in which he's tied Nigeria's political stability and long-term survival to the retention of the zoning arrangement of the PDP (as is currently being canvassed by Northern political elders like Adamu Ciroma, Ibrahim Babangida and Atiku Abubakar) are both baffling and unsettling especially because his position seems to defy all logic and diplomatic commonsense.

Ambassador John Campbell's comments are also baffling because they are clearly tangential to the salient facts of Nigeria's political history which can be divided into the period of British Colonization, especially dating from the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates by Lord Luggard in 1914 and the period of Sovereignty which began in 1960 when the country gained independence from Britain.

Since Ambassador John Campbell waves PDP's zoning arrangement as the only magic-wand that can guarantee Nigeria's political stability and long-term survival, he owes Nigerians, Americans, the USA government, the Council on Foreign Relations, his publishers and the world at large a duty to answer the following pertinent questions in order to either validate or correct his positions, views, opinions and comments on Nigeria's unfolding political scenarios. The first question is-what's the status of the "power-sharing arrangement between the Muslim North and the Christian South" that he so passionately speaks about? When and how was the "power-sharing arrangement" negotiated and agreed between the so-called Muslim North and the Christian South? Since Nigeria became an independent state in 1960, why did it take 39 long years before it was discovered that Nigeria's political stability and long-term survival could only be achieved on the basis of the power-sharing arrangement between the Muslim North and the Christian South? How did Nigeria survive for 39 years after its independence without a power-sharing arrangement between the so-called Muslim North and the Christian South? If the zoning arrangement is so pivotal to Nigeria's political stability and long-term survival as Ambassador John Campbell passionately argues, why does he fail to notice that nobody made any effort to take advantage of the just-concluded constitutional amendment to ensure that it got written into the Nigerian constitution to give it the force of state law?

Isn't it curious that a ranking diplomat like Ambassador John Campbell will choose to elevate the casual arrangement of the PDP which is one of Nigeria's many political parties to the level of national policy without expressing any concern or regret that the zoning arrangement has never been subjected to any form of national legitimization say through a national referendum? Why is Ambassador John Campbell silent on the known fact Northern politicians like Ibrahim Babangida and Atiku Abubakar who are now swearing that power MUST return to the North in 2011 collected the presidential nomination form in 2003 when Obasanjo had only done one term and so it was still supposed to be the turn of the South? If the zoning arrangement was as sacrosanct as Ambassador John Campbell is making it seem, why did the PDP sell presidential nomination forms to Northern presidential candidates in 2003 when it was still supposed to be the turn of the South? Why should Ambassador John Campbell be so passionate about the zoning arrangement between the North and the South of Nigeria without bothering to establish who decided that such a pivotal arrangement should conveniently overlook the fact that between 1960 and 1999, a combination of Northern generals and politicians had ruled the country for a total of 35 out of its 39 years of independence?

Why is Ambassador John Campbell not bothered about the irony of the fact that Northerners who have held power for 39 of Nigeria's 50 years of independence are the ones who are insisting that presidential power must return to the North in 2011? Given the convergence of opinion between Ambassador John Campbell and northern regional champions such as Adamu Ciroma, Ibrahim Babangida and Atiku Abubakar, should it be taken that the Ambassador is a passionate subscriber to the 'North or nothing' political philosophy and therefore, that they are all playing the same script?

What other than subscription to the 'North or nothing' political philosophy would have convinced a diplomat of John Campbell's stature to conclude that Nigeria which didn't collapse in 1993 when a northern head of state in the person of Babangida annulled Nigeria's all-time best presidential election which was won by a Southerner in the person of late MKO Abiola whom another northern head of state in the person of late General Sani Abacha arrested and detained until he died under controversial circumstances (for campaigning for the de-annulment of the election he legitimately won!) is sure to disintegrate if a southerner in the person of President Goodluck Jonathan wins the 2011 presidential election? If Ambassador John Campbell is for any reason afraid of telling a Nigerian story that involves asking tough and objective questions about the logic, equity and justice of one section of the country dominating and insisting on continuing to dominate the rest of the country, why must he tell a Nigerian story?


http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/analysis/columnists/14501-john-campbells-nigeria-

Jonathan unfolds agenda for new era
Tuesday, 17 May 2011 00:00 From Madu Onuorah, Bridget Chiedu Onochie and Florence Lawrence (Abuja) News - National

THE picture and direction of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in the next four years, after his swearing-in on May 29, 2011 in the wake of his electoral triumph, is emerging.

The President yesterday gave hints of what he would do in some sectors. For example, Jonathan said his Administration would pay special attention to the strengthening of economic relations with the international community in the next four years.

He spoke during the presentation of their letters of credence at different ceremonies by five new ambassadors to Nigeria at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The new ambassadors are Nyahuma Mentuhotep Obika (Trinidad and Tobago), Mr. Alvaro Castillo Aguilar (Spain), Mr. Ali Abdo Suleiman (Ethiopia), Mr. Alain Aime Nyamitwe of Burundi and Mr. Issa Ibrahim of Chad.

According to the President, “in the next four years, we will pay special attention to the improvement and strengthening of economic ties with our partners in the international community, as a foundation for stability and growth of our country.”

He told Mr. Obika of Trinidad and Tobago that Nigeria was interested in co-operation in the oil and gas sector, while he welcomed the proposal for energy co-operation by Mr. Aguilar of Spain.

Also on another occasion yesterday, the President directed that Nigeria’s foreign policy be reviewed to “reflect current realities.”

Jonathan gave the directive during a breakfast meeting with the Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations at Aso Rock Villa Abuja, saying that “after 50 years of independence, it is time to review the country’s foreign policy in line with modern realities and international developments.”

The President agreed with Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Chairman of the Advisory Council, that the “highly successful, transparent and credible elections conducted by Nigeria had elevated the country’s democratic credentials in the international community,” adding that he would ensure even better polls in 2015.

President Jonathan noted that “from 2007, we committed ourselves to credible elections by setting up the Muhammadu Uwais Committee. And this is the result of those efforts.”

The President expressed appreciation to members of the Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations for their consistent credible advice.

Earlier, Anyaoku had congratulated the President for his success in the elections, and for delivering on his ‘promise to conduct credible elections’.

The Council offered suggestions on several areas of national and international interest to Nigeria.

[b]And to meet the country’s needs and challenges, President Goodluck Jonathan has assured of an improved budgetary allocation to the education sector.

He gave the assurance yesterday at the public presentation of the nation’s education data survey and the Digest of Education Statistics for the period 2006 to 2010.

The President frowned at the situation where the federal budget had continued to increase, while that of education had remained static.

“This will not continue. However, this lacuna has been addressed in the 2011 budget,” he said.

Represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, the President reiterated that it was only through improved and quality education that his administration would achieve its plan to transform Nigeria.

He said that to tackle the challenges of inadequate and irregular power supply, quality health provision, enhanced transport system as well as overall development, the role of educated Nigerians could not be over-emphasised.

“For instance, the issue of ensuring that we have adequate power supply, we need to get the plant, develop expansion and operate and manage the facilities. We need Nigerians to do all these and they must be educated Nigerians. It is only educated Nigerians that can run efficient seaports, rail system, health and other sectors of the economy.[/b]

“The myriads of our problems as a society can be achieved through a responsive education system. None of our developmental goals would be achieved if the education system cannot produce men and women to provide solutions to the problems.”

President Jonathan also told the gathering that he had requested the Minister of Education and the Chairman, National Population Commission to make a formal presentation of the report to the National Economic Council, where the governors of the 36 States of the Federation would be present.

Commending the Ministry of Education for its foresight, the President said it had not only shown how well it understood the challenges of the sector but also how focused it had been in tackling the challenges headlong by ensuring that up-to-date information on the sector was made available for developmental strategies.

In her remarks, the Minister of Education, Prof Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, said that with accurate data at their disposal, the ministry and its team would be able to effectively deploy resources to tackle identified challenges.

According to her, even before arriving the Ministry as a Minister, her major concern had been the availability of credible data on the nation’s education sector.

Presenting the key findings on 2010 Nigerian Education Data Survey (NEDS), the Chairman, National Population Commission, Chief Samu’Ila D. Makama, stated that education enrolment between age six to 16 in the North West and North East geo-political zones of the country ranked lowest with 72 per cent compared to Southern zones, where it was only three per cent. Meanwhile, Imo State recorded zero per cent non-attendance.

Speaking on states with children between ages five to 16 that we are able to read, he said that while North East and North West zones recorded less than 40 per cent, Ekiti, Lagos, Abia, Osun, Ondo and Akwa Ibom, recorded 70 per cent and above respectively. Yobe State was ranked lowest with only six per cent.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48252:jonathan-unfolds-agenda-for-new-era&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

There are some missing information in that story. The FG acknowledges  the part  it has to play in the arrangement.

Fuller story from Business Day:

FG issues cement manufacturers ultimatum to crash price .
Tuesday, 17 May 2011 00:00 Horatius Egua, Abuja    . .
The Federal Government yesterday gave a 30-day ultimatum to cement manufacturers in the country to bring down the cost of the product.

Speaking during a meeting with cement manufacturers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the president said the decision to bring down the price of the product “is to make it more accessible to Nigerians”. Fielding questions from State House correspondents after the meeting, Ima Niboro, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, said the manufacturers had agreed to do all that was necessary to meet the one-month deadline given by the president.

He said the president was sad about the rising cost of the product and decided to call a meeting of the top five manufacturers to find a way out of the problem.

“The president is worried about the situation. He is not happy about it and he wants the price to come down,” Niboro said.
Josephine Tapgun, minister of state for commerce, told newsmen that the stakeholders all agreed that there was an urgent need for the price of cement to come down.

According to Tapgun, they all agreed that the price must come down “and all stakeholders have agreed that there must be changes in the price of cement in Nigeria”.

The minister who acknowledged there were challenges in the sector, said government was confident such challenges would be addressed. “Meanwhile, Mr. President has also agreed to address issues where government needs to intervene. Government is ready to do that to ensure that the price is reduced”.

In a chat with State House correspondents, Joseph Makoju, president of the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CMAN); Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group; Abdulsamad Rabiu, chairman of BUA Group and Jean-Christophe Barbant, country manager of Lafarge Cement, all assured that prices would come down before the deadline expired.

Makoju said both the president and the manufacturers agreed to address the causes of scarcity and high cost of cement, saying: “In addressing the causes, some of the issues are on our side as the manufacturers, some of the issues are on government’s side, and I am very confident that over the next weeks, you will see the impact on the issue of supply and prices of cement”.

Dangote cited the Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) consumed by the industry, the loss of 6, 000 trucks by his group recently, as well as the post-election crisis in the North as partly responsible for the hike in price.

He told journalists that arrangements were being made by his companies to sell cement directly to retailers, irrespective of quantity, as part of moves to bring down prices.

The business mogul lamented that marketers were also capitalising on the increase in the pump price of diesel in the country by transferring additional costs to the consumers.

He said: “The other issue is that of transportation. You know, once there is an increase of N1 on diesel, transporters would take that opportunity and increase their charges. When you look at when we started producing cement at Obajana, cement, for the first time, became cheaper. It is still cheaper than in Lagos while this was not the case before now”.

“So, you can see that we are doing quite a lot and I can assure you that in the next few weeks, these prices will definitely come down,” he said.

Dangote said his company had ordered about 5, 000 additional trucks to ameliorate the problem of cement haulage across the country.

“We are doing all that to try and bring down the cost of transportation, but we will do it in such a way that it will not affect other transporters because we also need them in the business to survive,” he said.

“Cement will definitely be exported. Worst case scenario, by first quarter of next year, Nigeria should be earning a lot of foreign exchange and I can guarantee you that cement will be one of the major foreign exchange earners in the next few months,” he said.

The chairman of BUA Group noted that some of the challenges that caused increase in cement price were being addressed; including the closure of the Kaduna Refinery, as well as the closure of cement companies based in the North as a result of the post election crises.

“There were challenges and some of them have been taken care of; namely, the issue of LPFO. the Kaduna refinery was out of production for some time but is now back on stream, and most of the companies located in the north, like Ashaka Cement, Sokoto Cement and Benue Cement rely entirely on LPFO. So, when the Kaduna refinery had an issue, a lot of companies were not able to produce, but that has been taken care of,” he stated.

http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/news/76-hot-topic/21548-fg-issues-cement-manufacturers-ultimatum-to-crash-price

PHCN workers oppose privatisation in power sector
May 16, 2011


The National Union of Electricity Workers says that privatization will not work in the power sector and should not be federal government's option for a way forward in power sector reforms.

This statement which was made by the secretary of the union, Joe Ajaero, is coming on the heels of fresh negotiations between the Federal Government and the workers union of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

Mr Ajaero said all the federal government has done in past years with its privatization projects in different sectors is to sack workers, whereas the privatized industries are left dysfunctional.

He said the PHCN workers cannot be blamed for the failure in the sector but rather the many abandoned projects and the contractors that were paid to do them.

The leader of the government's delegation, Alhaji Hassan Sumonu said the recommenced negotiation will look at previous negotiations, negotiate outstanding issues between both parties and set a way forward for the smooth takeover of the power sector reform.

It could be recalled that the electricity unions has earlier stifled attempts by the federal government to finalise the privatisation arrangement with threats to embark on an industrial strike.

The national body of the NUEE and that of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) issued an ultimatum for government to suspend further action on privatisation of PHCN until all outstanding labour issues are resolved.

Part of the demand by the unions are, among others things, for the management of PHCN to pay up the balance of the negotiated 150 per cent salary increase as well as regularise the employment of over 10,000 casual workers in the corporation.

http://channelstv.com/global/news_details.php?nid=27135&cat=Local