₦airaland Forum

Afam4eva: Yes, you must mention their names or keep quiet.

Afam4eva: LIke who and who? Don't just talk, shoot. let's have names of those that insulted anyone but still posting, so that we can extend bans to them as well.

The umbrella body of the North, Arewa Consultative Forum, has said that the proposed national conference will not be “a magic wand,” saying that the country did not record any achievement with the conferences held since independence.

The body said what the country lacked was the political will to realise its dreams.

In an interview with our correspondent, the National Publicity Secretary, ACF, Mr. Anthony Sani, noted that the forum was not opposed to a national dialogue but preferred free and fair elections to it.

He said there was no basis in the claim that ethno-religious and political sentiments shared by lawmakers would make them incompetent to handle the national dialogue.

Sani said, “Are you suggesting that because the proposed national dialogue will be by ethnic nationalities, the delegates will cease to be Nigerians with distorted values? Will those who will select the delegates come from the moon? And will the legislatures have no place in the order of things anymore?

“While not opposed to the dialogue, it is our considered opinions that what remains lacking in our quest to move the nation forward is consciously directed efforts to make common desires possible and then actual.

“The starting point is free and fair elections under the watch of the Independent National Electoral Commission, especially if Nigerians make consciously-directed efforts and ensure that votes count, so that the ensuing leaders will be accountable to the people and make poverty history.”

Meanwhile, the Igbo socio-cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndi’gbo, has said, contrary to the opinion of some northerners that the conference should be held after the 2015 general elections, it should be held “immediately.”

It noted that the nation needed to discuss a myriad of national challenges that required urgent attention.

The Publicity Secretary of the body, Mr. Osita Oganah, said those, who opposed the convocation of the conference before the general elections, did so out of selfishness. He said restructuring the polity had become imperative for good governance.

He noted that where there was good federalism and power decentralisation, many politicians would not find politics lucrative anymore. He added that such a field would be left with only those who wanted to serve the country.

Oganah said, “What Nigeria needs now, most importantly, is restructuring. Since President Goodluck Jonathan has given this opportunity, we will be stupid to say that (2015) election is more important, given the state of anarchy in Nigeria now and coupled with the United States of America’s prediction that Nigeria will break up in 2015.

“It will come to pass, if we still hold election and forget about national conference. The whole idea is that we should restructure immediately and bring all the six geo-political zones to the same level; same number of states, local government and revenue allocation. Each zone will be federating units and not states anymore.”

Insurgents have now devised a new means of hiding their explosive devices to unleash terror on hapless citizens during the sallah cerebration, investigations have revealed.

The insurgents, in order to avoid suspicion especially with the public now wary of abandoned polythene bags or sacks, now package their Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in school bags for suicide bombers.

This was the observation of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Kano State after a joint operation with operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) led to the discovery and subsequent raid of a bomb making factory in Guduwawa village in Gezawa Local Government Area of the state last Tuesday.

The new approach, the JTF said, was copied from Boston in the United States where two brothers, reportedly dropped their back packs containing explosives in the midst of a crowd at a marathon race, killing three and injuring many last April.

An operative of the JTF told newsmen that the IEDs can be packaged in any type of school bag, adding that the IEDs control switch is stitched to the handle of the bag and only needs to be switched on for the explosive to be triggered.

“They will just carry it on their back and walk into any place or their target without people knowing or suspecting as they will be mistaken for students. This is a dangerous trend,” he said.
In a joint press conference, the Commander of the 3 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Kano, Brigadier General Iliaysu I. Abbah and the state’s Director of DSS, Mr. Bassey Eteng said the packaging of IEDs in school bags was the latest trend to avoid quick detection by the terrorist group.

Explaining further, Mr. Eteng said the plan of the terrorist group was to be using young persons of school-age as suicide bombers during the forthcoming Sallah and that the IEDs recovered from the factory in Guduwawa was capable of killing 1,000 persons.

“People should beware of the latest IEDs the terrorists are producing; it is packaged in a school bag for suicide bomber. They can carry it into the mosque, church and even schools. This is what happened in Boston; this trend is kind of copy-cat thing. People should be on look out,” he explained.

Shedding more light on the discovery, General Abbah said, “This is the first time we are recovering something like this. They primed the IEDs in bag unlike the previous ones”.

He also disclosed that the security operatives recovered materials the terrorists are using for the manufacturing of the school bag IEDs.

He listed the materials as three primed cylinders of IEDS; one primed explosive suicide back pack, 18 empty IED cylinders, 24 detonators, small bags of fertilizer, IED timers, cortex wires and three remote controls.

Abu Dokpesi, the look-alike younger brother of Daar Communication chairman, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi who is the man behind AFEMAI Line Transport Ltd, is in the storm. Few weeks back the businessman was arrested and detained at the Abuja Police Divisional Headquarters, opposite the Central Bank of Nigeria former head office. He was allegedly arrested in reaction to a petition in which the transport magnate, Dokpesi was alleged of stealing and selling federal government SURE P/FGN mass transport vehicles.

A source who witnessed the drama of the arrest informed that it took the intervention of the Daar Communication’s Chairman, Raymond who came to bail and providing surety for his brother.

According to available information, AFEMAI got 10 coaster buses under the FGN SURE-P mass transit scheme in January 2012.

Since the period he took delivery of the buses, it was alleged, he has not made a single payment to the intervention fund manager’s, Infrastructure Bank Plc.

A source hinted that security operatives and detectives have been on his trails for months while allegation of using charms to disengage them were also made as he could not be arrested until about three weeks ago when he was eventually tracked down.

It was gathered that the young Dokpesi, with the support of his elder brother is jostling for the local government chairmanship seat in Edo State. On this premiere, it was alleged that all the daily revenue from the transport business was deplored to procuring customized Ankara, bags of salt, rice etc. as gifts to the electorates. He however lost the election woefully.

While government has been able to retrieve eight of the buses, all efforts by the retrieval agency to effect full recovery came to a halt with an alleged influence of Dr. Raymond, who allegedly provided cover for the recovery agent, identified as Adeleye. But, he was eventually arrested at the New Haven Police Station, Enugu.

At the Enugu police command, the police were said to have established the fact that AFEMAI allegedly sold the remaining buses to another government agency for about N25million without remitting a single payment to the purse of SURE-P.

Unconfirmed information however said that AFEMAI’s boss has been boasting to who cares to listen that the fund should be regarded as government largesse and he is not prepared to pay back what he termed his own share of the national cake.

Insiders however disclosed that AFEMAI may be used as a scapegoat as the Federal Government through presidency has resolved to deal with all defaulters mercilessly.

gratiaoe: No need tribalizing the thread

BY BEN AGANDE


ABUJA—Members of the House of Representatives committee on Special duties yesterday visited the Presidential Villa to carry out oversight function on the performance of the 2013 budget.

The 20- member committee met with President Goodluck Jonathan before inspecting some on-going projects in the Villa after which they expressed satisfaction with the pace of work that are ongoing.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati who spoke with newsmen after the inspection said the visit will help bridge communication gap between the legislature and the executive arm of government.

Chairman of the committee, Nadu Karibo said the committee was impressed with the extent of work on-going at the Presidential Villa.

According to him, “what really impressed me was the extension work going on at the State House Medical Centre and I was surprised. My initial impression was that State House Medical Centre was only for the President and the State House Staff but I observed that those who are not even State House staff have access to medical facilities there; it is really impressive.

“We also observed that a new site is being developed, probably to cater for the upsurge in the people going there for treatment. I was really impressed with the fact that outsiders have access to the facilities there.

“We are very happy that the President will open his doors and allow members to come freely and do oversight, I think this is unprecedented, it is not a usual everyday thing. So I am really impressed that the President opened his doors to let us look at what we wanted to see,” he said.

He said the impression that the House of Representatives was always at loggerheads with the executive was not entirely correct because what the legislature tries to do is ensure that laws are implemented as passed.

“The problem with Nigerians is that they believe if you don’t quarrel with the executive, you are not doing your work well and any little disagreement, any little misunderstanding between both arms which is very usual in politics is often overblown. It is not out of place for the a House of Representatives to ask questions when necessary, otherwise the relationship between the executive and the legislature is very cordial.”

Asked whether the Budgetary allocation to the State House was enough considering what the committee saw concerning on going projects, the committee chairman said when the 2014 budget is brought before the House, “we will look at it again and if there is any need to increase it, we will persuade the House to increase it, if there is any need to reduce it, the House of Representatives will reduce it” he said.

Speaking on the visit, Dr Abati said “this is perhaps the very first time this kind of visit will happen and it is something to be encouraged.

If a section of the legislature is responsible for oversight even for the State House, it is very good that they will come and see what is going on there. Even the executive arm of government places a lot of emphasis on oversight and checks and balances on monitoring and evaluation” he said.

The presidential Spokesman quoted the president as saying that “both the executive and the legislature are travelling to the same destinations and that destination is to serve the people.

“It’s a question of commitment to delivering service and this shows very clearly that both the legislature and executive are working together. It was a very good, amiable meeting and interaction” he said.

By GBENGA OLARINOYE


OSOGBO — Osun State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has given a seven-day ultimatum to the state government to reverse the merger of schools and return them to their original owners.

The state government had, last week, commenced the merger of public primary and secondary schools in the state under its schools reclassification programme.

CAN in a letter addressed to the state Governor, Mr’. Rauf Aregbesola and signed by its state chairman, Rev. Elisha Ogundiya, urged Aregbesola to revert the new education policy in the interest of peace and tranquility in the state.

Also, CAN called for a reverse on the changing of single sex schools to mixed schools, saying that would help to preserve the religious character of the schools.

The body said failure of the state government to reverse to the status quo on the state education system would make it take further actions on the matter.

CAN also advised Aregbesola to take the interest of all religions into consideration while making policies, saying that he was voted into office by both Christians and Muslims.

The letter reads: “We observe that the foundation of Christian faith is being seriously threatened by some policies of the state government, especially in the education sector, which the church is strongly averse to and it is not ready to compromise.”

Reacting, to CAN threat, the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi said: “You don’t reverse a policy that will bring up decent, brilliant and successful students in the schools.”

He appealed to CAN and other interest groups in the state to be tolerant with the state government on the new education policy in the state, stressing that “if there is any government with human feelings, Aregbesola’s government has demonstrated in many ways that Osun State is a reference point in human development index.”

In spite of the heavy downpour that started at about 8a.m. till 12 noon yesterday, a mammoth crowd of the All Progressives Congress (APC) thronged the Holy Trinity Catholic Church ground in Onitsha to listen to Senator Chris Ngige, the party’s candidate in the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State as the party officially commenced its campaign for the election.

It was an occasion that witnessed the assemblage of APC big wigs from across the country including the party’s national leader, Senator Bola Tinubu; Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha; Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole; his Ekiti State counterpart, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; the party’s National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and the party’s South-east National Vice-Chairman and Director General of Ngige Campaign Organisation, Chief George Moghalu among others.

Obliviously overwhelmed by the mammoth crowd of enthusiastic supporters who thronged the arena for Ngige, Tinubu who first took the stage to begin what turned out to be a long speech by the speakers in turn of Ngige’s achievements as governor of the state for 34 months, said Ngige was like a fine product from the manufacturer’s stable that needs no advertising.

“This man, Senator Ngige, with me here, is one man with sound political pedigree, pedigree of service and passion and commitment to the welfare of his people. We looked at his antecedents before giving him to Anambra people to be their governor after the elections of November 16, and I know you people love him and he will not disappoint you.

“You call him “Onwa” – the shinning moon. He is a good product. Good wine needs no bush and I tell you that the moon will shine again,” he said.

Tinubu said with their votes for Ngige on November 16, Anambra people would have liberated themselves from the bondage of bad governance and a ruler that is misruling them.

“You are all witnesses to the fact that during his first outing as governor, teachers were paid, pensioners were paid, schools were better, roads tarred, and hospitals were renovated and upgraded. Things have nose dived and we have come to sweep away the evil,” he said.

On his part, Oshiomhole described Ngige as a man with experience who has been tested and trusted.
He said Ngige did in 18 months as governor of the state what successive governments could not do in eight years, adding that with Ngige, the state will change for the better.

He advised APC supporters to vote for him on November 16, and guard their votes jealously as a way of effecting the change they desired.

Fayemi, in his solidarity speech, described Ngige as a soldier in the vineyard of progress.

For the Imo State governor and national leader of the Ngige campaign for the November 16 polls, Okorocha, who was mesmerised by the sheer size of the crowd, he said Ngige remained the man that ended godfatherism in Anambra politics and who was ordained to rescue Anambra people from bad governance.

But for Ngige who was handed over the party flag alongside his deputy, Hon. Ralph Okeke, the moon he said, would shine again.’

According to him, he will re-enact the era of good and durable roads known as ‘Ngige standard,’ and wipe out kidnapping and armed robbery, the twin evil that had held the state prostrate since he left office; offer free education as well as upgrade hospitals where women would be treated free.

“Today in our state, there are a lot of kidnapping and robbery going on and youth unemployment as well. Was it like that when I was there,” he asked rhetorically to which the crowd yelled ‘No’.

“We are going to sweep out kidnappers, robbers and security and welfare of the people would be paramount in our list.

“The roads I built 10 years ago are still there, very durable and the ones built two years ago with so much money have been washed away.

“Who is deceiving who? I will come back again to give you people “Ngige quality roads,” he said.

Desola: The same way agagu fasted for the ondo people abi?

Pshew! Oro rirun. Mimiko better go fast for 40 days so that the next APC governor does not Bury him as the way he is frolicking with that aso rock demon suggests to me that his days are numbered.