₦airaland Forum

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Anambra State University, is heading on collusion course with management of the institution, which has directed its entire staff to resume work today.
ASUU, which has been on strike for about four months now, rising from a meeting yesterday, directed its members to ignore the directive of the school management, as it was not consulted and did not reach any agreement with the authority to call of its strike, insisting that it was still on strike.

Pro-chancellor of the institution, Prof. Elochukwu Amuchieazi in a swift reaction to the ASUU position said the school would be opened today as directed by the people of Anambra State and that any staffer when fails to show up would have him or herself to blame.

The Registrar of ANSU, Mr. S.E. Offoregbu had in a public statement directed the staff of the school to resume duty today on the mandate of the people and government of Anambra State, who own the university. But speaking to Daily Sun on the stand of ASUU, the ANSU-ASUU chairman, Dr. Jaja Nwanegbo said, “the ASUU-ANSU members will not resume duty Monday, 22 November, 2010 contrary to the misleading information to that effect by the Governing Council via the Registrar.

“As a matter of fact, only ASUU-ANSU congress on the order of the ASUU NEC has the authority to call off the strike. However, NEC can only issue such instruction to call off the strike when the state government agrees to implement the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement. “Regrettably, the state government and the Governing Council have been insincere in resolving the conflict. Rather they prefer using agents of destruction to break ASUU-ANSU in order to serve their selfish interest to the detriment of the staff and students of the university.

“The last meeting we had with government was on November 12, 2010 at Parktonia Hotel Awka, there the Council made an offer of 87 per cent implementation of the salary component of the 2009 agreement and asked us to resume work. We told them that this cannot be the issue because we were talking about implementation of an agreement which is all encompassing not just salary, but that if they can make a commitment as to when they will implement salary like other states, like Abia, Imo, that’s January, but the Council chairman refused to enter any commitment and that’s when we knew something was wrong because a professor can not shy away from entering into agreement.

“On the 16th, the governor went on a meeting at Nnewi and declared 80 per cent, by 18th the Registrar wrote us a letter and said 60 per cent, so it became difficult for us to know which to follow. “Meanwhile, we cannot say we have agreed on anything when we have not entered into any agreement. They never sought our opinion whether the school will resume or not, they just went on air and announced resumption, whether we like it or not and ordered that the school should be opened for those who want to continue working in the university.

“So they are shying away from commitment, they don’t want to implement the agreement, and you know we are five state universities in the South-East that went on this strike, none of the state governments is using any force or threat, except Anambra state. “We are on strike and therefore nobody is expected to be in the school on Monday or thereafter until the issues that let to the strike are resolved and the strike is called off.”

But disagreeing with the ASUU, Prof. Amuchieazi said it was not for the lecturers to dictate for the owners of the university when it would open the school and advised them to report to duty today and afterwards continue with negotiations. He told Daily Sun that that university management was merely carrying out the directives of the people of the state and government of Anambra State.

He said, “You saw the advert, the decision of Anambra people and that is what counts. Therefore, the management has agreed that the school will start tomorrow (today), the school will be re-opened tomorrow. Are you listening to ASUU or the university, the Anambra people have taken a decision and they have directed the school to open tomorrow and we have told the school to go ahead and re-open tomorrow.

“If anyone fails to come to work he will have himself to blame. Is ASUU directing the government? With which law is the university being governed? Is it federal government law or state law?”

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/22/national-22-11-2010-013.htm

In order to win Igbo PDP delegates votes at the presidential primaries, the Mallam Adamu Ciroma-led Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF), is set to woo the Ikemba of Nnewi, Dim Emeka Ojukwu and former Vice president, Dr Alex Ekwueme into its fold.

The group believes the duo would help them by using their influence to mobilise delegates from the zone and also whittle down the influence of the governors from the region, who had already thrown their weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan.

The forum has also decided to pick a vice president from one of the Igbo-speaking states to run with the consensus candidate if they win the primaries. Daily Sun reliably gathered that the choice of vice president from Igbo-speaking states was crucial to the NPLF strategy for securing the support of delegates from South-east at the PDP primaries.

How the vice president would emerge is not yet clear but Daily Sun gathered that some of the people being touted for the plum job include: former Senate President and a Babangida supporter, Senator Ken Nnamani; former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, and Senator Ben Obi, a strong Aliyu Gusau loyalist, who was political adviser to the former National Security Adviser and presently the Director-General of the Gusau Campaign Organisation.
Senator Obi was also Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in the 2007 presidential election on the platform of the Action Congress (AC), now known as Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

The choice is expected to run with former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who is said to be set to emerge as the consensus candidate. Daily Sun had, last week Thursday, reported that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was ahead of the other three candidates but that the choice of Atiku had caused disagreements among the other contestants and since then efforts were being made to pacify the other candidates and also, take another look at the choice of Atiku before a name is finally announced. This, according to Daily Sun’s findings, is what has been delaying the announcement of the consensus candidate.

Daily Sun gathered that following the disagreements, which had continued to delay the announcement of the NPLF choice as its consensus candidate, the Ciroma group and the other candidates had been holding series of consultations on how to share political offices amongst all the interests in order to placate various political interests, including those of Babangida, Gusau and Saraki, to ensure that the arrangement did not die.
Though the power sharing talks were still ongoing, a source privy to the high-level horse-trading who opted to remain anonymous told Daily Sun that Dr. Bukola Saraki had been sorted and has accepted to become Atiku’s Chief of Staff (COS).

The source also said the Kwara State governor had also been allotted some slots in the Federal Executive Council.
However, Saraki had denied ever accepting to be the Chief of Staff to any of the candidates.

According to him, he could not be chief of staff to anybody.
However, he said he would accept the decision of the NPLF when it formally makes its choice public hopefully sometime this week after one last meeting with the contenders, scheduled to be held yesterday. Daily Sun also gathered from the source that Generals Ibrahim and General Aliyu Gusau have been jointly allotted the privilege of selecting the vice presidential nominee for an Atiku ticket. Since the former military president and the former NSA are jointly second in the NLPF choice.

Talks between the NPLF, Babangida and Gusau, the source said, had continued, given that the duo were said to be very unhappy with the manner in which the consensus arrangement was being handled. Gusau, Daily Sun gathered, is still of the opinion that he is the most qualified for the office amongst all the contestants.

Babangida and Gusau, the source said, had yet agree to agree on who to nominate for the slot but Daily Sun gathered that efforts were being made to ensure that Gusau is comfortable with the consensus deal before any further moves. It is for this reason that Babangida might be pressured to favour Gusau’s choice for Vice President, a candidate whom Atiku would have no objections working with and someone who would definitely be from the South-east zone.

Some of those in the committee include former PDP National Chairman Audi Ogbeh, former Senate President, Iyorchia Ayu, and former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji M.D Yusuf.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/22/national-22-11-2010-009.htm

Aggrieved ex-militants under the aegis of the Niger-Delta Liberation Force, NDLF, led by “General” John Togo in Delta State remained recalcitrant yesterday, saying they would not surrender.

Spokesman of the group, “Captain” Mark Anthony told Daily Sun that the group would not surrender until the Federal Government convened a conference of aggrieved ex-militants to discuss their grievances with the post-amnesty programme.

His words, “We are not surrendering, we are waiting for more troops, until government calls for a dialogue to address grey areas with aggrieved ex-militants, the battle is not over, we will continue.”

He said it was wrong for the Federal Government and the JTF to address them as criminals when they heard the point clearly that they were not criminals, but ex-militants fighting for their rights. Anthony added. “We want Mr. President to apologize to us for calling us criminals, those on whose backs he climbed to power.

He is the highest beneficiary of our armed struggle in the Niger-Delta. We’re not criminals but freedom fighters.”
Meanwhile, the barricade on the waterways of Delta State by the JTF continued yesterday with reports that there were restriction of movements in the Bomadi, Burutu, Okwagbe axis. He said only the Warri end to Gbaramatu kingdom was spared.

But residents of Ogodobri and other communities who fled their communities for fear of reprisal attack by the JTF following last Wednesday’s gun battle between soldiers and NDLF fighters at Ayakuromo militant camp of John Togo, have started returning home. The Councillor representing Ogodobri in the Bomadi Local Government, Hon. Geofrey Dibofa commended the JTF on their activities in the area.

President of the Concerned People Forum of Ogodobri community, Pastor Felix Okpe also praised President Goodluck Jonathan for carefully monitoring the taskforce and ensuring that they did not descend on innocent communities. Dibofa said, “Presently, the situation is under control, the good people of Ogodobri do not deserve the punishment they gave us in the past just because of John Togo.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/22/national-22-11-2010-001.htm

A ray of hope appears in the horizon for teeming Lagosians seeking medical treatments in the government hospitals, as resident doctors in Lagos State operating under the aegis of Medical Guild have suspended their 14-week strike after reaching a mutual agreement with the state government.

Briefing newsmen on Sunday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), the chairman of the Medical Guild , Dr. Ayobode Williams said the decision to suspend the strike is informed by the conviction of the doctors that the state government equally needs time to show its sincerity on the agreement reached.

According to him, “the congress of medical guild decided to suspend the 14-week-old strike to give way for government to show sincerity in all that they have promised to do and at this point, the congress also went ahead to say that if within 72 hours, the original salaries are not paid, that the congress may have to reconvene on Friday for possible actions. But if the money is paid, then the congress would have to reconvene again in February to review all the promises of the government including our immediate past chairman, taxation, issues of CONMESS, salary arrears and other issues.

“So at this point the strike is hereby suspended and work resumes at 8 am tomorrow morning (today) in all our facilities and we implore Lagosians who are listening to us to please attend our facilities because we on our own part, we promise to give our best so that we can continue to deliver good health services to the people of Lagos.”
He remarked that there was good understanding between the doctors and the government, adding that they would know by January ending when salaries would be paid if the government would live up to its responsibility.

“We have reached an agreement with the government and all we are saying is that we would wait for the government to live up to its responsibility and its sincerity. That has been thrown out and a new understanding has been reached between us and the government, I think we should leave it at understanding. We have a paper from the government to that effect.”

The agreement reached with the doctors that prompted the suspension of the protracted strike reads in part:
•That with effect from January 2011, government would implement the mutually agreeable wage review which would not put doctors in Lagos state hospitals at a comparison disadvantage with other health institutions.
•That based on the medical guild’s request, the government has significantly reviewed Dr. Ibrahim Olaifa’s case towards positive outcome.

•That the Medical Guild ‘srequest for the payment of arrears would be considered with the same spirit as the implementation of the salary review
•That the request of the withheld salaries; September and October is currently being reviewed with a positive outlook.
•The complaints of the Guild on excessive and arbitrary taxations would be reviewed and corrected
•The issue of bills for the medical guild and Association of Medical Doctors herein has been resolved with the payment of outstanding deductions on behalf of the two associations.

•No officer or group of officers would be victimised on account of participation or role played during the strike.
Two weeks ago the Lagos State Government, soft-pedaled on its initial stand and promised to pay the doctors 75 percent CONMESS. Though the offer was initially rejected by the doctors who wanted 100 per cent implementation of CONMESS, they have however, had a change of heart. Speaking with Daily Sun, Vice Chairman of the Medical Guild, Dr Mojolade Taofeek said the issue now was not whether it was going to be 75 per cent or 100 per cent, but the government has promised to pay CONMESS by January 2011.

“We would give the government till the end of January to fulfill their promises to us, if they fail, by the first week of February the strike would resume again,” he said.
Patients in Lagos State had passed through hell following the strike embarked by the Medical Guild 14 weeks ago. The situation became compounded when Federal doctors in the state joined the strike in sympathy with their colleagues.

To salvage the situation the Lagos State Government had recruited 155 doctors last week to fill in the gap until its issues with the Medical Guild were resolved.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/22/national-22-11-2010-004.htm

A MILITANT and General Commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Tamunotonye Kuna Obese, Sunday said a former leader of the militant group, Henry Okah, who is standing trial for treason and in detention in South Africa, spoke with him on the phone on Monday, and was in touch with other MEND leaders in Nigeria.

Obese, 25, who hails from Tombia in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State and was among the youthful 63 MEND fighters paraded Sunday before journalists by the Joint Task Force (JTF) at the Air Force Base, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said Okah had been encouraging the militants to continue fighting.

The MEND commander, from whose camp on November 18 at Borikiri, Port Harcourt, 19 kidnapped oil and construction workers were rescued, earlier embraced the Federal Government’s amnesty offer, but later returned to the creeks when his leader, Farah Dagogo, who also accepted amnesty, allegedly abandoned him and others.

Obese’s Presidential Amnesty identity card bore the registration number, 997.

A large cache of arms, comprising 45 AK-47 rifles, 12 General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), thousands of assorted ammunitions, N673,000 cash, military camouflage, new military boots and belts, military bullet-proof vests, other military hardware, radiophones and MEND jackets, among others, were recovered from the militants. The kidnapped persons, who regained their freedom on Thursday in Port Harcourt, included 12 Nigerians, two Americans, a Canadian, two French and two Indonesians.

Obese said: "Henry Okah is the one doing these things (sponsoring militancy and kidnapping in the Niger Delta). We are in touch with him (Okah). He called me last Monday. He said, ‘Obese how are you?’ I said there is a serious problem.

"We (MEND fighters) are not happy with what our leaders are doing. My leader is Farah Dagogo. I did not hear from him and that is why I returned to the creeks. We are sorry for kidnapping. We want everybody to forgive us.

"I am a General Commander of MEND. Moses gave the arms and ammunition to us at the waterside to patrol the waterways and creeks."

When reporters attempted to probe further on the identity of Moses, the JTF Commander, Maj.-Gen. Charles Omoregie, said Obese had said enough, and assured the journalists that police investigations would reveal further details.

Omoregie said: "Yesterday (on Friday), the JTF took into custody the notorious Obese Kuna and 62 members of his gang. This gang has been the brains behind the spate of heinous crimes across the region.

"Notable among their activities was the abduction of Afren Group and Exxon Mobil personnel from their oil production platforms on 7th and 12th November, 2010 respectively.

"Prior to this, they had also abducted staff of Julius Berger Nigeria Limited and contributed significantly to the reign of fear and insecurity within the creeks of the Niger Delta."

According to the JTF commander, some of the militants had accepted the Federal Government’s amnesty and were currently receiving allowances from the government, but still went ahead to engage in activities strictly forbidden by the terms of the amnesty.

The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, Mr. Suleiman Abba, said the apprehended militants would soon be charged to court.

Henry Okah, who is currently standing trial for treason in South Africa, was arrested over the October 1 twin bombings near the Eagle Square in Abuja, while President Goodluck Jonathan and other political leaders were celebrating Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary.

Henry’s younger brother, Charles, who allegedly arranged for the cars used for the bombings in Lagos before they were wired in Port Harcourt and moved to Abuja for the operation, has been arrested with some of his associates and car dealers; they are currently standing trial in Abuja.

The JTF commander, also last Thursday, announced that his men had taken over seven active militant camps in the Niger Delta, consisting of two in Delta State (Sector 1), two in Bayelsa State (Sector 2) and three in Rivers State (Sector 3) and six dormant camps in Bayelsa State, with six militant leaders arrested in Bayelsa State.

Except the unexpected happens, the cloud of uncertainty over the long-awaited Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) consensus candidate of the North will continue this week.

Though the Northern Political Leadership Forum (NPLF) led by Mallam Adamu Ciroma has assured that the popular choice would be announced on Tuesday, feelers at the weekend confirmed that an end to the search is not yet in sight.

The four northern aspirants in the race include former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, former Vice President and 2007 presidential candidate of the Action Congress (AC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former National Security Adviser (NSA), General Aliyu Gusau, and governor of Kwara State, Dr Bukola Saraki.

Sunday Sun observed that close associates of the aspirants were all in high spirits when contacted even as they anxiously awaited the announcement of their candidate for the presidential race. Whereas supporters of IBB believe he would pick the single consensus slot because of his wealth of experience, those of Atiku told Sunday Sun that their principal remained the most qualified democrat of the lot. For Gusau and Saraki’s loyalists, the mood was the same as they flaunted experience in public service and generational paradigm shift respectively.

A top member of the PDP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Ciroma committee set up to produce a sellable candidate from the North that can challenge President Goodluck Jonathan was finding the consensus project a difficult task to accomplish. He revealed that the committee was hesitant to announce the preferred candidate because it was not sure what the other three aspirants that would lose out would do. The source said although one of the four aspirants was clearly in the lead, the committee was at a loss over the implication of his announcement.

He told Sunday Sun that the fear is that other aspirants may not accept the recommendations of the committee and may pursue their ambition on other platforms outside the PDP. Our source said that the Ciroma committee was working round the clock to calm frayed nerves before the announcement in order to ensure that the North does not go to the primaries as a divided house with President Jonathan. “If feelers from the North is anything to go by, the Ciroma committee is not likely to announce the long-awaited consensus candidate this week. With what is on ground, the choice of a consensus candidate from the four PDP aspirants would not be easy.

“None of the aspirants wants to step down for the other as each believes that he has some comparative advantages over the other. “The committee is careful not to be perceived to show bias for any particular candidate as that could be counter-productive. Part of the fear is that if it picks an aspirant in a haste, others might go to other parties or stay within the party and work against the interests of the North. “Why the committee is at a loss is that it is only a united North that could go to the PDP primaries and win President Jonathan, who obviously would enjoy some advantages as an incumbent President,” he said.

The committee has however slated a meeting with the four aspirants for Sunday night to brief the aspirants the modalities it used in arriving at its choice and also attempt to extract a firm commitment that those that missed the cut-off would support the selected aspirant. But another source said the NPLF was being careful to be sure any of the aspirants was not planted to divide the votes of the North. “You know in politics, anything is possible. The committee is made up of politicians with a lot of experience and they are looking at the possibility that a particular candidate or some of them could have been planted to divide the northern votes.

“Are you not surprised that in a critical period of the nation’s history that for the first time the North is not speaking with one voice. The way it is, nobody can guarantee that the Ciroma committee will come out with any consensus candidate this week as being expected,” the source said. However, Sunday Sun equally learnt that the consensus candidate would be announced on Tuesday as the committee had already settled for a popular candidate and would go public with it.
The source said: “The result of the findings of the committee as it concerns the consensus candidate would definitely be announced this week but who the candidate will be is still under wraps.”

But another source insisted that the committee had actually settled for Atiku.
The source claimed the camps of the other aspirants were already aware of the decision and that some of them were uneasy with the decision. A member of the committee confided in Sunday Sun that issues knocked out General Babangida from the committee’s contention.

According to the source, who is a key member of the IBB presidential campaign, the Ciroma committee was unsure of the purported wide acceptability of the former military leader, especially in the southern part of the country as well as his capacity to march Jonathan money for money in the struggle for the PDP ticket.
The committee was said to have been swayed by the reality that the former number two citizen does not only have the acceptance in the south but also had the money and the capacity to spend it being a product of the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua school of politics, where no amount of money was spared in securing political power.

The committee was of the opinion that 17 years out of power, Babangida may not possess the financial muscle to face a Jonathan’s financially empowered campaign camp. Atiku, on his part, left office less than four years ago.
The source added that the issue of zoning was also said to have favoured Atiku. Atiku is from Adamawa State in the North East geo-political zone of the country.

According to the committee, of all the three geo-political zones in the North, the North East had produced no leader for the country after the death of the nation’s first and only Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, while the North West where General Gusau hails from had produced four heads of state and the North Central, which is Babangida’s zone, had produced three heads of state.

The committee was also swayed by the democratic credentials of the former number two citizen, who has remained untainted by the blemish of military dictatorship, considered by the committee as a major setback to the duo of Babangida and Gusau.

Northern Christians divided over consensus candidate
From ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Kaduna

Since the introduction of Sharia, the Islamic legal code, in Zamfara State and other states in the North in 1999, it has increasingly become difficult to separate religion from politics.
Although religious leaders from both divides - Islam and Christianity - always outwardly claimed neutrality on political issues, a visit to their places of worship always proved the contrary, as they engaged in more political matters than politicians. And they hide under the guise of providing the “right direction” for their followers through the sermon they preach.

It was therefore not surprising when on November 10, the Mallam Adamu Ciroma group, searching for a consensus presidential material from the North, stormed the Catholic Social Centre, Kaduna, to confer with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and the federal capital territory (FCT).
But that singular visit has stirred fresh controversy within the fold of the Christian leaders, thus giving rise to the question: who is using CAN?

Before the visit
Barely 24 hours before the visit, the Archbishop Peter Jatau-led northern CAN had addressed a press conference on the state of the nation at the Catholic Social Centre, Kaduna, and insisted that the country was in dire need of a God-fearing leader.
During the question and answer session, journalists sought to know the position of the Christian leaders regarding the zoning controversy, to which Jatau responded: “It is not our business; it is the business of the politicians. We can get a leader without minding where he comes from. It is the character of the leader that matters, not where he comes from. Our appeal is to ensure that Nigerians vote their conscience.”
But Reverend Mathew Owojaiye, chairman of the Northern Christians Elders Forum (NOCEF) and one of the CAN leaders in the North, who sat on the podium with Jatau and other leaders like General Zamani Lekwot (rtd), argued that since the Muslims in the North have produced eight former Nigerian leaders, they ought to zone the position to the Christians in the North in 2011. His response elicited applause from the Christians at the meeting.

The visit
Since one of its leaders had raised the issue of zoning the presidency to northern Christians barely two days before the visit, one expected that it would have been raised, especially when those directly accused of shortchanging the northern Christians were the ones visiting.
Even though Ciroma, who led the group, and the Bauchi State CAN chairman, Bishop Musa Tula, insisted that the issue of zoning was never discussed, feelers from the meeting indicated that both men were being economical with the truth.

After the two-hour meeting, which was held behind closed doors at the Catholic Social Centre, Ciroma and Tula were evasive on the details of what transpired, as both of them insisted that the meeting was called to ask for prayers and to forge a better understanding between the two groups.
However, Sunday Sun gathered authoritatively that CAN told the Ciroma-led committee that it should treat accord Christians in the North all their rights and privileges the same way it was done under the late Premier of Northern Region and Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello.

The only clue Ciroma gave that the meeting went beyond the issue of prayer was that he told reporters that “sometimes we say something which may not be pleasant but may be the truth but the end result is greater understanding, which is the purpose of our visit.”
Pressed further to comment on what transpired at the meeting, especially regarding their cry for a northern Christian President, Tula said: “We are not politicians but spiritual leaders. So that is a matter left for the politicians.”
Sunday Sun further gathered from sources close to the meeting that the Ciroma group was asked why it was limiting its search to only aspirants within the PDP.
“They told us that they were doing that because they are members of the PDP, and we told them we are not politicians. We also told them that they have completely derailed from Sardauna’s legacies, by alienating the northern Christians from their activities…We told them that in the South, the Yoruba don’t discriminate on the basis of religion, and that they should try to imbibe such attitude.

“Finally, we told them that we don’t know who will emerge as the next President in 2011, but we know those who will not be President. We also advised them to consider all our sons and daughters who have indicated interest in the Presidency, even if they are not of the PDP,” one of the sources, who participated in the deliberation, volunteered.
Curiously, one Pastor Habu Aminci, who is relatively unknown in the CAN circle, and who never spoke to any reporter at the venue of the meeting, was later heard on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) saying that the Northern CAN would support any three of the aspirants, except one it considers an “anti-democrat.”

Kaduna CAN vs Northern CAN
Sunday Sun further gathered that although CAN in the northern states did not wholly subscribe to the views expressed by Aminci, it did nothing concrete to put the issues in perspective, thus forcing the Kaduna State chapter of CAN to take up the challenge.
By Saturday, November 13, the Kaduna CAN Secretary, Rev Joseph Hayab, issued a press statement saying it had no business with zoning, and as such Aminci could not have been speaking for it.
“Our attention has been drawn to a certain interview by a Christian clergy, Pastor Aminci, purportedly on behalf of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). The said interview emanated from a meeting with prominent Northern Nigerian politicians, in respect of the direction of Nigeria’s presidency in the 2011 elections.
“The interviewee was said to have stated that Christian community in the northern region has resolved to stand on the side of pro-zoning, by ensuring that Christians in the region vote on the side of a northern aspirant whether in the PDP’s presidential primaries and the general election as well.

“The clergy went further that CAN has set up sub-committees at local levels to ensure that a northern presidency becomes a reality and feasible against the fact that the immense political commitment and concession, the region has conceded to the South has been denigrated by the intention of Present Goodluck Jonathan to run.
“It is on this premise that CAN has found it imperative and of urgent need to put the record straight. The Christian Association of Nigeria has no business with such partisanship politics, and has not in any way taken such a stand…
“By this, CAN hereby dissociates itself from the said stand purportedly taken on its behalf. We have never and will not in any case be partisan on issues related to politics. Rather we will continue to maintain our neutrality being apolitical but religious organization conscious of national development, cohesion, integration and peaceful coexistence of our dear country,” the statement further said.

Northern CAN reacts
By last Monday, following Hayab’s reaction, which was widely reported on Sunday, there was another report indicating that the Presidency may have forced the Kaduna CAN to disown Pastor Aminci, a situation that now forced Northern CAN to come clean on the real status of Aminci.
Secretary of Northern CAN, Elder Saidu Dogo, at a press conference in Kaduna said that there was no crack within its fold over the issue of consensus candidate.
Dogo noted that the meeting of the association with the Ciroma-led committee never discussed the issue of zoning or consensus, saying that the association made it clear to the Ciroma group that as religious leaders they do not want to be dragged into the politics of any party.

He also said that Aminci was not an official of CAN and does not have the power to speak on its behalf.
“We wish to state that Pastor Aminci, which some national dailies were quoting to have spoken on behalf of CAN in the North, actually came with the Ciroma entourage and is not an official or the chairman of CAN in Bauchi state or any other state for that matter.
“The chairman of CAN in Bauchi is Bishop Musa Tula, who represented the Northern CAN Chairman, Archbishop Peter Jatau, during the meeting with the Ciroma committee. Aminci is not an official of CAN anywhere and therefore has no locus standi to speak for Christians in the North.
“Those making any issue out of the interview he granted to the Hausa service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) were doing it mainly for mischief and for their selfish political interest. Our position as religious leaders is to remain neutral and continue to pray for the best leadership for this country.
“We wish to state in very clear terms that there is no crack in CAN and will resist any attempt to be dragged into issues that are purely the affairs of politicians.

“During our meeting with the Ciroma committee, we never said anything on zoning. What we told Ciroma and his committee members was that as religious leaders, we would continue to pray for the best leadership for this country,” Dogo added.

Who is Aminci?
Now that the Northern CAN, which he purportedly represented in his interview with BBC, has disowned him, Aminci will have to come up with his own story so that Nigerians would know who among the desperate PDP presidential aspirants is using CAN.
Efforts to locate Aminci proved abortive at the time of filing this report. But Sunday Sun has it on a good authority that he had facilitated one of the meetings between northern states CAN and one of the PDP presidential hopefuls.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/21/national-21-11-2010-001.htm

What has been your most challenging role in a movie?
(Exhales) All of them come with their different challenges. But I would say playing the role of a blind girl in Wind of Glory was extremely challenging and I still consider it one of my favourite movies.

Do you have plans of going into producing or directing movies?
Yes obviously, I do.

Have you ever had any surgical beauty enhancements?
No. Not yet.

What does love mean to you?
Love, (exhales) well, what is love? (laughs,) love for me is when you derive joy in giving not in receiving. When you are happy loving someone and doing things for that person without asking anything in return, that is love, genuine love.




Are you in a relationship?
In God we trust.

Any plans for marriage?
As for marriage, it’s every woman’s dream to get married. We can’t lie to ourselves. I do want to get married but overtime I have had opportunities to get married but I realise getting married is not actually the problem. The problem is finding someone you are compatible with because I’m born Catholic, I’m raised Catholic, I don’t believe in divorce. If I get married, I really want to stay married and staying married is not an easy thing. It means you are completely in tune with your partner. It means you’ve found your soul mate because you’ll have to be able to stand a lot of disappointments that would definitely come but then again you have to learn to forgive. For me, before I choose a partner I have to ask myself if this is the kind of person I would be willing to forgive no matter what when the time comes. If the answer is no, then that person is wrong for me. That person is not the person you want to get married to. If you know you can look into someone’s eyes and say yes, this is the most you can do to me. if you actually cheat on me the first time, I can find it in my heart to forgive you. If you can answer that question honestly and truthfully to yourself then you’ll know if that person is your partner or not. So compatibility is the word aside from the physical attributes that have to go with it. I need to be comfortable because I’m a woman and I’m used to a certain lifestyle.

What should your ideal man look like?
My dear, let’s not go there, I don’t want to chase market (laughs).

Any word for your fans
To all of you, for whatever reason you love me, I want you to know I appreciate it. I would not be where I am today without you obviously and as much as I come first in everything I do, I always consider you because you are a part of the decisions I make in my life.

SOME leaders of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) have started pushing for early presidential primaries in the party to prevent aggrieved presidential aspirants from the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) from hijacking their structure.

There were fears that some of the four candidates jostling for a consensus ticket from the north might pitch tent with the ANPP.

The four aspirants being screened by the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) are: ex-President Ibrahim Babangida; ex-Vice-President cc Abubakar; ex-National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau and Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State.

The NPLF leaders are tentatively expected to unveil the consensus candidate any time after Monday, November 22.

Although the four aspirants are believed to have signed undertakings to support whoever emerges as the consensus candidate, there are indications that some of the aspirants are eyeing the ANPP as an alternative platform.

Investigation by The Nation revealed that the ANPP might have concluded its plans to concede its presidential ticket to the north.

Four aspirants, three from the north and one from the south-west, have so far shown interest in becoming the flag bearer of the party in the 2011 poll. They include Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and Alhaji Bashir Tofa, both of who contested the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election; Alhaji Dauda Birma and Chief Harry Akande (south-west).

There had been speculations that Tofa, who hails from Kano State with Shekarau, might be fronting for a yet-to-be known aspirant.

But the ANPP is already perfecting moves to beat any presidential aspirant to it.

According to findings, the ANPP does not want its platform to be turned into a dumping ground.

It was also gathered that the ANPP leaders believe that early primaries by the party will put it in good stead to "take advantage of any upset" which the PDP presidential primaries might cause.

The party, which lost its control of some states to the Government of Unity Alliance with the PDP, has initiated plans to regain its rhythm in 2011.

A top official of the party, who spoke in confidence, said: "We are getting set for the 2011 poll. We are ready to regain our pre-2003 grip in 2011.

"Although we have not zoned our presidency, there is a consensus that we should concede the ticket to the north for strategic reasons since the PDP is tilting towards the south-south.

"The game will be more interesting if we present a northern candidate for the 2011 poll. That is our thinking now.

"But as we are planning, our leaders are insisting that we should prevent a situation whereby the presidential aspirants who may lose out in the PDP will seek an alternative platform in the ANPP.

"We won’t be a dumping ground for any aspirant. We prefer to be a gallant loser in 2011 to being turned into a residual platform.

"We don’t want those who may lose out in the consensus battle to seek greener pastures in the ANPP. We won’t allow that."

Responding to a question, the source added: "Our leaders are saying that we should hold our primaries before the PDP so that those who may be aggrieved will only join our party and learn to queue for other posts instead of the presidency. This is the option we are disposed to."

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/19436.html

THE fight over who will represent Oluyole State Constituency, Ibadan at the Oyo State House of Assembly in the 2011 election Friday left four people wounded.

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the local government had gathered to listen to a former governor and an elder in the party, Chief Kolapo Isola, at a meeting.

The former governor addressed them and called for a truce and left shortly after.

But no sooner he left than the meeting was disrupted by suspected loyalists of the legislator currently representing the constituency in the House of Assembly, Hon. Lekan Ganiyu.

They were said to have attacked those supporting the local government chairman, Mr. Olasunkanmi Salami, who has shown interest in the position.

The hoodlums attacked party members with dangerous weapons such as cutlasses, broken bottles and knives, thereby wounding four people.

The party chairman at the council, Elder Emmanuel Akinlade, the representative at the House of Representatives, Hon. Depo Oyedokun, Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan and other top members of the party were said to have fled the Idi-Ayunre venue of the meeting during the attack.

It was learnt that the five policemen from the state police command who were detailed to guard participants at the meeting could not salvage the situation. They had to call for reinforcement before the situation could be brought under control.

Ganiyu, a second-term legislator, is also interested in retaining his seat for the third time, an ambition regarded as an insult to the collective members of the party in the local government.

But Ganiyu, while reacting to the development, alleged that Salami started the trouble when he referred to him as ‘bastard’, a statement he said infuriated his own supporters, leading to free-for-all.

He admitted that he was nursing the third term ambition but added that the candidature would be decided at the party’s primary soonest.

Salami said it was unfortunate that political thugs could storm the venue of a meeting called to broke peace and disrupt it.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/19437.html

Today, as President Goodluck Jonathan marks his 53rd birthday, his kinsmen, from the serene Otuoke community in Ogbia Local Government Area wish him good luck. Moving through the community and talking to people, it is obvious that there is joy in their hearts, with the radiance in their eyes, as they pray profusely for a man they described as a gift to Nigeria.

From his family, to distant relations, to his friend, one thing binds all of them together: Jonathan remains the humble man, who God has decided to bless because of his disposition to life.
Dayani Green, his cousin, who stayed with him while he was deputy governor, described Jonathan as a simple man and wishes him good luck on his birthday.

“The president is a very simple person. He has feeling for fellow human beings. He does not like to indulge in anything that would make people suffer. Rather, he would do things that would satisfy the people. I wish him good luck.
“Already, his name is Goodluck, but I wish him more good luck. Right from his growing up days, in a Christian home, we have never heard that Jonathan fought anybody. He has always loved people. This is why God has continued to bless him. If you offend him, he would leave everything to God. He is not vindictive. He believes his destiny is not in the hands of man.

“His elevation to president was God’s doing. For some of us, who stayed with him then, we remember that he always told us not to let anger rule over us. He is instrumental in my going to the University of Port Harcourt. He is responsible for anything that pertains to my school. He does not discriminate. I wish him good luck on his birthday because he deserves it.”

Frank Odum Paul, Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman of Otuoke community, said right from when they were small, nobody heard that Jonathan was involved in any negative thing.
He said: “President Jonathan is my uncle. He is a humble man and I knew this right from my childhood. We have not heard that he fought with somebody or did any negative thing. This is why most of us want to emulate him and imbibe some of his characters. The entire community wish him happy birthday.
“As for the 2011 elections, he is the right person to take away the sorrows of Nigerians. I believe that he is capable of handling the affairs of this country and stabilise the economy.”

Elijah Ateki, a distant relation said that Jonathan is the ideal gift to Nigeria at a time when the country needs a leader to transform it.
“I am from Otuoke community. President Jonathan is a humble man. Before becoming president, he was one of the frontrunners of this community. He has always fought for the progress of this community. He is a peaceful man, who wants other people to progress. He has encouraged a lot of people financially and morally to go to school. He is a good man. I wish him happy birthday and best of luck, to achieve his ambition as the president of this great country. Though I am from his community and people might say I am praising him because of this, the truth is that Jonathan is a gift to Nigeria. This is a man who can fight for Nigeria. He is the only person for now who would do well for the country.”

Pa Peter Okori, who is in his 70s, said he knew Jonathan as a man who cares for the needy and prayed that nothing stops him from achieving his ambition in 2011.
The old man said: “I have known Jonathan right from when he was a young man. He is a good man and a leader. He is kind to the needy. I wish him good luck on his birthday. It is definite that he would be our president beyond 2011; nothing would stop him, by the grace of God.”

Mr. Benson Sunday Agadaga, a former commissioner for information in Bayelsa State, attended the same primary and secondary school with President Jonathan. Also, he and the president worked together briefly before going to the university. He described Jonathan as a man, who listens to people.
Agadaga wished Jonathan more good luck, as, according to him, he needs every good thing to transform Nigeria and make the people happy.

He said: “President Jonathan is my kinsman. His community is two communities away from my own, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. All of us attended St Michael’s Primary School, Oloibiri. He was a class ahead of me. We also met in Mater Dei School, Imiringi; we passed out the same time. We got enlisted together at the Customs and Excise in Port Harcourt and after two years, he left for the University of Port Harcourt and I also left for the tertiary institution. That was how far we went.

“Jonathan is extra-careful in doing things. He is blessed and a man of destiny. He is a leader with integrity, who listens to the views of the people. Jonathan is a meek human being who listens to people. Initially, when he was made a prefect in school, he was reluctant because he wanted to be focused on his studies. He does not like distractions. He was eventually prevailed upon and he took the position and throughout, the House became the best. He is someone who can be described as a silent achiever. I wish him the good luck, which has been following him, so that he can use it to transform Nigeria.”

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/20/national-20-11-2010-003.htm

The Nigerian Customs Service, working in concert with National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has seized N1.5 billion ($9.91 million) worth of heroin concealed in auto parts container shipped from Iran. This is coming just a few days after Nigeria reported Iran to the United Nations (UN) over an illegal arms shipment from the Arab nation.

According to Reuters, the haul, which was one of the NDLEA’s biggest seizures at the Apapa Port, in Lagos, was based on “strong intelligence” received from foreign collaborators about four months ago.
Based on the intelligence, the agency had closely monitored the consignment and some key players behind its shipment before it arrived in Lagos, NDLEA spokesman Mitchell Ofoyeju said.

“The NDLEA , decided to get a welder to cut open the engine parts and behold, we found hidden inside them 130 kg of heroin with a street value of about N1.5 billion ($9.91 million),” Ofoyeju told Reuters.
“The consignment was from Iran and we have arrested three Nigerians connected with the illicit drugs.”

It was gathered that the drugs came in a 40-foot container aboard a vessel, MV Montenegro. Area Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Austin Warikoru, said the vessel, MD Montenegro, brought the container into the port on Wednesday evening and was intercepted by his men.
He said: “We got wind of the container based on advance information and we decided to carry out inspection on the container. We discovered a large quantity of heroin concealed inside propellers and cylinders found in the containers.”

The quantity of the heroin, the customs boss said, was yet to be ascertained as the organisation is still conducting investigations and carrying out inspection. He also stated that the importer is not yet known, as the container was not yet declared and no documentation had been made on the container.
He said: “We are yet to uncover the person behind this, but I am sure before we conclude investigations, we must unmask the person or persons involved.
“The goods originated from Iran and the last destination port of the vessel is Nigeria. So, the question of the container being on transit is ruled out.”

Also confirming the interception of the large quantity of hard drugs, Customs spokesman, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, said that about 10 wraps of heroine each weighing 112kg had been off-loaded from the container. According to him, the manifest for the shipment had indicated that it was building materials.
Saturday Sun gathered that the shipping company that brought in the 13 containers of arms and ammunition intercepted recently at the Apapa Port, also brought the heroine-laden container.

Some months ago, about 450.400kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of over N4billion was seized at the port.
Nigeria reported Iran to the United Nations Security Council last week after the state secret service intercepted an illegal arms shipment from Iran at Lagos port last month.

Rockets and other explosives hidden in containers of building materials were shipped to Nigeria from Iran in an apparent breach of UN sanctions imposed over Tehran’s refusal to halt a sensitive nuclear programme.
Nigeria is not a major narcotics consumer, but, like several other coastal West African nations, it is a major transit hub for trafficking in hard drugs from Asia and Latin America to Western markets thanks to lax customs controls and corruption.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2010/nov/20/newsbreak-20-11-2010-001.htm

Following the raid of its camps in Niger Delta region by operatives of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) has instructed its members to attack more oil installations as well as take more hostages.

In a statement by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, MEND said that the order for increased attack on oil installations would be a prelude to total war on oil facilities in Niger Delta region.
“Our fighters have been instructed to carry out more raids on oil installations, from where fresh hostages will be taken,” MEND said in the statement.
MEND boasted of attacking gunboats owned by the military on Thursday, in Warri, Delta State, following a tip-off by its intelligence unit.
“Our units ambushed the convoy of Nigerian army gunboats at Ayakoromo, in Delta State and the convoy was literally decimated,” it said.

The militant group confirmed that operatives of the JTF invaded a camp where it held some people hostage and rescued them. It said that the hostages were being guarded by a few of its members, who retreated when soldiers arrived in order not to endanger the lives of the hostages.

The statement said: “As a result of the bombings by the Nigerian military of camps and communities, hostages earlier taken from oil installations were kept in a community to ensure their safety.
“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) confirms that there was indeed, a raid on this particular community by the Nigerian military, which had been tipped off by certain persons from this community.

“The hostages were guarded by only a few of our fighters, who retreated in order to prevent an exchange of fire that would have endangered the lives of these hostages. However, our fighters have been instructed to carry out more raids on oil installations from where fresh hostages will be taken.
“Also, at about 0300hrs, on Thursday, November 18, 2010, our units, in Delta State, in the Niger Delta, received intelligence report of the movement of 14 gunboats of the Nigerian military, heading towards one of our camps in Delta State. Our units ambushed the convoy of Nigerian army gunboats at Ayakoromo, in Delta State and the convoy was literally decimated.

“Reports reaching us from the General Hospital, Warri, in Delta State, indicate that 10 soldiers were brought in dead and 18 seriously injured. A large number of Nigerian soldiers were reported by our fighters to have drowned. A large number of weapons, which include Browning machine guns, RPG launchers, general-purpose machine guns, assault rifles and ammunition were retrieved by our fighters following the ambush.
“As earlier promised, we will soon commence an all-out attack on oil installations across the Niger Delta.”

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/20/national-20-11-2010-001.htm

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After a major offensive, the Joint Task Force (JTF) yesterday seized seven militants’ camps in the Niger Delta and arrested six suspected militants’ leaders. It also freed 19 kidnapped hostages, including Americans and Canadians.

JTF Commander Maj. Gen. Charles Omoregie, who said the JTF was not at war with the militants, brought the freed hostages before journalists in Port Harcourt.

The freed persons who regained their freedom through the efforts of the task force, comprising military men, State Security Service (SSS) operatives and policemen, include 12 Nigerians, two Americans, a Canadian, two French and two Indonesians.

The ex-hostages work for oil giants ExxonMobil and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) as well as Julius Berger Construction Company and Afren Group. They were kidnapped between November 4 and 10 at different locations.

Giving the details of the militants’ camps taken over by the JTF men, The JTF Commander, said two were seized in Delta State (Sector 1), two in Bayelsa State (Sector 2) and three in Rivers State (Sector 3).

He said Sotnoye Kaneji Ikiba (aka Obeys), the leader of one of the three camps in Rivers State, has agreed to embrace amnesty and surrender his arms and ammunition.

The oil and construction workers were rescued from Obeys’ camp on Wednesday. Gen. Omoregie said the onslaught against the militants began on November 15.

He said a gang of militants from Keiti Sese Ebimene camp in Foropa, Bayelsa State, engaged the JTF in a gun duel after which the militants bowed to superior fire power, thereby escaping into the creeks of the Niger Delta.

The JTF commander said a large cache of arms and ammunition, membership register and amnesty identity cards were recovered from the militants’ camps.

The recovered weapons included a jute bag filled with rounds of ammunition, three pieces of RPG bombs, one AK-47 rifle, five bags of dynamite tubes and one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG).
Also recovered are 30,000 rounds of ammunition, anti aircraft gun propelled grenades and five machine guns.

Gen. Omoregie said of the eight camps closed down in Bayelsa state, six were dormant while two were active. The dormant ones are Ezetu 1, 2, 3, Ekene and Polama while the one in Foropa and Igbokiri in Southern Ijaw and Nembe local government areas of the state were said to be active.

Also arrested by the JTF were suspects who are believed to have taken part in the recent bombing of the Nigeria Agip Oil Company, (NAOC) facilities in Bayelsa state.

Omoregie said: “JTF wishes to advise people living under the illusion that militancy is the only way out, to seek a re-orientation, because militancy will not take us anywhere.

“I wish to warn that criminals, who have chosen to dig in, instead of turning themselves in peacefully, will have themselves to blame.

“This operation will continue for as long as it takes to uproot these criminals from the Niger Delta. Anyone who doubts the resolve of the JTF in this regard does so at his own risk.”
The JTF commander appealed to law abiding citizens in the various communities in Niger Delta to be calm, saying “they are not the targets but the criminals, the raids were aimed at riding the region of criminals.”

The Bayelsa state Conciliators, appealed to the militants against flexing muscles with government. Its Chairman, Chief Thompson Okorotie, in a statement said, “We want to appeal to our Children to ensure that they do not return to the past that brought so much destruction of lives and property in the recent past.” He spoke during a visit to the Forum of the Federated Correspondent’s Chapel (FCC) of the NUJ, in Yenagoa yesterday.

Ijaw Yoiuth Council (IYC) national spokesman, Mr. Jeremiah Owoupele, also urged the militants to “embrace dialogue in addressing grey areas or grievances,” saying, “We totally condemn this new affront on the amnesty and call on Ijaw people to join hands towards fishing out those bent on causing setback for the Ijaw nation.

“Let it also be known that our faith and believe in the amnesty programme remain unshaken and resolute. We are very much aware of the external measures in this unpleasant development.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/19364.html

Another fire incident has occurred at the University of Nigeria Registrar’s office 24 hours after the Electrical Engineering Department building was set on fire by arsonists suspected to be responsible for the institution’s serial inferno.

However, the fire was detected promptly and was stopped before wreaking much damage.
Eyewitness told Daily Sun that but for a stroke of divine intervention, the vice chancellor’s administrative building renovated and furnished recently , housing the registrar’s office would have been reduced to rubble.
The source further said the two sons of a lecturer who were passing through the area saw smoke billowing from the registrar’s office and alerted their father, who promptly informed the security department about the fire.
Daily Sun learnt that before the university fire officials could arrive, about two wooden drawers containing valuable documents suspected to be certificates were burnt to ashes.

Last Monday night, the Electrical Engineering Department building was reduced to rubbles and multi-million naira worth of equipment and vital documents were destroyed when unknown arsonists set the building ablaze. This is the second time the electrical department building was set on fire. Daily Sun investigation showed that the serial fire incidents occurring in the university, was deliberate attempts by some disgruntled elements in and outside of the campus to distract the attention of the new vice chancellor from the efforts of his administration to reposition the university to become the best in Nigeria and one of the best in the world.

A staff of the social science department said: “We are not happy about what is happening in this university in the past few days”. The staff, who pleaded anonymity told Daily Sun, that the perpetrators of the heinous acts would one day be caught and brought to book. “You are asking me how I feel, I feel bad because the university is my own New Jerusalem. What is affecting the university as an entity or the vice chancellor affects me directly and indirectly” the staff posited.

In his reaction, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Bartho Okolo, who has been away in search of better deal for the institution described the incidents as unfortunate. “Kassidy, you are asking for official comment. What do you want me to say? Do you want me to say that those who are destroying while others are building have done well? However, I am optimistic that one day, the perpetrators of the acts will be rounded up”, the vice chancellor said on phone.

Professor Okolo said security had been very tight in the institution but because human beings were not God, it would very difficult to read the mind of those who had bad intention for the university.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/19/national-19-11-2010-022.htm

THE Senate Thursday said the National Assembly has not drawn a list of states to be created.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze made the clarification while addressing reporters in Abuja.

According to him, the National Assembly has received many requests for state creation and that their consideration has not begun.

He said: "There were allegations that the National Assembly has penciled down some states for consideration and creation, but expectedly, the names of the states they were sponsoring did not appear and people were quite anxious."

"I want to state categorically that there is no list of state creation that has been drawn by the National Assembly.

That matter is not being considered right now, but we hope that we will consider it in the life of the sixth National Assembly."

"If there is any list circulating somewhere, drawn by the Senate or the House of Representatives or the National Assembly as a joint body, there is no such list. What we are doing at the moment is that we are receiving requests and collating such requests.

There is no such list or whatsoever at this point to eliminate any request or include any, because we have not started the consideration of any requests."

"All the requests that have been made to the National Assembly are with our relevant Committees, that is, the Ad Hoc Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

These committees are husbanding these facts and keeping them for the opportune time when we start the considerations."

"Of course you know that based on Section 9 of the Constitution and other sections, there are provisions that must be met before states are created.

"We are going to assess all the requests before us before states are created. The issue is not before the National Assembly right now simply because we want to finish with the issue dealing with the elections" he added.

Speaking on the Presidential assent for the Constitution amendment to become law, the Senate spokesperson maintained that the appeal by the National Assembly on the ruling of a Federal High Court, Lagos was for the benefit of democracy.

"It is not an ego trip on the part of the National Assembly. It is something we feel we need to do for the benefit of our democracy.

"This is history that we are making and it is very important. We are not even moved by the aspersions that are been cast on the National Assembly but we are looking at the future", Eze said.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/19358.html

The State Security Service (SSS) yesterday paraded before journalists a Mazda 626 saloon car with Lagos registration number, BY 318 FKJ, allegedly purchased and wired with bomb to be used in the last October 1 bombings in Abuja.

Also seized were military items, including bullet-proof vests, boots and camp tents allegedly sent by leader of Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Hernry Okah, for delivery to militants in the creeks.

The SSS disclosed that a nursing mother and sister to one of the suspects, who was in custody of the vehicle parked in a hotel in Port Harcourt, assisted in the recovery of the already fully wired vehicle, waiting to be detonated.

According to Marilyn Ogar, Assistant Director, Public Relations of SSS, the hotel management, after discovering that the car was parked for a long time without the owner coming to claim it, deflected its tyres before the sister to one of the suspects in the bomb blast provided information to the Service to move it to their office in Abuja.
The SSS said further that other recovered military items which included, 10 bullet proof jackets, many camouflage vests and boots, water bottles, camp tents, which were intercepted at “a popular transport company, which runs cargo courier services from Lagos to Port Harcourt.

“Investigations into the October 1 bombings have further revealed that not all of the vehicles wired for the bombings were detonated hence the one left in Port Harcourt has been towed to Abuja. “In view of these discoveries, the Service seizes this opportunity to warn transport and courier companies to be more circumspect in handling goods for customers, as they would be held responsible for conveying prohibited items. Equally, car dealers are advised to obtain the full particulars of persons purchasing cars from them, to avoid being held liable on grounds of suspicion for the misdeeds of others.”

The SSS had insisted immediately after the Abuja bomb explosions that it had established the persons who drove and coordinated vehicles brought into Abuja for the bombing. It said the Service had also indentified those who directly coordinated the bombings with Henry Okah, adding that five suspects, including Henry Okah’s younger brother, Charles Tombra Okah, had been arrested.
Ogar also had disclosed the individual at whose residence in Port Harcourt the vehicles were wired for detonation and from where they took off for Abuja.

“The one that confirmed to his accomplice that he had completed the job, immediately after the bombings. Consequently, Charles Tombra Okah, one of the known users of the name, ‘Jomo Gbomo’ and four other suspects would be charged to court accordingly.”

The SSS, however, said the new suspects in the October bombing, including those caught with military items, would be charged to court on November 25, stressing that the ongoing investigations into all criminal related issues would be pursued vigorously and every culprit apprehended and prosecuted accordingly.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/19/national-19-11-2010-001.htm

, the day President Jonathan signed the electoral amendment act at the Presidential Villa, Abuja , with him on both sides are: VP Sambo, Senate Leader Folarin, SA to the President on NASS matters, Abba Aji and Speaker Bankole. PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN.

FOLLOWING public outcry, the National Assembly may throw open the debate on the controversial clauses proposed in the fresh amendment to the 2010 Electoral Act.

There were strong indications yesterday that members of the National Assembly have also asked President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party to stay away from the row generated by the proposed amendments.

It was also gathered that the Assembly members have foreclosed any discussion with the Nigerian Governors Forum on the amendment. The governors have through the NGF chair Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki said the forum would seek an audience with the leadership of the National Assembly to express governors’ misgivings on the proposal.

According to findings, the National Assembly may conduct a public hearing on the issue next week.

It was gathered that members of the National Assembly are unhappy that they are being scandalised over the proposed amendments, especially the expansion of the National Executive Committee of political parties.

The expansion seeks to make chairmen and deputy chairmen of committees in the National Assembly automatic members of NEC.

A high-ranking Senator, who spoke in confidence, said: "We want to lay our cards on the table next week so that Nigerians will appreciate our position.

"The governors have bastardised our democracy by hijacking party structure but we are on a rescue mission. We want Nigerians to come to our public hearing to state their side and also appreciate our arguments.

"Already, we are being crucified without the benefit of the doubt on what we are up to."

Spokesman of the Senate, Senator Ayogu Eze who confirmed plans to hold public hearing, said: "We want Nigerians to take advantage of the public hearing rather than making insinuations or drawing conclusions.

"The law is still in the process of being made, we are also amenable. We make laws to reflect the yearnings of the majority. If at the public hearing, we get superior arguments, the Senate will be guided accordingly.

"But what we are proposing is not strange. With the exception of two parties, most members of the National Assembly are already members of their parties’ NEC. It is not something strange. We are talking of deepening democracy, adding more voice and enriching decision making at party level.

"We are not making this law for ourselves because we will not be in the Senate or House of Representatives forever."

Meanwhile, there were strong indications that the Senators and Representatives have asked the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party to stay away from the controversy trailing the fresh amendment.

A principal officer of the House, who spoke in confidence, said: "We have asked the presidency to stay away from the issue to avoid being misunderstood. We also do not want any conflict with the Executive.

"We will also not entertain any intervention by the PDP in any form. At worst, the PDP could appear at the public hearing too to make its position known.

"We want to be as open as possible on this matter. We do not want any caucus talks on the 2010 Electoral Act.

"We will also not go into any dialogue with the Governors Forum on this amendment because the Forum has not been diplomatic in handling the matter."

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/19238.html

THE Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation was Wednesday gutted by fire.

The organisation, in a statement in Abuja, said:” The cause of the fire outbreak, which was noticed in the early hours of Wednesday has not yet been established, as the Fire Service is yet to turn in a report on the incident. There were no lives lost and no injury was recorded in the incident.

"But computers, furniture and accessories were damaged in the fire, which was confined to the first floor of the campaign headquarters at 1, Luanda Street, Wuse 11, Abuja.

"The affected first floor of the campaign headquarters houses the directorates of Media and Publicity, Research and Planning and Special Duties.

"Former Vice-President and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, who visited the office to assess the incident, thanked God for his mercy.

"He also thanked men of the Fire Service, Nigeria Police Force and staff of the campaign organisation for their prompt response.

"The former Vice-President directed that the renovation of the affected office be effected within 48 hours while staff affected by the incident have been relocated to a temporary office within the complex pending the completion of the restoration work."

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news-update/19221.html

Winning the Seventh Africa Women’s Championships is just enough to force Pillar of Sports, Dr.Orji Uzor Kalu, embark on long one -man trek to the the Glass House in support of coach of the moment, Eucharia Uche. Kalu vowed to muster formidable opposition against the plot to oust the cup-winning coach from her prime position in favour of a bogus technical adviser to take the Falcons to the World Cup in Germany.

“It sounds like blue murder.We do not ever learn from our past.You mean a coach whose team won the cup, Fair Play trophy, Golden Ball and Golden Boot Awards and even beat a team that was suspected to have included two men in it squad is not good enough. Maybe, because she is a woman,” Kalu screamed.

He recalled past World Cups where overhaul of the coaching crew cost the nation good results after doing so well in Africa. “After Phillipe Troussier qualified the Eagles for France ‘98, we brought Velibor Milutinovic who could not do better than the team’s USA’94 performance.In 2002, the same scenario came up with Shuaibu Amodu leading the run to Korea\Japan, while Adegboye Onigbinde took the squad to the Mundial.The men could not go beyond the first round,” the Abia State formergovernor said.

While admitting that there is need to work on the girls, Kalu advised the NFA to organise Grade A friendlies and also send the coach on a refresher course abroad to prepare her for the World Cup in Germany. “Sure the team needs to move up. It is the job of the NFA to programme quality friendlies with teams such as Germany, Sweden,USA, Brazil and the Koreas. Coach Eucharia Uche should be sent to America or England to prepare her adequately for the big one,” he added.

“We all saw what returnee Stella Mbachu did from the wings.That is the typical Nigerian style. Desiree Oparanozie was so useful in the air and if not for the “great one’ Perpetua Nkwocha, Loveth Ayila would have dazzled Africa.What the coach did was to blend the Flamingos, the Falconets, with the not so young and it worked. Please, nobody should stop us from watching the sweet Eucharia Uche\ Ann Chiejine “Nkwa Umuagbogho” dance steps on the sidelines”, Kalu advised.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/sports/2010/nov/18/sports-18-11-2010-001.htm

Nigeria’s new coach, Samson Siasia, has said he will need, at least three years, to rebuild the Super Eagles into a formidable force. Siasia will take over the Eagles on December 1 on a four-year contract and with the perennial underachievers yet to win a major honour since 1994, the former international striker has admitted he had his work cut.

“It is going to take two, three years for us to assemble a formidable team,” Siasia said.
“It should be a gradual process, trying to build a new team with the old and the new players. Gradually, we will mix them up until we find the ones who we need, actually the ones who would play the way we want them to play. That time, I would come out and say publicly we have a team.

“But right now, we just want to focus on how to rebuild the team. Yes, the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) could set targets, but if we want to be realistic, targets won’t be realistic, if you don’t have a good team. “As a coach, we need time to build a very good team. If we are looking at where we are coming from, then we have to work on how to rebuild this team.”

Siasia would, therefore, call on the fans to be patient with him as he goes about rebuilding the national team ranked 33rd in the world. “The fans must come out in large numbers to watch us play. They must exercise patience too. What we lack here is patience. We want results immediately.

“Nigerians want to see us getting to the finals like Argentina and Germany. We cannot say because we want to build a new team, we should forget about the players who are there now in the Super Eagles. That is the team we have right now.“ The Eagles’ new handler further said he was ready for the daunting challenges ahead.

“I have been waiting for this job for almost three years now and that was before the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I was to be the coach of the Super Eagles after the interview conducted for the job. But that time, I said no, I wasn’t ready. Now that I am ready, I am not intimidated at all. I am ready for this job”. he declared matter-of-factly.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/sportsonthehour/2010/nov/18/sportsbreak-18-11-2010-001.htm

THE international community is expecting a lot from Nigeria’s general elections next year, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said.

“Everyone, including the international community, is expressing a great deal of interest, a great deal of excitement for the elections and everyone is anxious for the elections to be conducted in the best possible way,” Blair told journalists at the Presidential Villa in Abuja after a visit to President Goodluck Jonathan.

“I think the preparations are going on and expectations are high around Nigeria, which is a great thing. Back in the West, things are pretty difficult politically, difficult economically. There is a hugely enhanced interest in Africa and in Nigeria. There is a lot of hope and excitement,” Blair said.

The former British leader told President Jonathan during their meeting that the Nigerian government is enjoying the support of the international community.

He noted that the decision by the United States Bank, JP Morgan, one of the world’s largest, to upgrade its representative office in Nigeria to a full-scale branch, is a demonstration of confidence in Nigeria and the Jonathan Administration’s efforts to achieve rapid socio-economic development of Nigeria.

JP Morgan Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon was with Blair during the visit.

President Jonathan told his guests about his plans for power generation in the next four years.

He said domestic power generation should rise to about 20,000mw which would be adequate for the needs of larger manufacturing industries, some of which generate their own power.

The President said the Federal Government was tackling the challenges posed by power transmission, in addition to planning the construction of a new National Power Transmission Super-Grid to replace the existing grid, which can no longer meet the nation’s power transmission needs.

President Jonathan said Nigeria would welcome support from international finance organisations and global banks such as JP Morgan through long-term financing for the super-grid project which is critical to assuring the sustainability of stable power supply in the country.

President Jonathan said his administration had prioritised development of the power sector in recognition of the fact that adequate and stable power supply have a beneficial impact on employment and economic production.

The President also spoke on his desire to boost agricultural production through large scale commercial farming and the measures being taken to sustain peace in the Niger Delta.

President Jonathan also yesterday received the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Mr. Sergey Lavrov, who is in Abuja to follow-up on the implementation of bilateral agreements signed during President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Nigeria last year.

President Jonathan assured Lavrov that his Administration would facilitate the implementation of the agreements and the expansion of areas of economic cooperation between Nigeria and the Russian Federation.

Mr. Lavrov told the President that Russia was very keen on “enriching” its relations with Nigeria through large scale economic projects.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/19241.html

Fresh hostilities appear to have resumed in the Niger Delta as the Federal Government takes decisive efforts to curb resurgence of violence by criminal elements in the area. Men of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) have been placed on red alert over the threat by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) to resume hostilities in the region.

According to Daily Sun investigations, security has been beefed up around major oil installations as well as the water ways where sea-pirates have rendered water transportation a nightmare for passengers. Security sources told Daily Sun that the JTF would move against pipeline vandalisation and combat the gangs who have been carrying out robberies along the waterways.
It was gathered last night that the JTF had commenced raids on at least two suspected criminal camps in the Niger Delta creeks.

Agency report quoted the JFT as saying that it was carrying out operations in Delta and Bayelsa, two of the main oil-producing states.
“At the moment we have ongoing operations in several locations simultaneously,” JTF spokesman Timothy Antigha said, but added he could not immediately give any further details. The military warned on Saturday it planned to carry out raids on suspected criminal camps in the Niger Delta and told civilians in the vicinity to leave.

It is the first major military offensive since an amnesty brokered by President Goodluck Jonathan began in August 2009. Recently four people were killed along four Rivers-Lagos Camp axis in Akassa, Brass Local Government Area. The incident prompted the maritime workers’ chairman, Mr. Kunegha Adam to express displeasure over the upsurge of incessant sea-pirates attacks on passengers by calling on security agencies to do something about securing the water ways.

Similarly, the Programe Officer of the Environmental Rights Action (ERA), Mr Morris Alagoa alerted security agencies of the attacks by sea-pirates along Igematoru, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Checks indicated that the threat to security in the region through the activities of sea-pirates, aggrieved ex-militants and newly recruited militants informed the directive by the Defence Headquarters that the military should clampdown on acts of terrorism and resurgence of militancy in the region.

Sources said the JTF recent statement on Wednesday that it would rid the region of criminals was a veiled signal to sponsors of the groups and that the military is battle ready to move against them. Lt. Col. Antigha had issued a statement advising communities harbouring some of the criminals to report to the JTF. According to him, criminal gangs masquerading as militants have been engaging in all manners of atrocities like kidnapping, sea- robbery and illegal boarding of oil production platforms.

He said law-abiding citizens of the region should go about their lawful business as the JTF is determined to sustain the peace in the region.
Sources said the JTF was confident the communities would turn in the criminals in their midst as the people were desirous of a lasting peace in the region.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/18/national-18-11-2010-001.htm

Governors across the 36 states of the federation have drawn the battlline with the National Assembly members over moves to make federal lawmakers automatic members of their parties’ National Executive Councils (NEC).
Within two weeks of its presentation, the Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act 2010, which will confer the status of automatic membership of NEC of registered political parties on National Assembly members had sailed through Second Reading in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State said in Minna, Niger State yesterday that the move by the federal lawmakers had the capacity to undermine the nation’s democracy.
Saraki said he was in Minna to consult with Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu in his capacity as the Chairman, Northern Governors’ Forum.
He said similar visit would be made to Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole to aggregate the position of governors on the matter.

The Kwara governor contended that the position of the National Assembly members smirks of selfish interest which, he said, was not good for the nation’s democracy.
“The interest of the nation as a whole must come first before any other selfish interest. On the part of the executive, we made a commitment that once the constitutional amendment is brought to the state assemblies, we in the states will try and ensure that it receives speedy attention.”
According to Saraki, the issue of who becomes a member of the NEC of parties should be left to individual parties.
“We have advised them, we have told them we do not support their move, it is not in the overall interest of the nation.
“I don’t think the National Assembly should take such action. We have always commended them on other steps they have taken in the past, especially on the amendments to the constitution.

Opposition parties, including the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Labour Party (LP), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) had earlier vowed to fight the attempts by the federal lawmakers to gate crash into the NECs of the political parties.
Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives, Patrick Obahiagbon has said the bill was self centred.
Obahiagbon, representing Oredo Federal constituency of Edo State on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) slammed his colleagues, who passed the bill, saying “it is synonymous with legislative rascality and parliamentary recklessness.”

He likened what his colleagues did as unbridled excesses of legislators, in dictating composition of political parties’ executives using legislative instruments, which, he said, was similar to what happened during the dark days of the military rule.
According to him, the proposed law which seeks to make members of the National Assembly members of parties’ NEC was anti-democratic and should be resisted by the electorate, adding that his party, the ACN has voiced out against it, because “the issue of party NEC membership should be left solely to the political parties.”
“I call on all members of the National Assembly to backpedal and back down from the expressed intention of making a law to make members automatic members of their parties’ NEC.

“My party rejects it, my constituency rejects it and myself as a parliamentarian reject it too.’’
Obahiagbon said members of the parliament who were vehemently opposed to the proposal were being mobilised against the unpopular bill and called on all progressive minded Nigerians within and outside the National Assembly to ensure that such law did not see the light of day.
“We all, especially the critical media must continue to speak out against the introduction of such a law into our Electoral Act. We must not go to slumber until the intended amendment of the electoral law leaves the parliament and gets presidential assent.”
He noted it was worrisome that six months to the 2011 general elections, political parties and their aspirants were still debating on the issue of zoning rather than addressing critical issues confronting the stability of the nation.

“ Therefore, appeal to the critical and progressive media and to all positive democratic forces in the country to refocus the presidential debate to real issues of national economy. We have a right to know the clear-cut ideological direction of our presidential aspirants.’’
On the annulment of the review of the 1999 Constitution by a Federal High Court in Lagos, Obahiagbon said allowing the President to assent to the amended constitution would not prevent the deepening of rule of law and our nascent democratic process.
“What does the National Assembly stand to lose if in the overall national interest , it allows for presidential assent now while the litigation continues up to the Supreme Court,’’he said.


He described as shameful, roles being played by the state governors of Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia, Imo and Anambra over the strike by state owned universities in the South -east and wondered how the region could meet up with target of Millenium Developement Goals(MDGs ).

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/16/national-16-11-2010-001.htm

GOVERNORS are set for a showdown with lawmakers over moves to amend the Electoral Act 2010 “for selfish interests”.

The amendment is to pave the way for legislators to become automatic members of the National Executive Committees (NECs) of their parties.

The governors will hold a meeting after the Eid-el-Kabir holidays to strategise on how to push their opposition to the Bill, Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) chair and Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki has said.

The Bill is set for a record time passage, having scaled through the second reading at both the Senate and the House of Representatives. If passed and signed by the President, it will put the legislators in charge of affairs in the political parties, given their numerical strength.

The Action Congress of Nigeria (AC N) and the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) have kicked against the move.

The AC N described the proposed legislation as “selfish”. The ANPP said it is “tyrannical”.

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, described the proposed amendment as “legislative rascality.”

Obahiagbon who represents Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo State on the platform of the ACN, called on like-minded National Assembly members, progressive forces, the media and civil society organisations and other Nigerians to reject the proposed amendment.

Dr Saraki said yesterday that governors would, after their meeting, lobby the legislators to drop the proposed amendment.

“It is not good for our democracy to have this kind of Electoral Act. I don’t believe that the National Assembly should take such a decision that will affect the running of political parties”, Saraki said.

He promised that the governors would meet with the leadership of the National Assembly after the holidays to advise them not to support the Act as it is not in the interest of Nigerians.

The governor said the Act would not strengthen democracy as it is being portrayed by the promoters of the new arrangement.

Saraki spoke in Minna, after visiting Niger State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, as part his consultations on the matter.

The NGF Chairman said, “We intend to meet with the leaders of the National Assembly after the holidays to advise them that they should not support the motion. It is not in their interest, neither is it in the interest of Nigerians. We will call on them to have a rethink and disregard the Bill.”

He added: “The National Assembly played a commendable role in other amendments and acted in the interest of the country. We want them to play that same role in this amendment as they are the key stakeholders in sustaining our democracy.”

Speaking at a news conference in Abuja yesterday, Obahiagbon said senators and members of the House of Representatives were being mobilised to oppose the proposed amendment.

Section 87 (12) of the proposed amendment, entitled “An Act to amend the Electoral Act, 2010 and for related matters”, seeks to make Federal lawmakers members of the NEC of their parties.

Specifically, Section 87 (12) (b)(iv) of the bill (membership of NEC of a political party) states: “Members of the National Assembly who are members of the party and (v) former members of the National Assembly who are members of the party” shall be members of NEC of their respective parties.”

Obahiagbon said if the Electoral Act is passed, as proposed, it would be tantamount to political brinkmanship. “ There is no doubt at all that fine arguments, such as the need to deepen the internal democratic process of the political parties in its administration, has been called to bear in justifying why members of the National Assembly should become members of the NEC of their respective political parties.

“But as beautiful as these arguments are, would it not amount to an over regularisation of the political parties, if we legislate on matters like this? Are these not matters to be left strictly for the individual political parties?

“Should we legislate the quorum of a political party’s meeting into the law of the Federation? Is this not an atavistic throwback to the past when military dictators wrote the manifestoes for the political parties in the garrison days? Must we poison the process of the Electoral Act by parliamentary ego-trip?

“Can the National Assembly escape the harsh judgment of history that we desecrated our privileged status as parliamentarians by embarking on a vacuous trajectory of power mongering.”

The lawmaker enjoined other members of the House and Senators to “back down from the expressed intention of foisting a legislative incubus on the political parties by making it legislatively mandatory for all members of the National Assembly to be automatic members of NEC of their respective political parties”.

Obahiagbon said he was also worried that anti-democratic forces lurking in the wings planned to use the opportunity of the Electoral Act amendment to get members of the National Assembly to enjoy a right of first refusal, a euphemism for automatic ticket.

On the controversy over zoning – the controversial power sharing formula fashioned by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he urged the media and other democratic forces to refocus the presidential debate to real issues of political economy.

Nigerians, he said, deserve to know the clear-cut ideological direction of presidential aspirants.

Obahiagbon also called on Southeast governors to rise to break the gridlock of the protracted Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike in the geopolitical zone.

On the controversy trailing the amendment of the 1999 Constitution, he asked: “What does the National Assembly stand to lose, if in the overall interest, it allows for presidential assent just now whilst litigation on the matter continues up to the Supreme Court to enable the Supreme Court’s decision guide future processes of Constitutional amendment?”

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/19039.html

INSPECTOR-General of Police (IGP) Hafiz Ringim Monday redeployed 21 Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs).

Ringim, in a statement by the acting Force spokesman, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Yemi Ajayi, said Assistant AIG Mohammed Zarewa, who was in charge of Zone 3, Yola, is now Force Secretary.

Of the newly promoted AIG’s, 12 were deployed to the 12 Zonal Commands.

AIG Abubakar Mohammed is to take charge of Zone 1, Kano. AIG Suleiman Fakai, former Force Secretary, moves to Zone 2, Lagos. AIG Ibrahim Madu is to oversee Zone 3, Yola. AIG Aloysiua C is now in charge of Zone 4, Makurdi, AIG Ibrahim B. Ahmed moves to zone 5 Benin. AIG Mohammed D. Abubakar is moved to Zone 6, Calabar.

Others affected by the postings are AIG Felix Ogbandu, who is to head Zone 7, Abuja, AIG Donald Irohan, Zone 8 Lokoja, AIG Mohammed M. Abass, Zone 9, Umuahia, AIG Sokoto Atiku Kafur, Zone 10 Sokoto, AIG Saidu Daya, Zone 11 Osogbo, AIG Johnson Ozu Egbunam Zone 12 Bauchi, AIG Mohammed H. Zarewa now Force Secretary, Abuja, AIG Christopher Ola to Command Police Staff College Jos, AIG Bukar Maina, to Police Intelligence FHQ Abuja, while AIG Danlami Yaradua is to Command Police Academy POLAC Kano.

Also moved are AIG Shehu Babalola to Border Patrol, AIG Madueke Dax Uzu to Medical FHQ, AIG Charles A. Cole to Air Wing FHQ, AIG Idris Hadeja to Works and AIG Jingi Misau Mohammed taking charge at Police Veterinary.

The IGP urged the officers to face the challenge of fighting crime in their various areas with the view to reducing it to the barest minimum. The postings are with immediate effect.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/19038.html

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan and governors Monday asked Nigerians to use the sallah break to pray for the unity, development and peaceful co-existence of the country.

Special Adviser on Media to the President Ima Niboro said: “President Jonathan said that Nigeria will make quicker progress towards the fulfillment of its great potentials as a nation if its citizens foster peace, security and stability which are essential for development by showing greater respect for national safety and public order laws.

"Affirming his administration’s commitment to upholding the rule of law at all times, President Jonathan promised that the Federal Government will continue to do all it can to improve the living conditions of Nigerians.

"The President also restated his commitment to ensuring the sanctity of the ballot in next year’s general elections.

"He urged all eligible Nigerians to participate in the voter registration exercise when it commences with the assurance that every vote will count in the elections.”

Lagos Governor Babatunde Fashola preached good neighborliness. He said: “It is, therefore, a time to spare a thought about our worldly pursuits and ambitions in relation to our societal values bearing in mind that we are only human and life is all vanity. As we celebrate today, my brothers and sisters in Islam, let us reflect on those societal values that remind us of our common humanity.

"Let us pray and ask the Almighty Allah to restore to us those values that remind us that we must love our neighbours as ourselves and that our real values are not reflected in what we have but how much we have touched the lives of those around us, especially those put under our care.”

His Anambra counterpart, Mr. Peter Obi said selflessness should be adopted by Nigerians. Obi said: “As a nation, we are reminded of the merits of selfless sacrifice for the common good. The dictates of faith and nation-building demand of each of us to see the country as an estate in which we have a personal stake and in that spirit work to achieve the best results for what belongs to us. We need to ask ourselves what we can do for the country both for our own present good and for the sake of coming generations.”

Oyo Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, in his sallah message, said peaceful co-existence must be sustained in the country. He advised politicians against the use of violence, blackmail, backbiting in the quest for political office.

Ondo State Mimiko, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi, appealed to Muslims not be carried away with the feasts and merriments that usually go with the festivity.

He said: “Just as the meat from the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha is mostly given away to others, this act not only symbolises our willingness to give up things that are of benefit to us or close to our hearts, in order to follow Allah’s commands.”

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Mojeed Jamiu, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi said the lessons of the festival should be carried far into the future.

He said: “I call on our teeming islamic adherents and other religious sects to emulate those lessons inherent in the celebration of this festival as the celebration is not about slaughtering of rams and its attendant festivities alone, besides, it affords us all a unique opportunity to renew our commitment to the service of Allah and our covenant to God.”

Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole urged Muslim faithful to imbibe the spirit of charity, forgiveness and sacrifice as they celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Kabir festival.

In his sallah message, the governor said: “Eid-el-Kabir is an occasion to celebrate the love of God and to rekindle our faith in Almighty Allah. It is a season of charity, making peace, forgiveness and the celebration of our common humanity as God’s children. We must remember to fend for the poor, the disempowered and the needy in line with God’s injunction to be our brother’s keeper.”

Alao-Akala, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Abraham Ojo, urged Nigerians to allow the lessons of the Eid-el-kabir festival such as love for one another, obedience and fulfillment of promises to reflect in their dealings with fellow beings.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/19037.html

Anambra State Government has said the state has fulfilled all terms of agreement reached with representatives of the academic and non-academic staff union of the state university.

Governor Peter Obi disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting with bishops and elders of the state in Nnewi.
The governor was speaking at the Anambra State Youth Reorientation and Empowerment Programme for youths of Anambra South Senatorial Zone at the auditorium of Saint Cletus Catholic Church, Nnewi, organized by the state government, in collaboration with Anambra Rebirth and Institute for National Transformation.

During the meeting, the stakeholders requested all parties to make sacrifice to reach a compromise.
The governor explained that as the state government had fulfilled all terms requested by the stakeholders, the striking workers could now earn 80 per cent of what the Federal Government was paying and were now the highest paid in the state with professors earning twice the salary of the deputy governor.

Obi said in spite of the pressure from the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission, no member of the state executive council was earning the salary recommended by the commission because of the lean resources of the state.
He noted that till date, states in the West and South-south including Lagos and Rivers states were not implementing the new salary structure in spite of their huge revenue profile and high school fees.

Governor Obi made it clear that the state did not owe anybody and his administration was not going to mortgage the future of the children through borrowing.
He insisted that education remained the major tool to build human infrastructure that would effectively drive the physical infrastructure.
Thanking Dr. Okey Ikechukwu for his assistance towards the re-orientation of Anambra youths, he pledged that his government would not relent in making the state a better place. He also revealed that creating of jobs through attracting investors was one of the cardinal points of his second tenure.
Earlier, Dr Ikechukwu had said Governor Obi’s attention to the youth was a testimony that he was committed to building a future for the state.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/16/national-16-11-2010-0013.htm

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FORMER Oyo State Governor, Rasheed Ladoja, has said no property of his was among those allegedly seized by the managers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In a statement by his media aide, Mr Lanre Latinwo the former governor said the case on the property is in court and that the EFCC should not be "the accuser, the prosecutor and judge".

The statement reads: "We wish to make it known to the public that no property of Sen. Ladoja has been seized by the anti-graft body till date. Also, no single naira has been returned by the former Governor of Oyo State. The Ladoja 2011 group challenges anybody to publish documents of property or money seized from Sen. Ladoja.

"Even, the case is in court; hence, it is supposed to be a case in the hands of the judiciary. The EFCC is not expected to be the accuser, prosecutor and judge. It is proper to allow the judiciary to do their job and stop using the pages of newspapers to malign the name of Sen. Ladoja who even swore that he did not add a block to the buildings he had before becoming the governor of Oyo State in 2003.

"On ‘Akala’s many battles’, we wish to draw your attention to the many self-inflicted problems Otunba Alao-Akala has initiated. The Alaafin of Oyo’s story on alleged attempt on his life by the governor. The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) crisis in Oyo State was also a creation of Otunba Akala.

"It is a known fact that the government of Otunba Akala has been peddling lies upon lies. He has been using propaganda to deceive his supporters. The issue of the People Democratic Party state executive which is non-existent but to him is in existence has come to the fore with INEC’s declaration that there is no Party executive in Oyo State."

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/18935.html

THE assets of former Governor of Delta State Chief James Ibori were frozen only in the United Kingdom (UK) and not in Nigeria, his ex-Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Tony Eluemunor, said Sunday in Abuja.

He also said Ibori has won all his cases against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and none of his assets had been seized.

Eluemunor, who made the clarification in his personal capacity in a statement, said Ibori’s assets frozen amounted to about $7million and not $30million as being widely claimed.

He said: "Chief James Onanefe Ibori does not engage in exchange of words with institutions or persons.

Yet, I want to point out as Tony Eluemunor, a journalist and a Nigerian citizen, that the report carried by some newspapers today, especially The Nation of Sunday 14th November 2010, which listed Ibori among those whose properties were not only seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but were being managed for EFCC by a certain company, was faulty and improper.

"The fact is that Chief Ibori won the anti-corruption charges that the EFCC brought against him in Nigeria. All the charges were duly quashed by a Federal High Court that sat in Asaba, almost a year ago.

"It is a fact that some assets, some of which belong to Ibori, were frozen abroad, but those could not have been seized by anybody as they still remain frozen.

"It is also a fact that those frozen assets are not anywhere near the $30 million amount that have been bandied about to deceive Nigerians and demonize Ibori, but they hover around $7 million.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/18936.html

From leading opposition parties in the country came hard knocks on the National Assembly members and President Goodluck Jonathan over the ongoing process in the two chambers to pass a bill making the Federal Lawmakers automatic members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of their respective parties.

Labour Party (LP), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) were unanimous in the condemnation of the move which they suspected was motivated by the President’s desire to clinch the ticket of his party by any possible means.

Indeed, CPC, while expressing its displeasure said the move, which amounted to a desperation by the President, was one that would not do the nation’s nascent democracy any good and which should be kicked against by all lovers of democracy. A bill making all the federal legislators automatic members of their parties’ NEC had just scaled through the second reading in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

National Chairman of Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwayanwu, his ANPP counterpart, Ogbonnaya Onu and the National Publicity Sectretary of CPC urged Nigerians to prevail on the National Assembly members from making laws that might undermine democracy and send Nigeria back to square one. The LP boss argued that on what basis would National Assembly members be automatic NEC members of their parties when there were rules guiding who becomes members in the parties’ constitutions. “This is another attempt at weakening internal democracy within the parties because when you now have overwhelming majority of lawmakers as NEC members, it means for every decision, they will be having their ways no matter how retrogressive their position is.

“We know someone is teleguiding them but it will be in the interest of all if they can stop this.” The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) has expressed displeasure over attempts by the legislative house to amend some sections of the Electoral Act 2010. Dr. Onu, in his own comment said it was worrisome that the National Assembly should not be the one that would engage in actions that undermined democracy.

A statement signed by him noted: “The process of law making is a serious patriotic responsibility. It is not proper for unelected people to nominate our representatives whether in the executive or legislative arms of government. Democracy will suffer tremendously if those who should represent us are nominees of people who themselves were appointed into office and were never elected by the people.The people so nominated, can hardly serve the best interest of majority of Nigerians.

“We enjoin both the leaders and members of the National Assembly to put aside their personal interest and rise in defense of fashioning an enduring Electoral Act that will deepen the base of our democratic practice and broaden the reach of our electoral process.”

While advising them to think more of the future political stability of the country, Onu said, “indeed, they should always remember that whereas individuals come and go, Nigeria will remain. Specifically, we enjoin members of our great party in the National Assembly to remain resolute in their determination to ensuring that only the collective will of the Nigerian people will matter as it should be in the processes pursuant to the enactment of the Electoral Act 2010.”

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/15/national-15-11-2010-001.htm