₦airaland Forum

Theft mars Nigerian 're-branding'

The handset was swiped as Isawa Elaigwu entered the conference centre
Thieves stole a mobile phone belonging to a member of a new team campaigning to improve Nigeria's image as a country riddled by crime and chaos. Isawa Elaigwu told the launch of the "rebrand Nigeria" campaign he noticed the phone was gone minutes before he was due to address the event.

"As I was entering the gates of the conference centre I noticed I had been pick-pocketed," he said.

"This is just the sort of thing we need to fight against".

Nigeria is often seen abroad as a violent and chaotic place, full of people who use e-mail scams to cheat money out of unwitting victims.

'Most dangerous'

Its commercial capital Lagos recently topped a poll of the world's most dangerous places to work.

The Information Ministry hopes to change this bad reputation with a public relations campaign.

Nigeria cannot wait until its solved all its problems before addressing its image

Dora Akunyili
Information Minister
On Tuesday the ministry unveiled a new slogan "Nigeria: Good people, great country", and a logo.

Information Minister Dora Akunyili, who made her name as a fierce campaigner against fake drugs, said the country's reputation was unfair.

"We must shed this toga that says we are untrustworthy, unreliable and ungovernable," she said.

She admitted that the country did have real problems with poverty, corruption and infrastructure, but that wouldn't stop them trying.

"Some people say: 'Why rebrand now?' Nigeria cannot wait until its solved all its problems before addressing its image."

Better life

A better image would improve tourism and encourage businesses to invest in Nigeria, she said.

As Nigerian's own perception of themselves improved they would be less inclined to commit crime, she said.

The previous administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo had a similar campaign to improve Nigeria's image called "Heart of Africa".

Local media reported that the government spent $5.6million (£4million) on it in one year.

It was scrapped by Mrs Akunyili last year.

The minister last week promised the National Assembly the "good people great country" campaign will cost a lot less, and spending will be transparent.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7948864.stm

Nigeria in need of 23 million houses, says House of Rep   
Written by Luka Binniyat     
Wednesday, 18 March 2009 

ABUJA—The House of Representatives Committee on Environment and Habitat has asserted that Nigeria is in  dire need of a minimum of 23 million houses if it must meet the minimal housing demands of its 140 million citizens based on the United Nations standard.
It has been estimated that Nigeria currently has about 6.3 million houses.

The Committee is pushing for an Act that will severely punish builders of collapsed structure after some collapsed buildings claimed scores of lives last year alone.

These revelations were made yesterday at a Press Conference organised by the committee on a Public Hearing for the proposed National Building Code Act and on a Bill to authorise the supervision of building constructions by professional bodies.

Speaking at the briefing, Mr Mohammed Sani (PDP/Bauchi) said that Nigeria needs more than three times the estimated 6.33 million houses standing today.

“If we must maintain the United Nations standard of 6 persons per house then if you consider a population of 140  million  people, we actually need about 23.33 million more houses in addition to the 6.33 million that we have today. It wrong for a former Minister to have said we have a shortfall of only 17 million houses”, he said

He added that even though there is severe shortage of houses, he nonetheless called for demolition of illegal structure anywhere they stand, as they negate planning laws and regulation.

As a means of finding solutions for the  problem, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Garba Shehu Matazu (PDP/Kastina) said that the Land Use Act has to be amended. Also to be amended to solve the problem is the Act establishing the Federal Housing Authority and that of the Federal Mortgage Bank on Nigeria.

“These Acts are obsolete and not good enough to meet modern housing needs”, he said.
On collapsed buildings, he said that the Committee was organising a Public Hearing on the Building Code Act which has provisions for severe penalty for any one having a hand in a collapsed building.

“The former Act is silent on penalty on offenders,” he pointed out.

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30 newly built model schools to be delivered to Rivers in April
Written by George Onah

Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Port Harcourt—As part of the dividends of the emergency declared in the education sector in Rivers State, no fewer than 30 newly constructed model [b]schools are to be delivered to the state government in April this year.
In addition, another six model schools have been awarded to be constructed at Ejama in Eleme council of the state and they are also expected to be completed before end of next month.[/b]Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Alice Nemi, told the press in Port Harcourt, while disclosing the level of work done in the various schools, that the government intended to revive the education sector which was comatose before the inception of the new government.

[b]Nemi said the government was in the mood to provide qualitative education in the state “in line with the millennium development goals”.

Re-branding, she said, would be conducted in phases with the first phase of touring the secondary schools to check laxity displayed by teachers and students in public schools.

He frowned on truancy among teachers, students and lamented the lack of facilities in some of the schools, stating that the government was poised to reverse the trend “for the good of the children and state.”

Nemi also regretted the number of school drop-outs, particularly in rural areas, pointing out that there was need for more public enlightenment programme.

She said some incentives to encourage enrolment of children would include free examination fees for indigent students of both junior and senior secondary schools.

Particularly, the commissioner said there was need to revive the free-school feeding programme to encourage enrolment, and explained that government had also introduced free education at the primary school level.[/b]She warned that government would not reverse its stand against the use of school facilities by churches and satellite campuses “as a committee has been set up to enforce compliance”.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/31166/44/

Anambra worst hit by erosion, says Obi 18/3/2009


From Adimike George, Onitsha

Governor Peter Obi has described Anambra State as the most ravaged by erosion in the sub-Sahara Africa.

Obi, who spoke yesterday at the commissioning of the Ogboutu- Okpuno- Umuota-Obosi Erosion Control projects in Idemili North Local Government Area, said he will step up efforts at stemming the menace.

His initiatives on erosion control, he said, are meant to prevent loss of lives and property, adding: "My administration will continue to intervene in various erosion problems as the state is the worst-hit in sub-Sahara Africa".

Obi said Obosi, a community where former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and other eminent Nigerians hail from, is of strategic importance to the nation.

The President-General of Obosi Town Union, Mr. James Ifekandu, praised the governor for his achievements.

He said the various projects in the community have opened it to the rest of the world and boosted its economy.

Ifekandu urged Obi to name the road after Dr. Ndi Onuekwusi in recognition of his contributions to the development of the community.

Obi has also assured of his administration’s commitment to ensuring that the Obosi by-pass is completed.

Robbers kill 3, injure 5 in Lagos
Written by Evelyn Usman
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

There was bloodbath Monday at Ojo Road, in the densely populated Ajegunle area of Lagos, as three persons were shot dead by robbers who raided a petrol station. The bandits numbering eight, according to eyewitness, stormed Jonek Petrol Station by Ligali bus-stop, Ojo Road, at about 12.50 p.m. in four motorcycles.

While four of them remained on the motorcycles, their colleagues reportedly brought out their weapons and ordered everyone to lie flat, threatening to shoot anyone who violates the order.

Three of them, thereafter, made for one of the offices where payment for a just off loaded petroleum product was about to be made. Attempt to forcefully drag the money from the pay officer reportedly met stiff resistance, which led to his being shot in the chest.

Another female attendant said to have been with an unspecified amount that was supposed to be added to the one with the pay officer, was also shot in the head and the money taken.

The bandits were said to have stuff the money in two Ghana-Must-Go bags and left the office. On their way out, they fired indiscriminately in the process of which another attendant was hit by stray bullet in the stomach.

About five other persons said to have also been hit by stray bullets were rushed to two hospitals along Ojo Road, where unfortunately, they were rejected by nurses who insisted they brought police report.

The reverberating gun shots alerted policemen at Layeni Division which was just two bus-stops away from the scene. But before their arrival, the bandits had escaped through a canal in Charles Avenue.

:-x

Task force impounds N300m fake drugs in Owerri   
Written by CHIDI NKWOPARA     
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
 
[b]Owerri—Fake,adulterated and expired drugs worth over N300 million have been impounded in Owerri Main Market by the task force set up by the Imo State Chapter of Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Licensed Medical Dealers (NAPPLMD).
Speaking to journalists at the weekend after displaying the fake drugs, the NAPPLMD Chairman, Mr. Obinna Opara, alleged that the fake, adulterated and expired drugs were brought into the state by Lagos and Ibadan based fake pharmaceutical companies.

He disclosed that the fake pharmaceutical companies connived with some equally dubious drug dealers to push the killer drugs to Imo and Abia States.[/b]Some of the impounded fake, expired and adulterated drugs include; Doxycline, Epsome Salt, Salbatamol, Artesunate, Hatan, Feldine, Starfen 400, Amoxil, Clotrimzole, Virginal tablets IP, Canesten 6, Fansidar, Dolo-Neurobiom, Moduretic, Insulatarod HM, Ventoline, Aldomet and Sacovit.

Others are about 40 tonnes of Phenylbutazone tablets, Sudenafic Citrate tablets, Vermox, Diflucan, and Metakelfin among a host of other brands and makes.

Mr. Opara assured the citizens that drug dealers in Owerri would continue to fight the supply of fake drugs into the system, adding that fake drugs remains an ill-wind that blows no one any good.

Speaking also, Chief Victor Emereonye applauded the efforts of the task force in identifying and impounding fake, expired and adulterated drugs in the market.

He was particularly happy with the concerted efforts of officials of National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in helping eliminate dangerous drugs that werea capable of destroying lives.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/31167/60/

Ogun crisis: Peace meeting ends in deadlock
By Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja
Published: Tuesday, 17 Mar 2009
A reconciliatory meeting initiated by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party to end the political war in Ogun State between Governor Gbenga Daniel and the estranged elders of the party ended in a deadlock on Monday (yesterday) evening in Abuja.

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Photo file
Otunba Gbenga Daniel

It was gathered that both parties to the conflict did not yield grounds, forcing Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello to leave the venue of the meeting.

The crisis, which had led to the removal of Mrs. Titi Oseni as the Speaker of the state House of Assembly last year, culminated in her indefinite suspension as a member of the legislature two weeks ago.

Daniel came to the meeting with all members of the party‘s executive party, including the state Chairman of the PDP, Chief Joju Fadairo; Chief Bisiriyu Popoola and Chief Agboola Alausa.

Others include Senator Kola Bajomo, Chief Bode Mustapha, former Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Oseni, and legislators loyal to him.

On the other hand, party elders opposed to Daniel that attended were led by Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye.

Also in attendance were Chief Sule Onabiyi, Dr. Doyin Okupe and a former minister, Chief Sarafa Ishola, among others.

While the Martins-Kuye group insisted on the dissolution of the party executives from ward to the state levels to pave way for a fresh election, Daniel scoffed at the idea, stressing that the party executives were validly elected.

The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Tunji Egbetokun, was also in attendance.

The National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, led the PDP delegate to the meeting.

Before the meeting went into closed doors, Ogbulafor had warned the two parties to be careful of the way they addressed the problem, adding that it was capable of jeopardising the party‘s chances in the next election.

He said, ”It‘s very important that we cooperate among ourselves. Election is still too far away but we are approaching it. And if you are not together, we will lose Ogun State.”

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