₦airaland Forum

Nigeria is one of the ten economies globally that made the biggest improvement in getting credit since 2009, according to a new 2014 ‘Doing Business’ report of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank.

But the country ranked 147 among 189 economies measured in the report entitled ‘Understanding Regulations for Small and Medium-size Enterprises’ and released on Tuesday.

The country is also not listed among those governments in sub-Saharan Africa that significantly stepped up their pace of improving business regulations and encouraging smaller businesses to thrive last year.

Rather, the World Bank’s report seen by BusinessDay listed Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Togo among the 20 global economies that it found to have most improved business regulation since 2009.

The report, however, finds that since 2005, Nigeria implemented 10 business regulatory reforms, making it easier for local entrepreneurs to do business.

Interestingly, it also finds that in the year from June 2012 to June 2013, Nigeria is closer to the global good practices in business regulations than any time since 2009.

“In the past year, Nigeria has had positive developments in such areas as trading across borders, where the time to export and import has been cut thanks to continued impact this year from previously implemented reform efforts”, the report says.

It further finds that Nigeria already implements some of the global good practices in the areas of Doing Business. For example, Nigeria, it says allows a general description of collateral, which makes it easy for local entrepreneurs to get credit.

“The biggest impact was in the area of getting credit, where Nigeria improved its credit information system through a central bank guideline defining the licensing, operational and regulatory requirements for a privately owned credit bureau. Thanks to this, Nigeria is among the ten economies in the world that made the biggest improvement in gettingcredit since 2009”, the report notes.

Doing Business 2014 is the 11th in a series of annual reports investigating the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it.

It presents quantitative indicators on business regulations affecting eleven areas of the life of a business that can be compared across 189 economies in the world.

The eleven areas include starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, resolving insolvency and employing workers. The employing workers data are not included in this year’s ranking on the ease of doing business.

egift: Yeye report. It is not working. Fidelity Bank and the Chickens should manufacture a working allegation with unexpired spices and teeth.

The spate of kidnappings, assassinations, political murders and general insecurity in the country may have forced politicians, top government officials, wealthy businessmen and other affluent Nigerians into a rush for bullet-proof cars.

Latest information released to our correspondent by a top American auto armouring company also revealed that the closeness of the 2011 general election has caused politicians to massively place orders for heavily fortified anti-ballistic vehicles.

Following reports that politicians and wealthy Nigerians had expanded the internal security around their residences, particularly in the face of high profile kidnappings, our correspondent made an online enquiry from the Country Representative of Texas Armoring Corporation, Mr. John Uwaya, on how many new orders he had received for protective vehicles.

Uwaya, however, decided to forward the enquiry to the head office of the company in Texas, United States of America.

On Tuesday, the Executive Vice President of Texas Armoring Corporation, Mr. Jason Forston, responded by disclosing that the Presidency, governors, politicians and other wealthy Nigerians had raised their demands for new anti-ballistic vehicles from the company since the former governorship candidate of the Action Congress in Ogun State, Otunba Dipo Dina, was shot dead by unknown gunmen on January 25 this year.

Dipo had been shot dead at a spot in front of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State after his assailants blocked his Toyota Camry SUV while he was returning to his Lagos home from Abeokuta in company with his driver and a woman said to be a prophetess.

”Orders have certainly increased as 2011 elections draw nearer. With the untimely death of Dipo Dina and kidnappings/murders on the rise, many political candidates and hopefuls have felt the need to protect themselves,” Forston wrote in his reply.

[b]The AMC vice president further disclosed that their Nigerian clients preferred the heavily fortified Cadillac Escalade that sells for about $400,000 (about N60m) per unit. This brand has its floor, roof, pillar posts and window overlaps armoured.

Giving a breakdown, Forston disclosed that the Presidency, Lagos State and Rivers State governments patronised his company the most, adding that on Tuesday alone, these Nigerian clients placed orders for 30 different grades of armoured vehicles worth $5,357,550.00 (about N803,632,500).

He wrote, ”In a given year, we could send approximately 50-100 units to Nigeria alone… About 30 per cent of our market is from Nigeria. Over the years, we‘ve probably sent close to 800-900 armoured vehicles to Nigeria.”

Contacted on Thursday, an official of the Lagos State Government who preferred anonymity because of the security implication of the contract, said that most of the anti-ballistic vehicles bought from the AMC were donated to the Rapid Response Squad for its operations.[/b]

”The Executive Secretary of the Security Trust Fund will be in a better position to explain the purchases,” he said.

Below is the transcript of the online interaction between Forston and our correspondent:

As we approach the 2011 elections, have orders for bulletproof and armoured cars from Nigeria increased?

Orders have certainly increased as 2011 elections draw nearer. With the untimely death of Dipo Dina and kidnappings/murders on the rise, many political candidates and hopefuls have felt the need to protect themselves. Clients have been trending toward higher armour levels along with our CEO package as well. Here is a sample gallery (picture of the vehicle is displayed). We call this vehicle ”The BEAST” and it‘s becoming increasingly popular among wealthy Nigerians. One BEAST vehicle can sell for approximately $400,000.00 USD.

How many has the Federal Governmet ordered? Which state government or business tycoon has ordered the most?

We‘ve met with Nigerian government officials, advisors, governors and generals at the highest levels. They‘ve come to our facility and met with us here in the U.S. They need protection, and they trust Texas Armoring Corporation to provide the best armoured vehicles worldwide. Our vehicles will stop multiple, black market armour-piercing rounds from an AK-47 or M-16, and although they‘re protected so well, they‘re also extremely lightweight, which means better performance and handling. The most popular vehicles we sell to Nigeria are the Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG, Lexus LX570, Toyota Landcruiser, Mercedes-Benz GL550, Mercedes-Benz S550, and the Cadillac Escalade. Typically, vehicles are not sold through a federal channel (e.g., a public federal bid). Sales come through private channels for clients with Federal connections. Many politicians are wealthy from other business ventures, so funds are from private accounts as opposed to bids or contracts.

In fact, just today (Tuesday, April 20), we received a contract for $5,357,550.00 USD for 30 units for various politicians and businessmen throughout Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Lagos. Lagos State and Abuja State are probably the clients that buy the most. In a given year, we could send approximately 50-100 units to Nigeria alone.

Can you give an estimate of how much the coy you represent has reaped from orders secured from Nigeria i.e. from the various governments, politicians, expatriates and business tycoons?

About 30 per cent of our market is from Nigeria. Over the years, we‘ve probably sent close to 800-900 armoured vehicles to Nigeria. We also met with a special advisor to the Presidency a few months back to discuss long-term partnerships for Nigeria

payless: Don't forget, Stella first denied the report when it was first reported by Sahara Reporters.

payless: It is not a crime to buy bullet proof vehicles. But at what cost? Are they being bought for what you claim they are for? Are you buying them with public funds when your intention is to use them personally?

A certain Mrs. Maryrose Ozoemena Nwadike, said to be a younger sister to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Chris Ngige, in the Anambra State governorship election was said to have been debarred from practicing law in Maryland, the United States for allegedly using her bank account to launder money for one of her elder brothers, presumed to be Chris.

Nwadike was consequently debarred after a Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission was said to have found her guilty for using her escrow account to launder vast sums of money for the said brother and for lying to investigators and the judge when questioned about it.


In the highlight of the commission’s decision, it was stated that the “Respondent claimed that $349,975 wired into her Attorney Trust Account on August 2005 came from (unspecified) personal injury cases and form attorney’s fees and reimbursed expenses in the Dr Ngige Election Tribunal Case(s) in Nigeria.”


The documents of the long trial and investigation, outlined a vast array of infringements and “four year pattern of commingling funds which the Respondent claimed she used in paying for her personal expenses as intentional misappropriation.”
A rather shocking part of the revelation was an alleged disbursement of a staggering sum of $349,975 for bringing a homeless American to delay Ngige's stay in office.


[b]All this was said to have happened at the time the APC candidate was busy selling himself off as the messiah opposed to looting of the state’s treasury by the godfathers and that he was suffering persecution for his principled stand.
In a detailed rendering of the sleaze that Ngige allegedly orchestrated in office through his sister in the US, one of the documents obtained from the courts in Maryland, a copy of which was obtained by THISDAY stated thus:


“Respondent produced only copies of deposit slips and customer receipts from 21 March 2003 through 7 June 2006, monthly bank statements from 1 August 2003 through 31 May 2006, and disbursed checks from 25 April 2003 through 22 May 2006 related to the trust account. Respondent never produced any requested billing statements, ledger cards, or accounting of funds that she received, maintained, and disbursed from her trust account during this period.


“Respondent claimed to have received several deposits, totaling $110,493, in her attorney trust account slated to be transferred to the Ngige campaign, but she failed to provide an accounting reflecting these deposits. The record shows that, on 29 August 2005, she deposited a $120,000 personal check for which Judge Dugan found she offered again no logical or coherent accounting.


“Respondent also transferred $50,000 into her attorney trust account in September 2005, funds which she claimed belonged to Ngige. From 2002 to 2006, Respondent disbursed from the account a total of $134,312.85 prior to making deposits necessary to fund those disbursements. When asked by Bar Counsel to explain several specific instances of this practice, Respondent replied to each inquiry that each premature disbursement was due to an "administrative glitch[/b]."

A witness, Anthony Isama, testified that three suspect debits on Respondent's trust account paid to American Express, totaling $7,820, and one check issued from the account to "MBNA," for $35,600, were payments for credit card purchases Respondent made for Ngige's wife. Meanwhile, a further $50,000 cash withdrawal Respondent made from her account on December 4, 2002 was never explained.


In addition, Respondent's refusal even to identify forthrightly Christopher Ngige as her brother was evasive, at best. Respondent stated disingenuously that Ngige merely was "somebody's name."
Even though Ngige was not a client of the Respondents, she asserted an attorney-client privilege and refused to explain her relationship to him. When Isama testified that Ngige is Respondent's brother, Judge


Dugan asked Respondent why she had engaged in such "subterfuge." Respondent kept mute. However, there are speculations that Ngige might be extradited to the US to answer questions arising from the case.

There is no end to the commercial possibilities of cassava as virtually every part of the plant is industrially useful. The peels, which used to be thrown away a few years ago, are now being utilised as animal feed, but it is predominantly processed on a small scale in the rural areas. This is to change very soon as cassava peels would be on demand in commercial quantity in the very near future.

This is because the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is hosting top international researchers, decision makers, business people, and other stakeholders working in the Nigerian cassava sector this week. According to a statement by the communications department of IITA, the meeting aims to draw a roadmap for a cassava-based animal feed system that will highlight action plans for adding value to the cassava business in Nigeria. The roadmap will have a potential to serve as a model for all cassava-producing countries in Africa.

“We need to seize this opportunity and harness the benefits of every part of the cassava crop for national development, income generation, nutrition enhancement, and poverty alleviation,” says Kenton Dashiell, IITA deputy director-general, Partnerships and Capacity Development.cassava

[b]In Nigeria, annual production of cassava was discovered to be about 52.4 million metric tons in 2011. The IITA statement reveals that the increase in production of cassava roots is also generating up to 7.5 million metric tons of wet peels annually (which is 10 to 15% of the whole tuber). This cassava peels can be dried through a simple process to remove the poisonous cyanide.

Kolawole Adebayo, a lecturer at the agric extension department of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), and Bolanle Ogunlolu, his PhD student, have been working on the utilisation of cassava peels by West African dwarf goats. Their research has shown that feeding livestock with cassava peels increase their digestibility and utilisation of other feed forms. This is in addition to other health benefits.

Drawing from a recent incisive research-based report on usage of wastes in feeding of livestock and fish by BusinessDay recently, it can be recalled that apart from reducing cost of production, the utilisation of these materials also create wealth from wastes and reduce competition between man and beast for food. Cassava peels if processed right can act as energy source, a substitute for maize, which is in very high demand as food by humans.[/b]

Iheanacho Okike, a researcher with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) based in IITA, also says the peels could contribute largely to the income of farmers and provide additional economic options for livestock and fish producers if converted to animal feed. He points out that additional benefits accrue to consumers due to increased production of milk, meat and fish, and the additional availability of maize and other grains that could otherwise have gone into the feed system.

Yemisi Iranloye, chief executive of Psaltery International, a firm producing high quality cassava flour on a relatively large scale, is excited about the potential use of cassava peels in industrial production of animal feeds. She says: “Currently, my company disposes the peels in our farm adjacent to the factory to rejuvenate the soil. But I shall be glad to have another income stream from commercial demand of cassava peels.”

Chinedu Agbasonu, a university lecturer, researcher and cassava farmer, is also delighted at the idea. His concern is that the feed millers utilising cassava peels would have to be close enough to cassava producers and processors in order for this initiative to work effectively.

The IITA-hosted meeting on cassava peels utilisation involves representatives from many international research institutes and is organised by the Global Cassava Partnership for the 21st Century, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). CGIAR Research Programme on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) and co-hosted by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).

Cassava is generally grown by smallholder farmers who appreciate its tolerance of drought and poor soils, one of the reasons why the root crop has been dubbed “the crop of the 21st Century.”

take dat: Her major sins are Abuse of Office, waste and fraud, judging by the information available in public domain.

1. Abuse of Power:

a) The NA which is the arm of government empowered to appropriate funds has denied ever appropriating any sum of money for the procurement of armoured vehicles in the 2013 Appropriation Act. The minister on her own gave the approval without recourse to the NA. A violation of the Appropriation Act.

b) Such an amount is beyond the threshold of the NCAA, and needs a FEC approval. For the Presidency not to have come out to acknowledge ever approving such, also amount to Abuse of office and misconduct.

c) The Bureau of Public Procurement has also denied ever issuing a 'Certificate of No Objection' to NCAA or the Ministry of Aviation. It means NCAA violated the Public Procurement Act. Another Abuse of Office.

2. Fraud: Even if we should go by the argument of the NCAA that the cars were procured under a lease agreement. N240million was approved for the purchase of operational vehicles, an extra N403million was spent bringing it to a total of N643million borrowed from First Bank. The lease agreement would yield an interest of N122million at the end of the 3 year repayment plan. N122million added to N643million will make it N765million for the purchase of 54 Operational vehicles. The question begging for answer is;

a) Even if the 54 operational vehicles were all captured in the Mid-Term Expenditure Framework(the planning tool), nothing stops the Ministry/NCAA from procuring the vehicles as captured in the MTE Framework for a period of 3 years. Why didn't the ministry approach the FEC to send a supplementary appropriation bill to the NASS for additional funds to be appropriated if the need for urgency arose? N122million would be fraudulently drained from public purse at the end of 36months repayment plan.


3. Waste: Buying 2 cars for N255million. The President in the 2012 budget requested for 2 bulletproof vehicles for himself and the Vice President at the cost of N280million, but had to jettison the idea due to public outcry. Why should a ministry engage in such waste? A ministry we are told is struggling to send its workers for overseas training? N122million cumulative interest is also a waste.


These allegations are enough for the Presidency to sack all those involved.

*Note; till date no one is able to verify if those armoured vehicles were procured because the agency have denied journalists, physical inspection of the vehicles. It is possible those cars were not procured, but paper work done in order to defraud Nigeria. There is also the new revelation from FAAN.

david290: Dis madness will stop when Gej stops decieveing Nigerians.I remember he said in 1 of his presidential address that he knows d sponsors of Boko Haram's but that he will like 2 keep it a top secret.why secret?I Believe a bomb is not sold 4 #10 and likewise an Ak-47 riffle.if there sponsors are apprehended(not minding d cost) and made 2 face d full wrath of d law,i think dis madness will stop but His problem is that he wants 2 change Nigeria and still retain power.

Lordlexyy: Just two states, Yobe and Borno, and the military is having a harcullian task in curding the insurgence. What happen to intelligence? How big is Maiduguri or Yobe that they can mapped the areas the suspected insurgents are hiding there by laying them seige? If the military is finding this situation hard to crack, sometimes i wonder what would happen if this whole crisis engulf half of the country. Each passing day, i'm getting convince that the whole thing is more political and a means to syphone money from our collective treasury. Imagine if it were a military head of state, bh would have been forgotting. The case of metasine readily comes to mind and how the govt of General Buhari spare no effort in distabilising them. My concern are the innocent military boys that are used as experiment or shooting practice or as tool by disgruntle politicians using this event to further perpetuate their game of lining their pockets and as avenue to grab power by all means. God is watching and very soon the cock will surely come home to roast.

Tolexander:

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all of you, check this out;

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/10/world-bank-ranks-nigeria-122nd-best-place-business/

BADNEAT: Nigerians can be so gullible. ..... so so gullible and really cajoled. ... so If government house has 187 policemen overseeing it so wata commissioner is entitled to an orderly....same with an ssg..cos....hos..d.gov...etc...come to imo state government house....even ssa...nd sa hv ordelies so if you should add up or sum up d total number of ordelies and those on an off duty in government house...you'll hv more than 200 policemen. ..I'm sure d 187 he quoted includes those on duty at d official residences of some top government officials. ..Let him come out and breakdown d 187...is not enough to quote amaechi 30...d .gov 20 whereas d 30 include maybe 15 kpn watch at d house and d other 15 escorts dt follow him as part of his entourage. ...u people shouldn't be deceived like d unexposed village market women

ballabriggs: Another line of defence from the hardened criminals.

If I make a budget to purchase and I go on with a finance lease to acquire the same asset, what I have done is to violate that budget as finance lease is like taking a loan. It must be stated explicitly in a budget and in subsequent years lease payments must be included, in the budget till all your liabilities are fulfilled.

What the hardened criminals have done here is even to put them in more soup. They are rogues and you will need to torture them before they say the truth.

webdezzi: Confusion ensued in Isreal yesterday between President Goodluck Jonathan and his erstwhile Aviation Minister Stella Oduah, over signing of Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with Israel.

President Jonathan who had tried to distance himself from the Aviation Minister Stella Oduah, following the controversy trailing the purchase of two bullet-proof cars for her at an inflated price of N255m by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), barred her from signing on behalf of Nigeria but was out-maneuvered by the Princess who sneaked her way into the hall where the signing was taking place.

The President had instructed Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri to sign on behalf of Nigeria, an instruction which angered the Aviation Minister, having working in the last few months to bring the agreement to fruition.

After sneaking into the venue of the signing hall, located at The David Citadel Hotel, the Aviation Minister maneuvered her way to the high table, where she had instructed some of her operatives to photograph her, but their attempts were nearly successful.

The photograph shown below was quickly sent to Media Houses including The Paradigm, stating that she had signed the BAS agreement.

Upon investigations, The Paradigm discovered that the photograph sent by her media aide, Mr. Joe Obi had earlier been taken on Monday, during a pre-signing meeting with the Israeli authorities.


Few hours later when the President's media team got wind of her manipulation, they sent this picture shown below to media houses including The Paradigm, to show that Stella Oduah did not partake in the signing of the BAS agreement on behalf of Nigeria.

As the President heads back home, we wait to see the next line of action, especially considering the embarrassment the aviation minister has caused Mr. President.

Source: http://www.paradigmshiftng.com/2013/10/exclusive-drama-confusion-as-jonathan.html?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

webdezzi: Confusion ensued in Isreal yesterday between President Goodluck Jonathan and his erstwhile Aviation Minister Stella Oduah, over signing of Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with Israel.

President Jonathan who had tried to distance himself from the Aviation Minister Stella Oduah, following the controversy trailing the purchase of two bullet-proof cars for her at an inflated price of N255m by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), barred her from signing on behalf of Nigeria but was out-maneuvered by the Princess who sneaked her way into the hall where the signing was taking place.

The President had instructed Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri to sign on behalf of Nigeria, an instruction which angered the Aviation Minister, having working in the last few months to bring the agreement to fruition.

After sneaking into the venue of the signing hall, located at The David Citadel Hotel, the Aviation Minister maneuvered her way to the high table, where she had instructed some of her operatives to photograph her, but their attempts were nearly successful.

The photograph shown below was quickly sent to Media Houses including The Paradigm, stating that she had signed the BAS agreement.

Upon investigations, The Paradigm discovered that the photograph sent by her media aide, Mr. Joe Obi had earlier been taken on Monday, during a pre-signing meeting with the Israeli authorities.


Few hours later when the President's media team got wind of her manipulation, they sent this picture shown below to media houses including The Paradigm, to show that Stella Oduah did not partake in the signing of the BAS agreement on behalf of Nigeria.

As the President heads back home, we wait to see the next line of action, especially considering the embarrassment the aviation minister has caused Mr. President.

Source: http://www.paradigmshiftng.com/2013/10/exclusive-drama-confusion-as-jonathan.html?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

gbanikiti: Shaking my head.....

Waiting for buttlickers to say this story is a lie!

free R1: If you are not a Prince, you cannot be a King. Iyaloja is a title in her family (Tinubu family), they nominate for the Kabiyesi who they want so what is the feud? Just tradition.

Idi Amin: Very u*gly and owl-looking thing. Mtcheeeew

careytommy: 'Progressives queen', abeg enjoy the fruit of your ancestors labours. Lagosians must pay!

egift: Oya tell us how many the president and other governors or even madam P. have.

CHESSBOARD: I have always known that that Nigga Baster.ed is sharp guy, the last to leave that group will suffer heavily

bigshow123: Why wil FG not try and fix power first b4 comin up wit dis policy. Car manufacturin plants is not a yorghurt company where u can use generators to operate. Power must be on 24/7. Always puttin d cart b4 d horse

In order to boost electricity supply in the country, the current operator of the nation’s premier Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, UC RUSAL, has affirmed its readiness to inject approximately 360 mega watt annually to the national grid.

However, the Director, Public and Government Relations Department of ALSCON, Tatyana Smirnova, yesterday said that this could only be possible or achieved if the company was connected to the national power grid.

The company noted the huge demand for electricity estimated at 40,000mw, annually in the country, but with only 4,517mw capacity available, saying presently ALSCON has gas –fired power plant with installed capacity of 540mw.

“The power plant is capable of fully satisfying the electricity needs of the smelter company and also to supply excess power to the national grid.
“ALSCON’s power plant is capable of supplying annually approximately 360mw to the national power grid,” she said.

Smirnova who spoke during an interview in Uyo, the state capital, said ALSCON expected the federal government to take necessary steps to address the connection to the national grid.

She regretted that in spite of a monitoring committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Power to address the problems, the May 2013 completion was forwarded to December and still doubted physical grid connection by the period.

“This is because there is no infrastructure available, the 330/132/33kv Ikot Abasi substation, the Ikot Abasi-Ikot Ekpene NIPP line, and other infrastructure are unavailable.

“Besides, the acquisition of the licence for operation needed for connection by ALSCON and PPA are deliberately delayed, although all needed steps and procedures have been accomplished by ALSCON.

“ALSCON’s connection to the national grid is a win-win situation for both the company and the federal government and is a practical demonstration of ALSCON’s support of the government’s power sector road map and reform,” Smirnova added. She equally spoke extensively on other challenges facing the plant to operate including unresolved problem of ensuring an uninterrupted supply of gas to the smelter company.
Equally, the plant spokesperson frowned at the deteriorating global market for aluminium, as well as continued legal uncertainty around the smelter company following the judgment of the Supreme Court on July 6, 2012.

[b]Interim National Vice Chairman, South-South, of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Tom Ikimi, has described as misleading reports that the party has adopted Festus Keyamo as its candidate for the forthcoming bye-election for Delta Central Senatorial Diastrict.

Ikimi, while expressing the party’s regret over the sudden and untimely death of Senator Pius Ewherido, who represented Delta Central at the National Assembly, said neither the Senate nor the Independent National Electoral Commission had declared the seat vacant.

He said it would be misleading for anyone to claim that he had been adopted for the senatorial contest.

Ikimi stated this in a resolution adopted after a meeting of the three parties that merged to form the APC. The parties are the Action Congress of Nigeria, Congress for Progressive Change and All Nigeria Peoples Party.

The resolution stated, “Barrister Keyamo was not adopted by the party. The only organ that has been put in place for the APC so far is the interim National Executive Committee, led by Chief Bisi Akande as National Chairman. I serve in the committee as National Vice Chairman (South-South).[/b]

“The party is in the process of putting in place state harmonisation committees in the 36 states of the federation, thereafter membership registration will commence nationwide, leading to the holding of congresses at the unit, ward, local and state levels. A special case was that of Anambra State recently where membership registration was conducted by the APC across the state to enable the party hold direct primaries to elect a candidate for the governorship election slated for November this year.

Jorussia: in almost everywhere benin here its being terrible in the past one mnth,we hardly gets 4hrs power daily in my area,God bear me witness.u guys should nt over praise Gej,so that he shouldnt fail.our most stable power here was in 2008,under yaradua when we had power 4 3days,frequently.our power problem in 9ja,has been inability to maintain stable power 4 long.lets give him six months to observe,we should stop celebrating mediocrity,except u ave been bought over.

payless: Names in number 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 35, 46, 51, and 52 are all southerners from SW, SS, and SS.

cKaiser: 18. HON. ANDREW UCHENDU
19. HON. ASITA HONOURABLE
21. HON. BLESSING NSIEGBE
22. HON. DAKUKU PETERSIDE
23. HON. DAWARI GEORGE
25. HON. GIBSON NATHANIEL
26. HON. GOGO BRIGHT TAMUNU
46. HON. OGBONNA NWUKE