₦airaland Forum

Prof Taoheed Adedoja

The Senate yesterday confirmed the nomination of Prof Taoheed Adedoja as minister.

President Goodluck Jonathan had, in a letter to the Upper Chamber on October 13, sought for the confirmation of the nominee in line with Section 147 (2) of the 1999 Constitution.

The nominee, who is a Commissioner for Education in Oyo State, was grilled by the lawmakers for almost two hours.

Adedoja, who fielded questions ranging from dwindling education performance of students, cross-carpeting by politicians, sports, terrorism, cultism, labour and productivity, security and policing, rising debt profile, almost incurred the wrath of some senators when he claimed that Ladoke Akintola University in Ogbomoso in Oyo State is rated number one in Nigeria by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

He challenged the senators to cross-check the position on the internet.

Two senators, James Manager and George Sekibo immediately took up the challenge and browsed the net in the chamber and discovered that global rating showed that University of Benin is number one in Nigeria and followed by University of Ilorin.

They brought their findings to the notice of the Senate President David Mark, who checked the internet by himself and said that apart from local rating, something should be done about Nigeria’s international rating.

“If you go through the internet, the first Nigerian university on the global rating is on six hundred and something. That is where we are in the world rating. So, it is not what the NUC is saying. Because you referred us to the net and that is what the net is saying” , Mark stated.

But after he was asked to take a ‘bow and go’ at the end of the screening, many senators through voice votes supported his confirmation for the ministerial job.

Fielding questions on the poor performances of NECO and WAEC candidates, Adedoja said: “Failures in NECO and WAEC examinations is as a result of the neglect in reviewing the education policy. Schools have been closed 71 times due to strikes and other factors. How do you expect good result?”.

“All of us have responsibility for the declining education in Nigeria in the past 10 years. Nothing is wrong with education policy ’’.

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Minister of Finance Olusegun Aganga yesterday explained why banks fail to finance small businesses.

Aganga, receiving the report of the committee on job creation from frontline businessman Aliko Dangote, said banks refuse to fund small businesses because of “lack of well developed business plans and financial acumen.”

Aganga also spoke on the state of the economy. He said: “Nigerians continue to question the growth we are experiencing because they struggle to reconcile it with the level of unemployment.”

Government, he said, “is committed to generating inclusive growth”, stressing that “economic growth with a reduction in the level of unemployment and poverty is the key to creating an inclusive society.”

The aim of government, Aganga pointed out, is to foster economic growth by providing opportunities for economic and human development, accelerate job creation, place employment and poverty alleviation at the core of economic growth strategy, improve the quality of jobs for the people, develop an enterprise culture and prepare the workforce for future challenges and opportunities.

To achieve these goals, the federal government, he added, is focusing on the most labour intensive sectors like agriculture, housing and manufacturing and has already established a growth and employment pact with the support of the World Bank. This is expected to bring public and private sector stakeholders together in the construction, entertainment, tourism, ICT, meat and leather sectors in order to reach an undertaking on enhancing growth and employment in their individual sectors.

The federal government, he said, is working in conjunction with the Lagos Business School to create enterprise development centres for Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs).

Meanwhile, Wema Bank PLC has concluded its recapitalisation.

The bank raised N7.5 billion from the Special Placement Offer approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

It made recoveries of N4 billion on its outstanding loans within the same period.

Consequently, the CBN will embark on the verification of the capital raising exercise and confirmation of the loan recoveries.

The full recapitalisation is expected to be concluded with the sale of some of the bank’s non – performing loans to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) when the latter becomes operational.

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In community policing, the name of Chief Felix Muoghalu, chairman, Okpuno-Egbu Community Security Organization, Umudim Nnewi, Anambra State rings a bell as his dreaded local vigilante outfit is well known.

Chief Muoghalu became a vigilante leader in 1989 when he formed the organization he serves today as its chairman.
One of his major security strategies in Okpuno-Egbu is mounting security gates at strategic points within the community and today he has 22 gates which now serve as an unbreakable barrier to hoodlums who may want to attack the community.

Apart from being the chairman of Okpuno-Egbu Community Security Organization, Muoghalu is as also the chairman of Umudim Nnewi United Vigilante, as well as the general chairman of Uruagu and Umudim Central Vigilante, Nnewi.

The security guru in Nnewi told Daily Sun that he has a good relationship with the police, especially the Central Police Station; Nnewi under Mr Ogundele (CSP) who he said has maintained harmonious working relations with vigilantes in the industrial city. Excerpts:

How I started
I began vigilante operation in 1989 when the Federal Government gave communities order to begin and set up vigilance groups. In 1994, I was made the chairman of Okpuno-Egbu Community Security Organization which I am still controlling till date.

I was an ex-Biafran soldier and I tried my best as an Igbo man. I fought the war. I’m not new in anything security. I have the training and I know the job.
Okpuno-Egbu is a community with about seven sub-large entities, including Ekwulu Layout which is almost half of Okpuno-Egbu. This layout has a heavy concentration of no-indigenes and that was the first place we secured by erecting gates at strategic places within the area.

Reforms
When I took over in 1994, I discovered that the name of the vigilante group was not suitable. I had to rename it Okpuno-Egbu Community Vigilante Security Organization which it answers till today. There were so many reforms and changes which I introduced to suit the new trend in community policing. That was and has been in line with the rising crime wave all over the place.

Security consciousness
We are security conscious in the community and we found out that the only thing we can do to safeguard the community was to bottle up all the roads leading to the community. That was the first programme I mapped out. I started constructing gates and had up to 22 standard gates and when you approach each of them you would feel as if you were entering a king’s palace, but it is only one of the gates leading to the community.
When we finished the gates criminals could not have the opportunity to come in. If you dare come in as a criminal you will get trapped. We tried to make Okpuno-Egbu a city of many gates where criminal activities are kept at the lowest ebb. That does not stop residents who go their normal businesses from coming in or going out.

We close some of the gates by 9:00p.m and open them by 5:30a.m or 6:00a.m. But Eme Court road gates numbers one and two, the one that faces Owerri Road and another that faces Police Area Command, Nnewi are closed by 10:00p.m with our security operatives stationed there in case there are emergencies. Another one that faces St. Luck’s Hospital is also closed by 10:00p.m with stand-by security guards there.

Cost of gates
We constructed the first set of gates and it did not serve the purpose. We constructed the second set; it did not serve the purpose. We destroyed all of them to erect these standard ones. As a matter of fact, some of them cost between N300, 000 and N400, 000. It depends on the area the gate is constructed. If it is an erosion prone site we would first of all check the erosion before mounting the gate. So, we spent a lot of money in putting those gates here and there. If you put the cost together, we have spent not less than N11 million on those gates.

Benefits
Since we constructed the gates people in the community now sleep with their two eyes closed because there is no entry point for the bandits. And if you manage to go in as a criminal or maybe you are one of the residents of the community as a criminal, you cannot escape because we will definitely fish you out based on our security network. You cannot steal a car in Okpuno-Egbu and escape with it or even a motorcycle. As soon as that happens and the information comes to us all the gates will be kept on surveillance and the criminal must be caught. Some of the criminals when they come close to the gate and find out that they cannot escape abandon the car or motorcycle and run away. My gallant boys are ever vigilant. You can see our two patrol vans there which we use to handle any emergency situation.

Experiences
We have had so many experiences. There was a time gunmen attacked one man called Jetimo from Ukpor, resident in Ekwulu Layout. We arrested the bandits with their guns and handed them over to the police. That was, of course, in the 80s when we had not put up the present security arrangement on ground. Another one happened near Calido Hotel, though not recent too, we overpowered the criminals. There was another one at Nzewi Estate at Ekwulu Layout where there were 60 rooms in three plots. I went there with my men and we flushed them out.
We had series of encounters with them in the past. But with these gates in place criminal activities are now rarely mentioned in Okpuno-Egbu and we keep on strategizing. And we make special appeal to residents of Okpuno-Egbu to always give us information about any suspicious character within the community. We will make it confidential, but will act on it promptly.

Police relationship
We have no problem with the police. We work in co-operation with them. But government should assist vigilantes the more in terms of logistics. We appreciate Governor Peter Obi’s effort and his untiring resolve to assist communities in Anambra to maintain the local vigilantes, but we need more financial support to argument whatever we can raise at the community level.

Okpuno-Egbu vigilante has a good relationship with the police, especially the Nnewi Central Police Station (CPS) under the DPO, Mr Ogundele (CSP). He has rescued so many community vigilantes that had collapsed in Nnewi.

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The Presidency has washed its hands of the “election” of Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel as Governors’ Forum chair.

A new chair is to be elected today in Abuja.

President Goodluck Jonathan is believed to have personally reached out to governors, saying he had no hand in the decision, which has drawn flaks from many quarters. Some of the governors have publicly faulted the Daniel’s election.

Eleven governors, including Daniel, met after the fund raising dinner for President Jonathan’s campaign on Saturday night in Abuja where the Ogun State governor was purportedly elected to succeed Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki.

Governors Gabriel Suswan of Benue State and Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom have been defending the decision. Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau have condemned it.

Yesterday, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) joined the fray. He described Daniel’s “election” as “undemocratic”.

“The question of who leads the forum must be a democratic process. It bothers me because the only single national agenda we have as a country today is free and fair elections. As I was told, only 10 governors gathered to choose him (Daniel). It is burdensome that this kind of thing can happen in a party that professes to want free and fair elections,” Fashola said.

But Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswan said the 10 governors elected Daniel to make the Forum more responsive.

Suswam, who is the zonal co-ordinator of President Jonathan’s campaign in the Northcentral states, said the Forum became lukewarm after Saraki indicated that he was stepping down as chair to concentrate on his presidential campaign.

He said: “There was a bomb blast that attracted both national and international condemnation, yet because the leadership of the forum was engaged in presidential campaign, nothing has been said until now. So, when eleven of us met, we said there was need to have a leadership in place. So, if what we did has elicited a meeting for us to have a new leadership on Wednesday (today), then nothing is bad, as we have achieved a purpose.”

Fresh facts emerged yesterday that opposition governors are leading the campaign against moves to impose Governor Daniel on the Forum.

But the 10 governors who adopted Daniel have remained adamant and might not change their position at today’s meeting.

Governors elected on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Labour Party and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) are pushing for “genuine internal democracy” in the Forum.

It was gathered that the opposition governors have the backing of no fewer than 15 of the 28 governors elected on the PDP ticket.

A highly-placed source said: “There is no way the imposition of Daniel can stand. Opposition governors are already leading the campaign for the rejection.

“At least about 15 PDP governors have already indicated opposition to the choice of Daniel.

“We do not want the NGF divided because it has assumed an international status. Once opposition governors leave the Forum, that is the end of the association.

“I know that when the governors meet tomorrow (today), they will find a meeting point and resolve the crisis.”

Meanwhile, a source in the G11 governors’ camp said: “Irrespective of other governors’ position, we have decided to stand by Daniel.

“They got our decision wrong completely. We did not appoint Daniel as the Chairman of the NGF; we only decided by consensus to make him the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum.

“Are they saying that PDP Governors Forum cannot have its own leader? Their fear is that the governor leading the PDP Forum might eventually be the chairman of the NGF. That is a hasty conclusion.”

It was learnt that the President had personally taken time to tell some governors and some leaders who were concerned about the alleged meddling of the Presidency in the affairs of the NGF, that he had no hand in the crisis.

A source in The Presidency, who spoke in confidence, said: “It was shocking to the President to hear that he was behind the choice of Daniel.

“After the fund raising dinner, some governors went to the President on solidarity visit over the success of the event. None of them came up with the issue of Daniel.

“So, the President has nothing to do with the election of a new chairman for the NGF; he is not in any position to impose or influence the choice of a new leader for the governors.

“As a former governor, why will the President be dictating to his colleagues? I think it is unfair to link him with the election of a new NGF chairman.”

Asked if the presidency will play any role in today’s election, the source added: “Absolutely no. The President is not backing Daniel or anybody for that office.” He is never involved. People are just saying it is because Daniel is the co-ordinator of his campaign in the Southwest. This made them to think he must have been backed by the President. It’s not true.”

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Amid the controversy trailing the election of Governor Gbenga Daniel as Chairman of the Governors Forum, since last Friday, the arrowhead of the G11 group that purportedly hatched the plot in Abuja, Governor Gabriel Suswan of Benue state has given reasons why the NGF chairman, Bukola Saraki had to go.

Making the clarification in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, against the background of the insinuation that Daniel’s election was part of a ploy to put President Goodluck Jonathan’s henchmen in the saddle ahead of 2011, Suswan, however said it was borne out of the need to make the Forum vibrant again.

He told newsmen that NGF members were becoming worried that the Forum had not been responding to national issues as expected. “We need our Governors Forum because we’re known to be responding to issues. There were bomb blasts in Abuja without any response from the Forum. And there are a lot of other issues that have happened in this country without responses from our Forum due to our chairman’s engagement in his presidential election campaign. So, what we want is responsive leadership,” Susan explained.

Even though Suswan denied that the decision was a ploy to dethrone Governor Bukola Saraki, the Benue governor explained that the change of leadership was to allow Saraki more time to pursue his presidential ambition.
According to him, the Kwara State governor had been requested to step aside, so that he could concentrate on his political ambition.
The governor assured that the issue would be resolved today during a meeting of the Forum billed to hold in Kaduna, stressing “if the decision of 11 out of 19 members who met and chose Governor Daniel to lead the Forum irritate other members, the meeting would enable us to resolve the matter amicably.”
Since 11 governors met at the Ogun State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, last Friday to elect Daniel to succeed his Kwara State counterpart, the governors had been singing discordant tunes. The Chairman of Northern Governors Forum, Babangida Aliyu had so far dissociated himself from the plot.

Governor Aliyu had said in Minna while declaring open the INEC Voter Education Interactive Session with traditional rulers in the North Central zone that the Northern Governors’ Forum dissociated itself from the recent election of Governor Daniel, as the chairman of Governors’ Forum.
But in a swift reaction, Governor Ibrahim Idris of Kogi State faulted a statement credited to the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Alhaji Muazu Babangida Aliyu, disowning Daniel.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Sun yesterday in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital Governor Idris said although the Forum was yet to elect its Chairman, there was no big deal about the crisis in the Forum.

Idris, a member of the Northern Governors’ Forum expressed surprise at the statement of the NGF chairman, saying “Governor Babangida Aliyu is only saying his own mind. There was no where we sat down to discuss the issue.
“But we are going to have our meeting in two days time. This issue has not been discussed yet. So we have not discussed anybody being the chairman of the forum. Aliyu is just saying his own mind. That’s the way I see the whole thing.
“We have not discussed anything whether it is Daniel or James or John that is going to be the chairman. I don’t know where you (journalists) got your information from. As far I am concerned, there is nothing wrong with the forum. We are still intact. It is when we reach the meeting that we can discuss who is going to be our chairman.

Asked if an election actually took place, Idris retorted ‘’I am not going to answer any question over the issue again. I have told you Babangida Aliyu was only expressing his mind and not the mind of Northern governors.’’
The governor, however, said contrary to reports there was no confusion whatsoever in the Governors’ Forum and that until they hold their meeting, “nobody has anything to say.’’

Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola also condemned Daniel’s appointment describing it as undemocratic.
Fashola who spoke with journalists in Lagos on Tuesday said the development is worrisome, noting that act of the 11- man caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors in the Forum that appointed Daniel ordinarily usurped and subverted the will of 36 members of the Forum.
The governor said the appointment made possible by minority, further raises questions of sincerity of purpose on the part of the ruling PDP government towards conducting free and fair elections in the country in 2011.
“The question of who leads the Forum must be a democratic process. It bothers me because the only single national agenda we have as a country today is free and fair elections.

“As I was told, only ten governors gathered to choose him (Daniel). It is burdensome that this kind of thing can happen in a party that professes to want free and fair elections, ” he said.
Fashola remarked that the development has given credence to the need for internal vigilance by Nigerians on the motive of the PDP governors in the Forum, expressing optimism that the forum would move swiftly to resolve the issue.
It would be recalled that erstwhile Chairman of NGF and Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki was ousted last Friday by some PDP governors said to be loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan and opposed to Saraki’s presidential ambition on the PDP platform.
Daniel’s emergence had also been opposed by some of the PDP northern governors and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Governor, Adam Oshiomhole of Edo State.

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No fewer than 20 persons have been confirmed dead, while 33 others sustained serious injuries in two motor accidents in Zamfara on Sunday. The accidents occurred in Kaura-Namoda Local Government Area of the state.

The FRSC Assistant Corps Commander, Kaura-Namoda Unit, Mr Sani Abdussamad, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday that the first accident occurred at Sabongari, five kilometres from Kaura-Namoda, on the Kaura-Namoda-Gusau Road.

He said the vehicle, with registration number XL494ABC, carrying more than 100 bags of potato with 42 people on top of the goods, was from Sokoto State. Abdussamad said the driver was allegedly over-speeding when the truck had a tyre burst, skidded off the road, somersaulted and killed seven passengers instantly, while two other victims died later in the hospital.

He said 25 victims who sustained serious injuries were rushed to Kaura-Namoda General Hospital for medical attention.
Abdussamad said the other accident occurred at Kwanar-Boko town, 20 kilometres from Kaura-Namoda, on the Kaura-Shinkafi Road.

He explained that a Peugeot 505 salon car, with registration number AA746SKF, had a head-on collision with a Carina II vehicle, in which the passengers were burnt beyond recognition.
Abdussamad said 11 victims in the two vehicles, mostly children and women, died, while eight others escaped with various degrees of injury.

He said some of the victims were taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau, while others were admitted at the General Hospital, Kaura-Namoda for treatment.
Abdussamad noted with regret that in spite of the enlightenment campaigns on road safety and enforcement of traffic rules by the FRSC officers on the road, accidents still occurred on the highways.
He advised road users to always obey traffic regulations to reduce fatalities caused by road accidents in the country.

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Adamu Ciroma

The tempo of activities ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries will take an upward swing by the weekend when the North’s consensus candidate is expected to emerge.

The Adamu Ciroma-led Northern Political Leaders Forum, which has been leading the search, concluded its job on Sunday.

There were strong indications yesterday that the common candidate would be unveiled on Friday.

To soften the ground ahead of the announcement, the Ciroma committee has summoned a meeting of all the four presidential aspirants for tomorrow. The aspirants will be briefed on how the committee arrived at its choice in addition to rallying support for the popular choice.

The aspirants are ex-President Ibrahim Babangida, ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; ex-National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, and Kwara Governor Bukola Saraki.

A source said: “I think the panel may name the North’s consensus candidate on Friday. This was the highpoint of the Forum Committee’s meeting on Sunday night.

“But as part of confidence building, the NPLF leaders will hold a crucial meeting with the four aspirants on Wednesday in Abuja.”

An aide to one of the aspirants said last night that their camp had received the invitation from the panel. He said other aspirants had also been invited to tomorrow’s meeting. Asked who has been adopted by the Northern leaders, the source said: “Nigerians may know on Friday, if the leaders do not change their mind.

“We want to unveil the consensus candidate so that Northern leaders can start reaching out early enough for negotiation with the Southsouth, Southeast and Southwest geo-political zones for support and over the choice of running mate.

“It is one thing to adopt a consensus candidate; it is another thing to reach accord with vital geopolitical zones.”

The source added that the North might reach a pact with the Southeast to enable the zone to produce the nation’s President in 2015.

The four aspirants had on September 17, 2010 promised to step down for whoever emerges as the consensus candidate.

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All things being equal, the voters’ registration exercise for the 2011 general elections will begin in January, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has disclosed. The disclosure yesterday fuelled the speculation that the contract for the supply of the Direct Data Capturing Machine might have been signed.

The commission had said the contract papers would be signed either late last week or early this week, but the explanation by the INEC chairman at the commencement of the ‘Train the trainers’ workshop for INEC staff in Abuja, on Monday, as regards the date for the start of the registration exercise gave strong indication that the contract papers might have been signed by the commission with the manufacturers of the vital biometric equipment.

“Despite the new time plan, the registration exercise will now be sometimes in January but when we announce the timetable, the details will be made available to the public,” Jega said.
The INEC chairman was of the view that the time extension being worked on by the parliament would help the commission to take possession of and deploy the machines needed for the exercise.

Jega stated that arrangements for the acquisition of the DDC machines had been concluded, adding that the machines would soon arrive.
He said: “We do not want to pre-empt things, we’ve done our preparations and our planning. As soon as formalities are completed we will make an announcement on the new time able. We have finished everything about the procurement of the DDC machines.
“And I want to assure you that the machines will now be in our hands in good time before the commencement of the registration exercise.”
The success of the voters’ registration exercise and the 2011 general elections were predicated on proficiently trained staff of the commission who would handle the conduct of these very important electoral activities.

However, a statement on the workshop signed by the INEC Director of Public Affairs, Emmanuel Umenger, said Professor Jega stressed the importance of the workshop, noting that the INEC staff who were undergoing the training could only impart to other trainers adequate knowledge about the voters’ registration exercise if they fully understood the modules and manuals properly.

He charged the master trainers to take advantage of the workshop to clarify any areas of ambiguity. Said he: “Make the best use of the opportunity of the workshop; attend all the sessions and make thorough use of the interactive sessions to clarify ambiguities.”
The INEC chairman said the commission appreciated that the staff were faced with a number of constraints but appealed to them to persevere.

He disclosed that the commission, having realized the tediousness and risks involved in elections, was working on a special salary scale for its staff. He gave the assurance that the process of getting the new scale off the ground would be fast-tracked if the commission’s staff worked assiduously to conduct a voters’ registration exercise and elections that would be credible and acceptable to Nigerians.

The INEC Chairman reminded the participants that Nigerians had high expectations of them for a positive change and that they should, by their actions, prove to Nigerians that it was no longer business as usual.
Earlier, the Chair of the Electoral Institute, Professor Lai Olurode, had described the Voter Registration exercise as the infrastructure on which a credible election rested. He appealed to the participants to take the workshop seriously.
It would be recalled that the INEC had carried out a mock registration with some of its staff trained for the purpose of the demonstration of the samples of the DDC machine.

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An octogenarian proprietor of a foster home in Delta State, Madam Rita Oki, has accused the government of high handedness in the shutdown of her orphanage. She said the government denied her of an opportunity to defend herself of allegations of ‘unwholesome practices’ it levelled against her, reports Shola O’Neil.


It was all tears and wailing in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State at the weekend when 14 motherless children were removed from a 42-year old foster home. The famous Our Lady of Mercy Orphanage owned by Madam Rita Oki, was shut by agents of the government.

Madam Oki was accused of what the government described as unwholesome activities.

The children are now dispersed. It was yet a spectacle when they bid one another a painful farewell.

Inmates, residents of Enerhen Road where the home is located as well as bystanders broke down in tears when government officials separated 14 children from the octogenarian proprietor.

Although, the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development, which ordered the closure of the orphanage, did not explain what “unwholesome activities” meant, it was gathered that it was not unconnected with human trafficking.

The children, ranging from two to 15-year olds at the foster home, resisted the attempts to take them away from the octogenarian, who they called ‘mama’. But they were overpowered and dispersed among other orphanage homes in the area.

Not even the tears of the aged woman nor the cries of the children could sway the officials, who said the decision followed petitions by unnamed persons against the 82-year-old woman.

The Friday action was foretold in a terse statement by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Community and Social Development, Queen Victoria Ikechukwu. The statement said the decision was arrived at due to Madam Oki’s inability to operate in accordance with the National Policy and Guidance on the Establishment and Monitoring of Child Care Centre.”

The statement, contained in a special announcement on the commissioner’s behalf by an Assistant Director of Information, Dona Obuseh, warned corporate bodies and public spirited individuals to avoid transactions with the orphanage.

Madam Oki told reporters that the allegations against her were unfounded, adding that it was wrong for the government to shut her home without an opportunity to defend herself.

She criticised the action, stressing that she had been caring for unwanted and homeless children since 1968, adding that she was called by God to care for such children.

The sight of the weeping octogenarian led all ‘her’ 14 children to join in the wailing, particularly when she was told that there were allegations against her. Turning to one of them, she asked, “What is the meaning of that? Allegation?”

She accused the government of highhandedness, stressing that it (the government) should be held responsible if she dies of heartbreak resulting from the snatching away of her children. She said she has just one biological son, whose child she had not been able to tend to because of her role in the orphanage.

“I do not have any other activities; my job is taking care of these children because it is what God asked me to do. Now, the children have been taken away from me. Where do I go from here?” Madam Oki wailed as she hugged the last of the children just before they were cramped into a waiting bus for onward transfer to homes in Warri, Asaba and others.

She wondered whose interest the government was serving by taking away the children from her and dispersing them among other homes.

It was gathered that three of the children were taken to Eagle Hands Orphanage in Warri, three to Heart of Delta, another three to St. Anne’s Orphanage, two to King’s Kids Compassion Home, and three to Women Affairs Children Home, among others.

Heartbreaking sobs pervaded the serene scene when the children finally bade farewell to one another and their foster mother of several years.

Mr. Steve Megwai, a Permanent Secretary in the ministry, who led the operation, said the government’s action was informed by reports and petitions from some individuals over unwholesome practices going on in the orphanage.

Megwai said the ministry initiated investigations, which proved that the allegations were correct, adding that the government, because of its interest in children’s welfare, was compelled to shut the home and send the children to others where they could get better treatment.

Nevertheless, he thanked Madam Oki for her dedication and nearly half a decade of rendering services to less privileged children.

The President of the Nigerian Child Welfare Fund, Mr. Joshua Omorere, confirmed the reports of unwholesome deals within the orphanage, but exonerated Madam Oki from the shady deals.

He said because of Madam Oki’s old age and her inability to do some of the things she used to do, some unscrupulous persons were conniving with some workers of the Welfare Section of the Ministry to sell children in the home.

Specifically, Omorere narrated how he reclaimed two children who had earlier being sold from the home.

To Mrs. Omon-Irabor, who visited the home to celebrate her birthday with Madam Oki and the children, the action had political undertone, stressing that it was unusual for the orphanage to suddenly become involved in “unwholesome practices” after 42 years.

She advised the state government to re-open the petition and investigate it properly, adding that if there was anywhere the home was lacking the right thing would be to help the aged woman improve her standard.

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The Northern Governors’ Forum yesterday dissociated itself from the recent election of Otunba Gbenga Daniel as new Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) by a group of governors.
Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu said in Minna that the governors had slated for tomorrow, another meeting where a new chairman for the Forum would be picked. Incidentally, Daniel’s kinsman and Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola also claimed ignorance of Daniel’s election, saying, he travelled out of the country when the agreement was reached.

Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Lasisi Olagunju, on Monday, Oyinlola said he had not taken a stand on the issue as he had just returned from the Biennial General Meeting of the International Golf Federation which held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Earlier, Governors Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and his Kano State counterpart, Ibrahim Shekarau had expressed their displeasure with Daniel’s enthronement. Only last weekend, 17 governors met at the Ogun State Governor’s lodge in Abuja, announced the appointment of the Ogun governor as successor to Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki.

The G.17 were among those who hitherto called on Saraki to relinquish the position having declared his intention to run for the presidency in next year’s election. To them, Saraki’s continued stay as chairman had the capacity to drag the association into partisan politics.

Declaring open the INEC Voter Education Interactive Session with Traditional Rulers in the North Central zone, Aliyu said even though the position was a honorary one, due process must be followed in choosing a successor to Saraki.
‘No person can go outside the forum to elect a chairman’ Aliyu said, in apparent reference to the election of Otunba Daniel.
The NGF, Aliyu argued, “is a non partisan organisation,” adding that its membership cut across party lines. He alleged that some people wanted to hijack the Forum for selfish interest.

“Even if you hijack it you cannot use it for election purposes.”
Announcing the election of Daniel as replacement for Dr Saraki, Governor Suswan of Benue State said the decision was hinged on the exemplary performance of the governor and the good leadership he had given since he was elected.
Suswan said Daniel was “unanimously elected by consensus of all the members of the forum” and had, therefore, been mandated to coordinate the activities of the group and respond to national issues as appropriate.
Governor Godswill Akpabio who was also at the unveiling of Daniel said his selection was based on his outstanding performance as an administrator.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/02/national-02-11-2010-001.htm

GOD

HAVE

MERCY

GOODLUCK

EBELE

JONATHAN

OK

DAAR COMMUNICATIONS AND FIRE THIS EMBER MONTH.



BUT WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT?

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged to court a senatorial aspirant on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu and 12 others for allegedly using unregistered companies to loot a sum of N5.6 billion belonging to Nasarawa State Government through unexecuted contracts.

Detailing the alleged crime in charge sheet no FHC/LF/CR/8/2010, at the Federal High Court in Lafia, the commission claimed that Ukachukwu collected various sums of money from the Nasarawa State Government for contracts which he failed to execute.

In the 171-count charge preferred against the him and others, Ukachukwu and his companies identified as Prince and Princess Properties Limited, Nick Associates Company, SNECOU, RIOK Industries and NICCUS Industries alone were alleged to have collected over N5.6 billion from the coffers of the Nsasarawa State Government for unexecuted contracts.

Some of the counts in the charge read: “that you Nicholas Ukachukwu whilst being the chairman of SNECOU Group, a non registered company on or about June 5, 2003 in Lafia, Nasarawa within the jurisdiction of this honourable court obtained contract under the name of Henry and Nick Associate Company Limited to the tune of N589,611,359 (Five hundred and eighty nine million six hundred and eleven thousand three hundred and fifty nine naira) obtained the said sum from Nasarawa State Government without executing the contract and in breach of the agreement thereto, thereby committed an offence of Economic and Financial Crimes (looting) punishable under Section 18 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act:

“That you Nicholas Ukachukwu whilst being the chairman of SNECOU Group, a non registered company on or about August 8, 2005, in Lafia, Nasarawa within the jurisdiction of this honourable court obtained contract under the name of Henry and Nick Associate Company Limited to the tune of N2,151,680,359.37 (Two billion, one hundred and fifty one million six hundred and eighty thousand three hundred and fifty-nine naira, thirty-seven kobo) and obtained the said sum from Nasarawa State Government without executing the contract and in breach of the agreement thereto, thereby committed an offence of Economic and Financial Crimes (looting) punishable under Section 18 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act:”

Nigeria and 10 other members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) overshot the agreed output targets in October.

This was as a result of higher crude oil supply from Angola, according to a survey.

Supply from the 11 OPEC members with output targets, all except Iraq, averaged 26.79 million barrels per day throughout last month, up from 26.63 million bpd in September, according to a Reuters survey of oil companies, OPEC officials and analysts.

"The primary reason for the increase is Angola as well as smaller increases from Nigeria and Iran, but this is largely offset by the drop in Iraq," Daniel Gerber of Petrologistics, a Geneva-based oil consultant, told the news service.

In specific terms, Crude oil supplies climbed 5.01 million barrels to 366.2 million last week, the biggest gain since July, an Oct. 27 Energy Department report showed. Total petroleum stockpiles, a combination of oil and fuel inventories, rose 0.1 per cent to 1.13 billion barrels, 3.9 per cent higher than in the week ended May 28.

Crude pared some of its losses after government data showed United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expanded at a 2 per cent annual rate in the third quarter as consumer spending climbed the most in almost four years.

The growth in the economy matched the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News and followed a 1.7 per cent gain the prior three months, US Commerce Department figures showed yesterday in Washington.

Production increased 65,000 barrels, or 0.2 per cent, to an average 29.01 million barrels a day from a revised 28.945 million in September, the lowest level since November, according to the survey of oil companies, producers and analysts.

Output by members with quotas, all except Iraq, gained 110,000 barrels to 26.66 million a day from a revised 26.55 million. That’s 1.815 million above their target.

Angolan output rose 60,000 barrels to 1.75 million a day last month from a revised total of 1.69 million for September, the biggest increase in OPEC. Production in Nigeria climbed 35,000 barrels to 2.05 million.

Nigeria, a favoured supplier of oil to U.S. refiners, plans to increase daily exports of its 17 biggest crude grades by about 2.2 per cent in December, preliminary loading plans show.

Oil volume on the Nymex was 437,404 contracts as of 2:35 p.m. in electronic trading in New York. Volume totalled 500,211 contracts yesterday, 28 per cent below the average of the past three months. Open interest was 1.41 million contracts.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/17657.html

Mr Innocent Chukwuma needs no introduction in Nigeria. He is the young man from Nnewi, the manufacturing capital of Nigeria who has, from the scratch, successfully built a vehicle manufacturing plant. Before this period, Chukwuma had established a motorcycle manufacturing plant and a plastic plant that is churning out helmets for use by motorcyclists in Nigeria.

The 46-year-old businessman, interestingly, started with just N3,000 he got from his brother and he has, today, built a multi- billion naira business empire. His case is a typical grass to grace story.

Chukwuma, who is a member of the Vision 20:2020, said he is conscious of the fact that Nigerians like quality and that the road network is not fantastic and, because of that, they decided to turn out quality and rugged vehicles that would stand the test of time.

He also said that apart from the durability of the vehicles, they are also cheaper than the imported ones.
His words: “I want to say that I am not afraid of competing with Honda, Toyota or any other big name in the automobile industry. I only have respect for them. My reason is because I have done it before and I hope to do it again. There were a lot of big names in the industry when I went into the manufacturing of motorcycles some years back, but that did not stop me. I went in there and excelled. I have not failed in any business that I have embarked upon, and this one will not be an exception.

Even talking about competition, I can tell you that I have never competed with anybody. I am always competing with myself. I try to turn out quality products and allow the market to judge. So, I am competing with the market for acceptance, rather than the people producing the same thing as I am because the market is the ultimate judge.”
According to him, his goal, apart from putting Nigeria on the map of vehicle manufacturing countries, is to stop Nigerians from buying fairly used vehicles, popularly known as Tokunbo, as is now the case.

He said that with the commissioning of the plant, Nigerians could now beat their chest and say, “this is our own,” just as the Americans, the Chinese, the Germans and the Japanese. Recently, President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company in Nnewi, Anambra State, and Daily Sun caught up with this rare entrepreneur and he spoke about his foray into business, his challenges and successes.
Chukwuma is our CEO of the week.
Excerpts.

How it all started
I went into business about 30 years ago. I started by selling motorcycle spare parts, which you know is traditional to my people. I am from Nnewi in Anambra State and we are known for that. From there, I graduated into selling of complete motorcycles. Then motorcycle was seen, as luxury because of the exorbitant prices. I was not happy with that because I know that I am not in business to satisfy myself. I want to render service and from the proceeds of my service make a living. So I began to think of a way to make the price of the motorcycle to become affordable for the teeming masses that needed them. It was in the process that I discovered that importers were the major reason why the price of motorcycle was very high.

I found out that the importers were packing their motorcycles in a very big case and when they put the cases into the container, it can contain about 40 units. I reasoned that if the cases could be removed, there would be more room to contain more motorcycles. So when I went to my manufacturers abroad, I told them to knock down the parts of the motorcycles so that I would pack them straight into the container and they agreed.

When they knocked down the parts, I discovered that about 220 units of motorcycles could enter one container. When they did that, I brought the container into the country. So instead of bringing in a container containing 40 units, I brought in a container that contained 220 units and you know that they charge per container and not what is inside it. So with a container, I was saving what I would have paid for five containers and that gave me a very big financial boost.

What I did then was to crash the price of the motorcycles that I was importing so that they would be affordable. However, some people felt that my motorcycles were of inferior quality and that was why I was selling them at give away price. They did not know that I had a technology break through in my packing. They don’t know that the reason why my own motorcycles were cheaper was because I was spending far less money in bringing them into the country than the other importers.

All along, I was not happy that Nigerians were driving second hand motorcycles. I felt that we deserve better than that but because of the high cost of brand new motorcycles, the common people could not afford it. So when I began to pack 220 units inside a container instead of the normal 40 units, the price of motorcycles fell by 50 percent and that is why today nobody buys second hand motorcycle again. Even nobody imports second hand motorcycles into the country, as was the case in the 80s and 90s.

As I said earlier, I was the first Nigerian that started packing 220 units of motorcycle inside a container. We tested the market with a single container and it was a success. In fact we sold all the motorcycles within a month. Those who bought them did so half-heartedly because they felt that the reason it was cheap was because they were not of a good quality. But when we exhausted the stock, by the time we came with another stock, the initial buyers have tested it and saw that it was of a very high quality, the other consignments that we were bringing in became hot cake. From one container that we tested the market with, we moved to 10, later 20 and continued to raise the stake. There was a time we were clearing about 200 containers in a month.

Even there were times, before the containers arrive at the Nigerian ports; people had bought all in advance. That was a testimony of the quality of our products. One can say that it was quality matched with affordability. Our motorcycles were of a very high quality but yet very affordable.

Going into motorcycle manufacturing
After we had made a success of importation of motorcycles, I decided to step up the business. I believe in setting the pace for others to follow. When I began to bring in my motorcycles in containers instead of cases, after a while other businessmen copied me and began to do the same. So I told myself that it is time to move forward. You can agree with me that while downstairs are always crowded, there is always vacancy up stairs. So I took a good look at motorcycles and discovered that it has a lot of plastic components. Because of this, I set up a plastic producing company in Emene, Enugu to be producing the plastic components of motorcycles.

I felt that if I could manufacture some of the motorcycle parts here in Nigeria, it would further help in the reduction of the price of motorcycles. The plastic company started to produce the spare parts while we continue to import the parts that we could not produce here. With this, the price of motorcycles was further reduced to the extent that they became affordable to whomever that needs it.

While we were producing the motorcycle spare parts, we realized that the plastic plant was being under utilized, so we decided to incorporate other things like plastic chairs, tables, upholstery, plastic containers and so on. The idea was to keep the plant producing at full capacity and today it has paid off because, it has helped us to employ a lot of staff and millions of Nigerians are using our products which they are buying at give away prices. Even people from neigbouring countries come to buy our plastic products.

There is no part of the country that you will go and will not see Innoson plastic products. As I said, we have used it to create a lot of direct and indirect employment. You should also not forget that we are into the manufacturing of crash helmets. In fact, we are the biggest helmets manufacturing company in the West African sub-region. From the plastic factory also we produce tyres for vehicles, motorcycles, tricycles and others in the same company. People also come there for customized plastic products.

Challenges
The challenges of manufacturing in Nigeria are enormous. You and I know that there is the problem of infrastructure. However, what is encouraging me to go on is the patriotism in me. My businesses are people driven rather than profit driven. I am in business to deliver service to Nigerians. I am in business to boost Nigeria’s economy. I am in business to empower Nigerians through mass employment and good remuneration. These things are far more important to me than profit and that is the spirit that is keeping us marching on.

Sometimes, when the burden becomes too much, I look around and see thousands of family who depend on me for their daily bread. Then I would ask myself what would become of these people if I should relent? When I ask myself that question, my sagging spirit would be revived and I would get back on my toes. But to be honest with you the challenges of being a manufacturer in Nigeria is over whelming. If I tell you how much we spend on energy in a month, it would shock you.

The roads are also another thing. We are engaged in manufacturing and distribution. We also spend huge sums of money on wears and tears of our distribution vans. Some times our vehicles would break down on the road due to bad road. At other times, it takes longer than the scheduled time and that means you spend more on fuel than you would have if the roads were smooth. But I am grateful to God who has been seeing me through all these challenges.

I have never failed in any endeavour that I started and I know that it is not because of my intelligence but the grace of God, the support of my family and my workers who are ever ready to go to the extra mile in spite of all the odds on the way. For instance, when I started the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing plant, three of my foreign workers were kidnapped and that almost ruined the business. But God helped us to over come the challenge and today we are celebrating the birth of Innoson vehicles, which is the first of its kind by a Nigerian.

Why vehicle manufacturing?
What made me to go into motorcycle manufacturing was the same thing that made me to go into vehicle manufacturing. When I went into business in the early 80s,brand new motorcycle was seen as an elite thing. It was seen as something for the well to do. A preserve of the rich. The reason was because of the price, which was on the high side and therefore unaffordable to the common man. Then if you buy CD 175 or CD 185,you would be seen as a very rich man.

People who were not wealthy enough were settling for second hand motorcycles and I was not happy with it. I began to think of what I would do to reduce the price of motorcycles so that they would become affordable. That was why I discovered that part of the problem was the way they were packing the motorcycles before bringing them into the country. When I discovered that, the rest as they say became history. The same problem that the masses were facing in the 80s has resurfaced in automobiles.

The price of brand new cars is practically unaffordable to most Nigerians. In fact over 80 per cent of Nigerians cannot afford brand new vehicles. That is why second –hand vehicles or tokunbo has become the order of the day. If somebody buys a brand new car, he is seen as a God. Even police gives him special respect on the road. They think twice before stopping him because in their mind, before he can buy a brand new car, he must be well connected.

I am not happy with this and that is why I began to think of how I can make the price of vehicles to become affordable. I don’t want cars to be seen as an elitist thing and I am not happy that Nigerians are driving tokunbo vehicles. It does not give us respect in the eyes of the international community. A country that is as blessed as Nigeria, the fifth biggest oil exporter in the world should not be used as a dumping ground for vehicles that have been used in the other parts of the world. Based on the experience that I got when I was importing and later manufacturing motorcycles, I know that if Nigerians see cars that are comparatively cheap, they would stop driving tokunbo cars.

That was how I began to think of how I can make this possible. It took me about seven years to solve this great puzzle. Vehicles have many plastic components and I have a flourishing plastic company, which is among the biggest in Africa. So I began to research into how many vehicles components that could be sourced locally and I discovered that a lot of them could be produced here. That was how I took off. When people hear that Innoson want to manufacture vehicles, they laugh it off. They said that it is mission impossible but with the commissioning of the vehicles by President Goodluck Jonathan, those doubting Thomases have seen that it is a reality that Innoson is manufacturing vehicles and a lot of them are already making waves on the roads across the country.

Our type of vehicles
We manufacture different types of vehicles and they include Pick-up vans, buses, Sports Utility Vans (SUV). We also manufacture tricycles popularly called keke NAPEP. Our vehicles are built with the state of the roads in the country in mind. We know that our roads are not good so we decided to make our vehicles rugged enough to withstand the shocks on the road. So our vehicles are more rugged than the imported ones because we are the ones that are wearing the shoes so we know where it is pinching us. Unlike vehicles that were manufactured for London or New York roads where roads are smooth.

I can tell you that in terms of durability, Innoson vehicles are more durable. Also in terms of price, ours is also cheaper. As I told you earlier, ours is quality matched with affordability. I want to stop Nigerians from driving tokunbo cars because it does not command respect and also because of its inherent risks. That is why we decided to make sure that we come out with vehicles that Nigerian could afford.

What we want from government
What we want from government is to patronize made in Nigeria products like vehicles and others. Government should stop feeling that made in Nigeria products are of inferior quality compared with their imported counterparts. If the president, governors, senators and other dignitaries begin to drive in Innoson vehicles, it would go a long way to build confidence in other Nigerians to begin to patronize made in Nigeria products. It would also inspire other Nigerians to go into manufacturing. The fear of most potential manufacturers is government preference of foreign made goods. But once they begin to see government officials making use of made in Nigeria products, it would inspire them to bring out their best for their fatherland.

We have seen what happened in Chile recently. I am talking about the rescue of the 33 miners. You can agree with me that because of that every Chilean has become proud of his or her country. The incident reawakened their national consciousness and love for country. That is exactly what would happen when we see top government officials patronizing made in Nigeria products.

So in this case, I feel that government should set the pace for others to follow. Another thing that I want from government is to make sure that the Ajaokuta steel industry comes to life. If the company can be resuscitated, half as far as machinery is concerned would solve the problem of Nigeria. That Nigerians both public and private still import hardware is because the company is not functioning. If it is made to function to full capacity, we will stop the importation of most of the automobile spare parts as well as the moulds that is used for different types of machines.

Innoson vehicles and Nigerian economy
Well, as a member of Vision 2020, what I am doing is in tandem with the vision. There is no way Nigeria can become one of the 20 top economies in the world in the year 20 20 if we are not manufacturing. Right now by going into the manufacturing of automobiles, I have put Nigeria in good stead towards the realization of the vision. Some people think that the vision is a mere slogan but it is not so. It is achievable if we have the political will to do just few things. The first is for government to fix the power sector. Once the power sector is fixed, there would be a boom in manufacturing in the country. The second thing after fixing the power sector is to make the Ajaokuta steel company to begin to function at full capacity.

If the steel company begin to function at full capacity which means Nigerians would be getting the machines they need for production here in Nigeria coupled with steady power supply, Vision 20:2020 has been achieved because Nigerians are not only industrious, they are also creative. The other minor things are for government to encourage banks to be giving reasonable credit facilities to genuine manufacturers and then fix the road network and give tax holiday to manufacturers.

Once this is done, Nigeria would become one of the most industrialized nations in the world within the next five years. We will make a quantum leap to join the league of China and Japan. We have the acumen to be there but what we lack is the enabling environment to spur us on.

Again, Nigerians should also learn to be patient. We just celebrated our golden jubilee but we want to compete with those that have been there centuries ago. Rome as they say was not built in a day. From all indications, we are not doing badly. About 50 years ago, Japan was building the worst cars in the world. Then America was on top with General Motors (GM), but today Japan with Toyota has taken over the global automobile industry. So, we should not always try to be in a hurry.

There is a saying that slow and steady wins the race. Let us concentrate on doing good work and before you know it we will be there. It is also my desire to use this plant to boost Nigerian economy. One of the things that have made Japan a super economy is the automobile that it is manufacturing.

You may not believe it Nigeria is the biggest consumer of automobiles in the world. For instance, when Mercedes was in vogue, Nigeria was consuming more Mercedes cars, today Nigeria is consuming more Toyota and Honda cars. Therefore, if Nigerians can be patriotic enough to be patronizing made in Nigeria vehicles all these money would remain in Nigeria and would be circulating in Nigeria. We will have more money on our hands to develop our country. As the plant is expanding, we will be providing more employment for the people.

Fear of competing with other automobile manufacturers
Well, whoever knows my antecedent in business would know that I don’t fear competition rather I encourage it I believe that business becomes boring if there is no competition. So right now I am happy that Toyota and Honda are already there. That would make me to bring out my ingenuity. One of the gifts that God gave me is creativity.

Whenever I sit down and look at something for a while, I would see a way to take it to the next level. When I went into motorcycle business in the 80s,there were a lot of big names but I was not scared of them. Within a short time I became a force to be reckoned with in the industry. Therefore it is that determination, that mindset that I have brought to this vehicle manufacturing business. To tell you the truth, I am not scared of Toyota or Honda. I only respect them but I am sure that within a short time, Innoson brand of vehicles would become as popular as their own brand.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/ceomagazine/2010/nov/01/ceomagazine-01-11-2010-001.htm

How Daniel was ‘elected’ after night visit to Villa Oshiomhole, Shekarau: Saraki remains chair

The Nigerian Governors’ Forum – an association of the 36 governors - has slipped into a crisis, following the purported change of its leadership at the weekend.

Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel was announced as chairman, replacing Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki, who had been at the helm since 2007.

Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam said the decision was taken after a meeting of the association.

But the NGF secretariat and Governors Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano) and Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) have dissociated themselves from the Ogun State Governor’s purported election.

Saraki, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, said Daniel’s election could not stand because the process was ultra vires. Only 11 governors attended the meeting where Daniel was "elected", Saraki said. He has convened an emergency meeting of the forum for Wednesday to elect his successor.

Saraki gave a verbal notice of his intention to step down as the chairman of the Forum about a month ago.

It was gathered that forces in the Presidency, including President Goodluck Jonathan, and some governors loyal to him, had been uncomfortable that Saraki was still calling the shots at the forum.

Saraki’s chairmanship of the forum, it was believed, conferred undue advantage on him in the countdown to the presidential primaries of the PDP.

Saraki is believed to be enjoying the loyalty of the G-84 Caucus, a forum of state chairmen and secretaries of the PDP.

The governor is also said to be wielding tremendous influence among his colleagues.

Saraki’s ouster was allegedly hatched last Friday night in Abuja, shortly before the presidential fund raising dinner at the International Conference Centre.

The event had hardly ended at about midnight when some PDP governors who attended headed for the Presidential Villa to visit the President.

Thereafter, the governors relocated to the Ogun State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja where Saraki was removed and Daniel enthroned.

Suswam said Daniel was chosen "due to his exemplary leadership qualities, track record and experience as a second-term governor".

He explained that the choice of Daniel became imperative since "Saraki is contesting the presidential election in 2011".

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State said Daniel has "what it takes to move the Forum forward".

Saraki kicked. He said the "supposed election of Daniel by consensus" would not hold.

In a memo to the 36 governors, he said an emergency meeting of the NGF had been convened for Wednesday.

The memo, obtained by our correspondent reads: "The Chairman of the NGF has requested for an emergency meeting scheduled as follows: Wednesday, 3rd November, 2010. Venue: Kwara State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja.

"The agenda for the meeting include, property and land purchase; Ratification of rules and regulations; Presentation of strategy plan; Briefing by Chairman; Election of the NGF leadership and AOB."

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: "Saraki has asked the governors to ignore the purported election of Daniel as NGF chairman.

"His position is that 11 governors cannot choose a new chairman for 36 governors after receiving a midnight mandate from the Presidential Villa.

"Saraki believes that a new chairman must emerge through a democratic process and not by default as plotted by the Presidency. He is sticking to due process. After all, he had given a verbal notice of disengagement.

"So, the election of Daniel stands annulled. The NGF is made up of PDP, ANPP and ACN, Labour Party (LP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governors and Saraki could not fathom why 11 PDP governors would defy sleep to impose Daniel on the others.

"It will amount to an insult on the opposition governors to deny them the right to choose who should lead them.

"Jonathan and his loyalists are joking, if they think they can lead the Governors Forum by the nose.

Saraki is abroad on a short trip, it was learnt. The NGF Secretariat was "baffled" by the purported election of Daniel as it was not consulted.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) secretariat, Mr. Bayo Okauru, said "the secretariat is non-partisan as it services all the 36 elected governors".

He said: "The attention of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Secretariat has been drawn to the news report announcing the election of a new Chairman for the PDP Governors’ Forum.

"This has created some confusion in the public on the distinction between the PDP Governors’ Forum and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

"We wish to inform the public that the NGF is a non-partisan Forum for all elected governors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, regardless of party affiliation.

"A meeting of the NGF has been scheduled to cover, among other things, briefing by the outgoing Chairman, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and election of a new leadership.

"The outcome of the election will be duly communicated to the public once concluded."

The Abubakar Bukola Saraki 2011 (ABS 2011) campaign organisation also said it was not affected by the announcement.

According to ABS head of media, Mr. Mohammed Garba-deen, Saraki remains focused on his objective, which is to convince Nigerians that he is the best candidate to lead the nation come 2011.

"ABS 2011 is unaffected by Governor Gabriel Suswan’s announcement. It is a matter for the secretariat of the Nigerian Governors Forum."

Investigation indicated that the governors were forced to adopt Daniel against their permutations in the last few weeks.

A source said: "Since Saraki gave a verbal notice of disengagement, the governors had been split into two groups.

"Some governors suggested that a second term governor, who will leave office in 2011, should be allowed to complete the tenure of Dr. Saraki. By this arrangement, the Forum will have the opportunity in May 2011 to elect a new leader among the new set of governors to be the chairman of the forum.

"In dissenting, a few other governors said a new governor could as well lead the forum because all governors had acquired one experience or the other before coming into office."

It was gathered that on the basis of the arguments of the two groups, some governors had prevailed on Vice-President Namadi Sambo to allow Suswam to lead the Forum.

But some governors favoured Governor Danjuma Goje of Gombe State.

It could not be immediately ascertained why the Presidency did not favour Suswam or Goje.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/17658.html