₦airaland Forum

Happy Birthday Jarus!

Many Happy Returns!

[size=13pt]Retire now, Sen Okpozo tells Katsina-Alu[/size]

By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—ELDER statesman and Second Republic senator, Senator Francis Okpozo, has urged the Chief Justice of the Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, to proceed on retirement to save the judiciary from further ridicule.

He traced the current face-off between the Chief Justice and President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, to what he described as the illegal interference of the Chief Justice in the workings of the Appeal Court and subsequently setting up of a panel by the National Judicial Council, NJC, to probe allegations levelled at each other.

He declared that such actions were meant to destroy the nation’s judicial system under his custody.
Okpozo said: “The Chief Judge of the nation supervises the functions of other arms of the judiciary. This does not mean that he should usurp the functions of those organs absolutely.

“As spelt out in the 1999 Constitution and the current Electoral Act, the Court of Appeal plays a very crucial supervisory role on the discharge of electoral functions. Therefore, the interference of the Supreme Court is strictly limited.

“The action of the CJ in stopping a tribunal matter during the hearing of the case on the Sokoto governorship election and asking another court in Abuja to hear it was an attempt to usurp the power of the President of the Court of Appeal.

“If it is not legally wrong he erred morally. And that is the bane of contention in the judiciary today. His actions are ill-motivated. On record, Salami has shown clear conscience in the dispensation of justice especially the sound judgment he has delivered so far on issues concerning Electoral Matters.”
… As UNIBEN alumni decry face-off

More reactions have begun to trail the recent crisis rocking the nation’s judiciary, with the University of Benin Alumni Association calling for quick resolution of the issue, with a view to restoring the confidence of Nigerians in the judiciary.

Rising from its 68th National Executive Coun-cil meeting, weekend, in Asaba, Delta State, the association, in a four-paragraph communique by its President and General Secretary, Dr. Clement Oghene and Dr. Emmanuel Oghre, respectively, described the allegation and counter-allegation as embarrassing.

The communique read: “Council is highly embarrassed by the allegations and counter-allegations of impropriety by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu and the President , Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Ayo Salami. Council calls for a quick resolution of this imbroglio for a restoration of the confidence of Nigerians in the judiciary.”

It also condemned the deplorable state of Nige-rian roads, urging both the state and federal governments to expedite actions on their mainte-nance to avoid further carnage.

Describing the state of the roads as tragic, it advised Nigerians to desist from travelling at night except in unavoidable cases.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/retire-now-sen-okpozo-tells-katsina-alu/

[size=13pt]We’ve approved Siasia’s list – Chukwu[/size]

BY JACOB AJOM
Former Super Eagles coach and member of the NFF technical committee, Christian Chukwu has said that the committee has approved coach Samson Siasia’s list of players invited for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with Madagascar in Antananarivo in a fortnight.

Speaking with Sports Vanguard Monday, the former Green Eagles captain said, “we have given the coach approval for his programme and advised the secretariat to make sure everything works out well as the match against Madagascar is a must win. We approved the list he submitted without any alteration. We don’t want to be seen as impeding his job so we approved the list as he brought it.”

Asked if there were any new faces among the invited players, Chukwu quipped, “I don’t know which face is new or old. I don’t know the names off hand but the whole thing will soon be made public.”

Chukwu however, did not rule out the possibility of some young players making it to the senior national team in future, but was quick to add, “they can be very good, but you know it can’t be automatic.”

He acknowledged the enormous amount of talent in the current U-20 national team that just returned from the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup where they ended up in the quarterfinal and said “despite their exit in the round of 8, everybody was happy with their performance in Colombia.”

The former coach of Enugu Rangers also said the Super Falcons who are meeting their Cameroonian counterparts in a 2012 Olympic qualifier have been well prepared for the tie. “Like the male U-20 team the girls have been in camp for some weeks now. We want to prepare our teams very well ahead of any competition. We don’t want excuses and we are always guided by this,” Chukwu said.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/we%E2%80%99ve-approved-siasia%E2%80%99s-list-chukwu/

[size=13pt]Salami: Jonathan under fire[/size]
By Niyi Odebode, Olusola Fabiyi, Olamilekan Lartey, Olalekan Adetayo and Segun Olatunji


The Action Congress of Nigeria and the Congress for Progressive Change, on Monday took a swipe at President Goodluck Jonathan, for approving the suspension of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami.


The two political parties, the Campaign for Democracy and the Transition Monitoring Group described the President’s action and appointment of an Acting PCA, Justice Dalhatu Adamu, as unconstitutional.


They also said that Jonathan had started following the footsteps of his mentor, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whose administration, they said, was notorious for the violation of the rule of law.


The northern socio-political group, the Arewa Consultative Forum, also described Salami’s suspension as the continuation of “Kabukabu (macabre) dance” in the judiciary.


On his part, former Vice- President Atiku Abubakar called for an adherence to the constitution in the resolution of the crisis in the judiciary.


It’s repudiation of oath – ACN


The ACN, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, accused Jonathan of violating his oath of office, saying that the President’s action amounted to a repudiation of the oath he took to protect the constitution.


It added that the action confirmed the rumour making the rounds that the President might have been secretly pushing for the removal of Salami through “some hawks in the NJC.”


The ACN said the President’s action could be linked to fears that the petition by the CPC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, in the appeal court, might go against him (Jonathan).


It stated, “Indications are that the unequivocal action of the Nigeria Bar Association jolted the President to act quickly to effect Justice Salami’s removal, in line with the prepared script.’’


The party said President Jonathan exhibited “executive recklessness” when he acted on an issue that was pending before a court.


The ACN added, “Section 238 which the President relied on to remove Justice Salami and appoint an Acting President of the Court of Appeal deals with the appointment of President and Justices of the Court of Appeal if the office is vacant.


‘’Section 292 of the constitution deals with the removal of top judicial officers, including the President of the Court of Appeal. In accordance with this section, the President can only remove any of the listed officers, acting on an address supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate. In other words, it is not even the President, but the Senate, that can initiate the process upon the recommendation of the NJC.


“By rushing to remove Justice Salami on the strength of Section 238, the President has committed the same faux pas as the NJC clique and violated the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He has filled a post in which no vacancy exists, and has allowed himself to be guided by political expediency, rather than the provisions of the Constitution.”


ACN said the crisis caused by the face-off between Salami and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, provided the best opportunity for President Jonathan “to show his strength of character and leadership qualities. On both counts, the President fell short of expectation.


“President Jonathan’s not-well-thought-out action will have a far-reaching effect on the judiciary and the entire country, and will largely define his presidency. He may not have thought about this before he rushed into action.”


Condemning Jonathan, the CPC also said the presidential assent to the suspension of the PCA was a gross disregard for the rule of law.


Removal contrived


– CPC


The CPC in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, stated the removal of the PCA had been “contrived from the Presidency.”


Fashakin said the Jonathan administration had begun to demonstrate the impunity associated with the Olusegun Obasanjo era.


“What we are seeing is the impunity associated with the Peoples Democratic Party. Jonathan is an off-shoot of Obasanjo who was an imperial president in his own time. How could eight members of a 23-member body ever form a quorum? Without doubt, President Jonathan was enthusiastic in implementing the illegal NJC action because he is the greatest beneficiary of this malfeasance,” he said.


Fashakin said Salami’s hurried removal was to allow a judge sympathetic to the PDP to head the Court of Appeal.


“The CPC presidential election petition pending before Salami has taken a decisive turn that is causing sleepless nights to the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission and Jonathan. It is only a ‘pliable’ judge that can remove them from this quagmire. That explains why Salami had to be eased out,” he added.


The CPC warned that the “latest rape on the rule of law” would throw the nation into a needless crisis.


The party noted that the NJC lacked the powers to suspend Salami in the first place in order to create the vacancy which the president exploited to make the acting appointment under Section 234 (4).


“The truth is, only a biased bench can save Jonathan’s presidency at the resumed hearing of the petition which explains the frenetic activity of the President and the pliable Katsina-Alu’s NJC in the matter,” Fashakin said.


Kabukabu dance in the judiciary – ACF


Condemning Salami’s removal, ACF, which spoke through its National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sane, stated, “The suspension of Justice Salami is a culmination of a kabukabu dance the nation’s judiciary has forced the country to watch for the past six months and a blithe disregard for the public confidence and trust in the legal system of the whole country.


“The NJC knows that its responsibility includes inspiring public confidence in the judiciary. The council knows also all the issues involved and must take action that will restore confidence and trust of Nigerians in the nation’s judiciary.”


Criticising Jonathan, the Chairman of the TNG, Mr. Mashood Erubami, stated that civil rights groups would join the NBA to fight what he described as an act of illegality.


He said, “We are against this development. We see it as a way of ridiculing the judiciary. The government and the NJC are doing this to please those who want Salami to be removed because they are not pleased with some of the steps he had taken.


“We will work together with the NBA on this issue. We will wait for the association to release its action plan on this.


“We will teach them that Nigerians must always have their say and way against the people that are misruling us.”


President’s action is dangerous – CD


Also, the CD president, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, has described the President’s action as alarming and dangerous to the country’s democracy.


“One is alarmed that in spite of all problems facing us as a nation, like insecurity and poverty, with a lightning speed, the President went ahead to uphold this lawlessness and illegality and judicial gangsterism by the NJC by appointing Adamu in an acting capacity,” she stated.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20110823643192

[size=13pt]Magistrate kidnapped in Delta[/size]


By Festus Ahon

UGHELLI – THE security situation in Ughelli, Delta State, heightened last Sunday, following the kidnap of a Grade One Chief Magistrate, Mr. Obomejero Aforkeya, at Iwhrekpokpor in Ughelli metropolis.

Aforkeya, Vanguard gathered, was kidnapped at about 6:30pm at the entrance of his residence in F. O. Owho Street, Iwhrekpokpor-Ughelli by unidentified gunmen who laid siege to his residence.

A dependable source close to the family told Vanguard that the magistrate, who works in Oleh Magisterial district, Isoko South Local Government Area of the state, was driven off to an unknown destination in his official Honda Civic IVI TEC car.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said the abductors, numbering over four, came in a Toyota Camry car, adding that the family was yet to establish contact with the kidnappers.

Another source close to the leadership of the Magistrates Association of Nigeria, MAN, Delta State chapter, who also pleaded anonymity, said that magistrate courts in the state might not sit, pending when their colleague was freed by his abductors.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/magistrate-kidnapped-in-delta/

[size=13pt]Naira depreciates by 226 kobo in interbank[/size]

By Babajide Komolafe & Nnenna Ezeah
LAGOS — The naira suffered a severe depreciation in the interbank market, yesterday, losing 226k to the dollar following an upsurge in demand for foreign exchange prompted by the removal of limit on banks’ foreign exchange sale to Bureaux de Change,BDCs.

Meanwhile, Brent crude fell more than two dollars toward $106 a barrel with traders and investors anticipating the resumption of oil exports from OPEC-member Libya as a six-month civil war there appeared close to an end.

In the interbank foreign exchange market, the interbank exchange rate rose steeply to close at N155.95 per dollar from N153.695 per dollar on Friday, indicating 226 kobo depreciation for the naira.

The declining fortune of the naira also extended to the official market where the naira lost 49 kobo due to increased demand for foreign exchange. Results of the bi-weekly foreign exchange auction by the apex bank showed that demand rose by 18 per cent to $562 million from $476 million at the last auction.

Though amount offered and sold by the apex bank also increased by 14 per cent to $400 million, it was still inadequate to meet the demand, hence the unsatisfied demand of $162 million. This prompted the official exchange rate to rise to N151.85 per dollar from N151.35.

In the international oil market, Brent crude fell more than two dollars toward $106 a barrel with traders and investors anticipating the resumption of oil exports from OPEC-member Libya as a six-month civil war there appeared close to an end.





Brent crude was down $2.30 to $106.32. U.S. crude was up 35 cents to $82.61 a barrel after dropping to as low as $81.13 earlier. The front-month September U.S. crude contract expires on Monday. “Brent is taking more of a battering but that’s only to be expected,” said Christopher Bellew, a trader at Jefferies Bache. The divergence is just another graphic example of the dislocation between WTI and Brent.”

Libya pumped around 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), nearly 2 per cent of global supply, before the war cut output. Most of Libya’s high-quality crude flowed to European refiners, but after Libyan exports ceased, tighter supply drove Brent to a two-year high of $127.02 in April. Output has fallen to almost nothing during the conflict. The question now is how soon Libyan output will be restored. Carsten Fritsch, an analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt, said it could be about six months before output climbs back to 1 million bpd or so, having looked at what happened in Iraq in 2003.

“Output was close to zero in the months after the U.S. invasion,” he said. “The big question is how much damage has been done to the oil facilities in Libya where the fighting has gone on much longer than in Iraq. There’s a risk it may take a bit longer in Libya.” The premium that has been in the Brent oil price since civil war broke out in Libya should now start to shrink, but Fritsch said this is unlikely to happen overnight.

“Given that the Brent price was below $100 before the uprising started in March, prices have some way to go, but it won’t come down as quickly.”

Olivier Jakob, oil analyst at Petromatrix, agreed saying he did not expect a flood of Libyan crude oil on a very prompt basis as when it restarts some of the oil production will probably go to local refineries. Tight supplies of Libya’s light sweet crude in Europe helped fuel a widening of the spread between Brent and U.S. crude.

The spread is already narrowing from a record $26.69 reached last week, and could contract further with the prospect of resumption in Libyan supply. “The weekend event in Tripoli is obviously more negative for crude oil in Europe (or the U.S. Gulf) than in Cushing and the immediate overnight response has been not surprisingly a narrowing of the Brent premium to WTI,” said Jakob.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/naira-depreciates-by-226-kobo-in-interbank/

[size=13pt]Court-martialled General faces fraud allegation[/size]

By Taye Obateru
Jos—The Special Court Martial inaugurated by General Officer Commanding, GOC, Three Armoured Division, Jos, Maj.-Gen. Sunday Idoko, to probe former Commander of the 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi, Brig.-Gen. Muraina Raji, over the escape of two Boko Haram suspects from the detention facility commenced proceedings, yesterday, with a fresh charge that he allegedly converted N387,000 belonging to the Nigerian Army.

President of the court, Maj.-Gen. John Zaruwa read out the fresh allegation at the proceedings which was dominated by arguments on the membership of the panel by Judge Advocate, Lt. Col. Bernard Okorie.

Mr. Femi Falana, leading three other lawyers, appeared for the accused. He objected to the new charge and advanced lengthy argument on why the judge advocate should not participate in the trial.

Although the court overruled the objection to the membership of the panel, it upheld Raji’s objection to the membership of Brig. Gen. Agboola Robinson who was replaced with Brig. Gen. B.T. Ogini.

In overruling Falana’s argument on Okorie’s membership, the court held that having not participated in the investigations that led to Raji’s trial, his membership would not influence the court

Falana who told the court that he was aware that the accused officer raised an objection to the membership of two members of the panel last week and that the President of the Court had graciously granted one of his objections put up spirited argument against the judge advocate citing sections of the Rules of Procedure of the Army.

He said: “Having regard to the role of the Judge Advocate, under Sections 80 & 81 of the Rules of Procedures of the Army, it is the duty of the Judge Advocate particularly as outlined in Section 80. He is required, for instance, to advise the court about its constitution and any defect of the charge. Now, the only fear of the accused officer is that the Judge Advocate as a member of this Division, Judge Advocate of this Division, took part in the investigation giving legal advice, he will not be in a position to advise.”

There was a mild drama during the sitting when journalists were ordered to leave the venue of the sitting, a move which was resisted until the Assistant Director, Army Pubic Relations for the division, Lt-Col. Andy Idachaba, was called in after which it was agreed that journalists should go for accreditation if they wanted to cover the proceedings.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/court-martialled-general-faces-fraud-allegation/

[size=13pt]Nnaji – You Have Work To Do[/size]

NIGERIANS are tired of stories about why they cannot get constant power supply. They have become too familiar with the constraints and the more depressing stories about how the country would have made progress if power supply improved.

All they want now is for government to do everything it can – from the tomes of studies and billions of dollars it has invested – to ensure that electricity is available to Nigerians.

The discovery that the N30 billion ($220 million) Olorunsogo Power Plant is not working will not be news to many. It would have been news if it worked. The 304mw project, commissioned in 2007, works in fits. Of its eight turbines, six have broken down. It produces about 60mw.

Professor Barth Nnaji, Minister of Power, learnt at the plant that it worked for three years then the turbines stopped. Other complaints were lack of spare parts and operating manuals were in Mandarin – a Chinese company built the plant – without English translations.

Nigerians running the plant spoke of their frustration at the hands of the Chinese who were to teach them how to maintain the plant. The Nigerian team could also not access the agreement – which hopefully is written in English – to know their responsibilities. Of course, the Chinese could argue they were protecting their investment, since a loan from the Chinese government was part of the funding for the project.

However, all these point to how serious government is about electricity, which it admits is central to the development of the economy and personal life. The verdict is that the Olorunsogo project, still in its first phase, is as good as doomed. Nnaji promised to take the findings to the President, to explore the possibility of re-negotiating the project that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo commissioned a little before leaving office.

Olorunsogo is a metaphor for how government businesses work. It also tells part of the story about the faithlessness of our leaders to the country. Who could have signed an agreement that would make Nigerians unable to operate the plant? Was improvement of electricity supply really the motive for Olorunsogo, which after commissioning is bisected by other challenges, including availability of gas to power the plant?

Its location in Ogun State, far from the gas it uses, produced in fields in the Niger Delta, was a political decision that still suffers from the resources to construct the gas pipelines, and safeguard them to the source of the gas.

Another is that government officials do not have the channels to report progress, if any, in their work. Where such reports are made, they are lost in the morass of documents that snake their way to the responsible officials who make the decisions. Why did it take four years for the Minister of Power to know the challenges working with the Chinese posed? Nigerian officials say the issue of spare parts was not new.

“Our problem is not with the plants but the distribution companies,” Nnaji said. “About 40 per cent of the power generated gets lost on transmission because the distribution companies are unable to pay for the power generated from the plants. It is worrisome that the distribution companies are not doing enough to justify the power generated because of over bloated staff,” Nnaji said.

Nigerians want the challenges, whatever they are, resolved. Nnaji should wade through them, including new ones, and improve electricity supply. He would be so shocked as he moves around that the discovery in Olorunsogo, will soon pale to insignificance.



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/nnaji-%E2%80%93-you-have-work-to-do/

^You are welcome. It's my pleasure dear

[size=13pt]Gov Kwankwaso floats private army, relegates Hisbah guard[/size]

By Abdulsalam Muhammad

KANO- Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State has floated a new security outfit, known in local parlance as Askarawan Kwankwaso (Kwankwaso’s police) to rival the activities of Hisbah Guard in the state.

The private army, believed to be in the range of 7,000 men, made its first public appearance during the May 29th swearing-in of Kwankwaso and had since consolidated its presence in the streets, neighbourhood and government functions.

Vanguard learnt that the ‘private army’ that has Kwankwaso as the commander- in-chief is made up of people suspected to have played a major role in the governor’s comeback bid during the 2011 election.

Members of Askarawan Kwankwaso kitted in white upon green uniform, with a red cap to match, carry out similar functions as the Sharia implementation guards which the governor established in his first tenure for the enforcement of the Sharia legal system in the state.

Vanguard learnt that Kwankwaso’s decision to float new security outfit followed alleged partisanship of the Hisbah Guard on or before the 2011 general election, having withdrawn from the streets after he was announced winner of the gubernatorial election.

It was learnt that Kwankwaso, who constituted the board of directors of the guards a month ago, refused to appoints a commander for the outfit, contrary to set norm and practice.

Investigation showed that barring any last minute change, an executive bill seeking to legalize its activities will be submitted to the House of Assembly as soon as members resume from Ramadan recess.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/gov-kwankwaso-floats-private-army-relegates-hisbah-guard/

[size=13pt]Youths seek N150m payout from police over killing of colleague[/size]

BY ENYIM ENYIM

ONITSHA—Youths in Agulu under the aegis of Agulu Youth Development Empowerment Committee, weekend, demanded N150 million compensation for the family of 27-year-old Onyeka Agupugo who was allegedly shot dead by a policeman at a check-point at Nwagu Junction, Agulu.

In a petition by their President, Uchenna Okoye, to Anambra State Commissioner of Police and Inspector-General of Police, the youths also demanded that the policeman should be prosecuted and the corpse be released to the family for burial.

The petitioners also called on Governor Peter Obi, traditional ruler of Agulu, Igwe E.I. Obodoakor and President-General of Agulu Peoples Union, Azubike Okoye, to wade into the matter and ensure that justice was done.

The petition reads in part, ”This young man lying lifeless in your custody did not do anything to warrant his death. We and the immediate family demand that his corpse be released to the family and that the particular police officer who perpetrated the act be called to book and a compensation of N150m be paid to the family.”

Narrating the incident to Vanguard, Okoye said Agupugo was shot dead on August 13 by a policeman at a check-point at Nwagu Junction on his way home to Ekwulobia after work.

He said the deceased who left behind a four-month- old pregnant wife had been given a lift on a motorcycle by a friend when they reached the check-point and were stopped by the police man.

Okoye said: “The policeman who stopped them demanded N20 and when the rider of the motorcycle, Chibuzor Egboka, did not yield to the demand, he collected his key. Agupugo tried to mediate in the matter when the trigger-happy policeman pulled his trigger and killed Agupugo.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/youths-seek-n150m-payout-from-police-over-killing-of-colleague/

[size=13pt]1,075 Rivers ex-militants rejected at training camp[/size]

*As Itsekiri youths allege exclusion

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Calabar – No fewer than 1,075 ex-militants from Rivers State, who reported for training at the Obubra Rehabilitation Camp in Cross River State, have been rejected for lack of space.

The Camp Commandant, Mr. Fred Aneseh, who disclosed this at the welcome ceremony of batch 16 made up of 1,500 ex-militants, weekend, said the people turned back were not invited for the training programme.

He said: “The new batch came in on the 14 and they are doing very well. There were a lot of uninvited people.
“We have 1,500 right now in camp but the people that were turned back were more than 1,075. They were from Rivers State.”

Meanwhile, Itsekiri youths under the aegis of the Itsekiri National Youths Council, INYC, has cried out against what they described as “deliberate exclusion of Itsekiri former agitators from the amnesty programme, particularly the different training schemes which former agitators in the region are undergoing both locally and internationally.”

National President of INYC, Mr. David Tonwe, stated this while briefing newsmen at the end of the group’s meeting at Ifie near Warri, Delta State.

Tonwe said Itsekri youths were still stunned over “unimaginable ethnocentric bias in the current execution of the programme such that not a single youth within the different Itsekiri groups of the former agitators, that officially submitted thousands of arms and ammunition through INYC to the then Amnesty Committee, have so far been considered for any of the training programmes.

He said: “This is most unfortunate and it portends circumstance of considerable danger that is capable of further accentua-ting the emerging belief that the amnesty programme is directed to serve the interest of a particular group.”

He called on those at the helm of affairs to be broad-minded and fair.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/1075-rivers-ex-militants-rejected-at-training-camp/

[size=13pt]Nigeria Vs Argentina: Supporters, Sponsors scramble for action[/size]

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) are being inundated with requests from supporters and sponsors all desperate to grab a piece of the action when Argentina and Nigeria clash in Dhaka next month.

The two teams will play an international friendly match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Sept. 6 which is being described as the biggest ever soccer event to be held in Bangladesh.

World Player of the Year Lionel Messi will lead a star-studded Argentina team to Dhaka with Nigeria also sending a full-strength side.

“We are overwhelmed by the response from the fans. Sponsors are showing a lot of interest,” Anwarul Huq, chairman of the match organising committee, told Reuters.

Local media reported that the BFF were selling the rights of everything associated with the match – from an official dinner to the bus bringing the teams to the venue.

A local event management firm has bought the rights for the dinner where a maximum of 250 seats will be available for supporters to eat with officials, sponsors and the teams.

There will also be an auction for supporters attending the dinner where they can buy different souvenirs and autographed pictures and shirts of famous players.

The BFF are also closing in on a deal with a local sponsor, who will brand a vehicle carrying Argentina fans to follow the team bus carrying Messi and his team mates, officials said.

Twice world champions Argentina are hugely popular in soccer-obsessed Bangladesh where their former captain and coach Diego Maradona is worshiped like a demigod.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/nigeria-vs-argentina-supporters-sponsors-scramble-for-action/

Am not excited with just blueprints, what has happened to the power roadmap?

What i want to hear are key projects taking off, completed and commissioned.

His hours are numbered!

[size=13pt]OBJ Vs IBB: You’re An Ingrate, Fani-Kayode Tells Obasanjo[/size]

Frontiers of the war of words between two former heads of state, Generals Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida appear to have been expanded with an ex-top aide of the former describing him as nothing but an ingrate.

The latest attack on Obasanjo came from none other than his former spokesman and Minister of Culture and later of Aviation under the Obasanjo administration, Femi Fani-Kayode who in a statement today accused Obasanjo of being ungrateful to IBB who was instrumental to his (OBJ) emergence as military head of state in 1976 as well as civilian president in 19999.

The statement by Fani-Kayode who was largely used as an attack dog by Obasanjo to abuse his political enemies between 1999 and 2007 is reproduced below:

“I have the honour and privilage of knowing both of these elder statesmen and I have tremendous affection for them both . I served in President Obasanjo’s government and I gave him my all. He in turn gave me the opportunity to serve my country and for that I am eternally grateful to him. However we must put sentiment aside when looking at this issue. Whilst I do not subscribe to the view or accept the notion that the Obasanjo administration was a failure and that it did not achieve anything, I do believe that Obasanjo made a grave mistake and indeed inflicted a deep spiritual wound on himself by insulting General Ibrahim Babangida in the way that he did. Calling Babangida a fool at seventy does not help matters and frankly it befuddles and beclouds the issues. Obasanjo should have responded to the issues raised by Babangida with far more restraint and he should not have insulted him. I am not in the least bit surprised that Babangida responded to those insults in the way that he did. You do not call me a fool at 70 the day after my birthday and expect me to keep quiet and smile, no matter what or who you think you are and no matter what may have provoked you.

Those that are around Baba today should have told him that. He left himself wide open for a solid counterpunch and a devastating right hook there. I have said it before and I will say it again, you cannot repay good with evil and get away with it for long. The bible says “He who repays good with evil, evil will never leave his household”. Let me give you two reasons why I am referring to this scripture in this context. The first reason is because President Obasanjo would never have become military Head of State in 1976 had it not been for the fact that Col. Babangida (as he then was) courageously and single-handedly disarmed Lt. Col. Dimka and foiled his coup attempt after the latter and his group had successfully assasinated the then Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed. Had that coup been successful Obasanjo would have been shot by Dimka as well and he would never have gone on to succeed Murtala Mohammed. Had it not been for Babangida’s unflinching loyalty to the government of the day and his decision to follow General T.Y. Danjuma’s orders to the letter and courageously confront Dimka at the radio station, disarm him and crush the coup, Obasanjo would not have been in a position to do all those wonderful things that he mentioned that he did when he was military Head of State between 1976 and 1979 because he would have been shot. That is the first reason that he should be grateful to Babangida. For the second reason let us fast forward by 20 years from 1979 to 1999.

Again President Obasanjo has to be eternally grateful to General Babangida because had it not been for the latter he would not have been released from jail, pardoned, rehabilitated, funded and installed as President in 1999. This is an incontrivertible fact. Obasanjo went on from there to become one of the greatest Presidents in our history and his record of performance between 1999 and 2007, in my view, is first class and second to none. The records are there for all to see and the facts speak for themselves. Yet the truth is that Babangida must take some credit for that too because he was instrumental in making him President in 1999. When I was in government we had our differences with Babangida from time to time but he always responded to us with restraint, dignity, calm and self-respect regardless of our provocations and and our moves against him and his boys. Most important of all he stood solidly by those boys. The man is a strategist and he appreciated the fact that patience is a powerful weapon. For that he won my respect. For me this whole matter goes to the very character and leadership abilities of these two men. The truth is that the loyalty and support that an individual gives to any leader must be reciprocated and any leader worth his salt knows this. A leader that takes his followers for granted and takes pleasure in the destruction, humiliation, travails, shame and political persecution of his own loyalists is not a real leader but something else. On the other hand the leader that stands by his loyalists through thick and thin and that reciprocates the commitment, love, support, compassion and loyalty that he receives from them is a true leader. As far as I am concerned that is the difference between OBJ and IBB. Babangida recognises these things and is loyal to his own whilst Obasanjo does not. My prayer is that the rift is settled quickly.”

http://ireports-ng.com/2011/08/21/obj-vs-ibb-youre-an-ingrate-fani-kayode-tells-obasanjo/

Thank you Mukina2, I will be monitoring the thread.

[size=13pt]Kerosene scarcity persists in Jos[/size]

Jos: Kerosene scarcity still persists in Jos, the Plateau State capital, weeks after the Federal Government’s promise to make the product available to consumers at the approved pump price of N50 per litre.

An investigation revealed that most filling stations were still without the product, a situation that made consumers to be at the mercy of the “black marketeers.”

The surface tank sellers of the product were now selling a litre of the product at between N130 and N150.

NAN learnt that the few filling stations with the product preferred to sell to the “black marketeers,” who paid more than the normal pump price.

At the NNPC Mega Station, Jos, several people were seen waiting on long queues, only to be told later
that the product was unavailable.

Some consumers who spoke said that the situation had compelled them to resort to the use of firewood to meet their domestic needs.

Mrs Rose Moses, a housewife, who said that kerosene had remained the source of her energy supply in the last 10 years, expressed regret that its current scarcity had become a nightmare to her.

“Since the scarcity started, the Mega Station has remained one place where I go to for supply, but today appears different,’’ she said.

Mrs Christiana Dung, another housewife, said that kerosene was the cheapest source of energy for many Nigerians.

She said that she patronised the NNPC Mega Station because it was the only outfit that sold the product at the approved price, adding: “but it is like it is no more available there too.”

NAN learnt, however, that the situation had improved in some states, especially Lagos, Ondo and Kaduna where the `kero direct scheme’ had been launched.

When contacted for comments on why the scheme had not been launched in Plateau, the Department for Petroleum Resources (DPR), Jos Office, said it was the responsibility of the state government to take the initiative.

“Kero Direct is the initiative of state governments in states where it was launched,’’ Mr Abubakar Idris, the DPR Operations Controller, said.

Idris said that the responsibility of DPR was to regulate the upstream and downstream (production and marketing) of the oil and gas industry and to ensure that it was done according to specifications.

The operations controller said the DPR would only monitor the project when the Plateau Government decided to import the product and sell to its citizens.

“If the Plateau government decides to make kero direct a priority, ours will be to advise it on the right thing to be done,’’ he added.(NAN)

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/kerosene-scarcity-persists-in-jos/

Let them be left alone! We need them to reveal each other's atrocities.

[size=13pt]OBJ vs IBB: Moves to settle quarrel fail[/size]

Moves by the Presidency and highly placed Nigerians to call a truce between former president Olusegun Obasanjo and former military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida, appear to have come to a dead end.


A peace meeting was reportedly being planned by the Presidency to resolve the bitter exchange between the former leaders on Saturday.


Obasanjo however told SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday that, “There is nothing like that.”


Just as Obasanjo was making this pronouncement on Saturday, Babangida said his political differences with Obasanjo, did not amount to a quarrel.


A newspaper publication (not THE PUNCH) had reported on Saturday that the Presidency was planning to broker a peace meeting between the feuding former heads of government who had taken their animosity to the pages of newspapers.


A close aide to Obasanjo however told SUNDAY PUNCH that he was not aware of any peace talks between him and Babangida.


“There is nothing like that. Nobody is planning a peace meeting. We are not aware of any as at now (Saturday afternoon). None,” he said.


Obasanjo had last Thursday responded to a scathing comment by Babangida that the former’s reign was a failure and visionless.


Obasanjo in his response, described Babangida’s comments as that of a foolish man, and added that between 1979 and 1999, when he returned as a civilian president, no regime had built a single power plant in the country.


IBB, he said, presided over eight of the 20 years.


Babangida, who spoke with our correspondent in Abuja through his media aide, Mr. Kazeem Afegbua, said that he was not quarrelling with Obasanjo.


When asked about the reconciliatory moves by friends of the former presidents, Afegbua, who spoke on the telephone, said, “We are not quarrelling. We just differ on the point of presentation. If you read our interview, we talked about his regime and revelations at the National Assembly. That is all.


“He was the one who decided to throw decency into the air by calling somebody a fool. When they (IBB and Obasanjo) meet, they will greet each other. They will shake hands and interact.”


SUNDAY PUNCH further gathered that ‘people in high places’ have been telling Obasanjo to sheathe his sword by shunning further altercation.


“Yes, people in high places have called Baba (Obasanjo) that he should keep quiet over the issue; that is why we are not saying anything for now. I cannot disclose the names of these people but they are influential people; they have pleaded with him not to say anything more on the matter,” the source said.


Obasanjo, in a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH last Friday, insisted that he never mooted or sponsored the controversial third term bid.


He jocularly said in Yoruba, “If anyone pokes his finger into my mouth, I will bite it.”


Fresh facts however emerged on Saturday on why Babangida is angry with Obasanjo.


A member of Babangida’s disbanded presidential campaign, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said it would be difficult for the Minna-born general to forget what he called “Obasanjo’s betrayal” in 2007 and 2011.


The source said Babangida felt betrayed that Obasanjo could work against his presidential ambitions in both years, which he said was contrary to the agreement both of them had when he worked with the then Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), to make him president in 1999.


The source said, “But rather than reciprocate what IBB did to him in 2007, Obasanjo went and brought out the late President, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua to contest against IBB.”


The source added that Babangida was more pained that Obasanjo denied him the gift of a second chance that he (Obasanjo) got.


Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Akin Aduwo (retd) has described the public exchange of words between the former presidents as a ‘complete shame, completely out of character, an international disgrace, an embarrassment to Nigeria and the military that gave those two people prominence as heads of state.”


Aduwo, who was the military governor of the Western state, said Babangida remained a subordinate to Obasanjo, “IBB is a subordinate to Obasanjo at all levels — service to the nation, the military, government and politics. The superior officer remains the superior officer.


“They went through all sorts of military training in discipline, leadership, mood control, conduct control. I have never been so shocked. Whoever is your superior up till retirement from active service remains your superior. It is also important to note that General Obasanjo never took part in planning of coups.”


Aduwo said he believed Babangida had a ‘hidden agenda to provoke Obasanjo’ during the former’s 70th birthday but that Obasanjo should have kept quiet because ‘silence is golden.’


He then recommended that both men should face the consequences of their indiscretion and their attempt to bring the nation down after ruling the country collectively for 24 years.


He said, “If I was in the position, I would recommend that the Chief of Defence Staff should seek the permission and authority of the president to convene a court martial with General Yakubu Gowon as the chairman because they are guilty of what is known as conduct to the prejudice of good order and service discipline in military law.


“As former heads of state, and members of the National Council of State, they should be banned from that assembly of eminent Nigerian rulers and their ranks stripped and withdrawn from them.”


Similarly, two main opposition parties in the country, the Congress for Progressive Change and the Action Congress of Nigeria have lambasted the warring former presidents for bringing the nation to ridicule.


While the CPC said the latest outburst of the former presidents was a calamity to the nation, the ACN said their action was undignifying and unbecoming of former presidents.


National Publicity Secretary of the CPC, Mr Rotimi Fashakin, said nobody should reconcile the two septuagenarians because their outburst was already revealing the evils they had played against the nation.


Speaking in the same vein, the National Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said there were more pressing issues in the polity the two former leaders should address their energies to rather than the latest exchange of abusive words.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201108218455475

[size=13pt]Four injured in three-storey building collapse in Lagos[/size]

At least four persons were injured when a three-storey residential building collapsed at Number 3, Orosanye Street, Lagos Island, at about 6pm on Saturday.


The Managing Director of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Femi Osanyintolu, told SUNDAY PUNCH around 8pm on Saturday that his team had concluded preliminary rescue operation, and there was no other person trapped under the debris.


“We have been working here for almost one hour. We rescued four people from the debris, and we have used our sophisticated equipment to confirm that there is no other person trapped in the debris. All the four people rescued have been treated. There was no major morbidity. Nobody died in the incident.” Osanyintolu said.


The Police Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Command, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, also confirmed the incident and said no life was lost.


Though the cause of the collapsed building was not certain as at press time, the incident was the second case of building collapse on Lagos Island, in the past one month.


In July, about 15 persons were confirmed dead and several others injured when a three storey building collapsed at Mogaji Street, Lagos Island.


Following the spate of building collapse in Lagos State, the government sealed 34 houses on Lagos Island, which it said were unfit for human habitation and might soon collapse.


The state government also asked its officials to carry out thorough evaluation of other buildings in the area with a view to evacuating residents from those that are structurally unstable and pose a threat to the inhabitants.


The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Olutoyin Ayinde, said the government was concerned about the loss of lives in the recent collapsed buildings in the state, and would ensure that the menace was eradicated.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201108215545540

Hahahaha

All ministers are equal, but some are more equal than the others. Welcome the Super-Minister Iweala

[size=13pt]Jonathan warns ministers to cooperate with Okonjo-Iweala or get sacked[/size]

Shortly before the swearing in of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the Minister of Finance, President Goodluck Jonathan threatened to sack any minister that failed to cooperate with her.


Investigations by SUNDAY PUNCH showed that the president met with the ministers behind closed-doors last week before the inauguration of the former World Bank Managing Director as finance minister and threatened to sanction anyone who refused to cooperate with her.


Our correspondents gathered that the meeting was held to avoid conflicts among the ministers.


According to a presidency source, the president explained the role of Okonjo-Iweala as the coordinating minister at a meeting which had in attendance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga (the Minister of Trade and Investment) and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi.


It was learnt that Okonjo-Iweala, as the coordinator of Jonathan’s economic management team, would serve as “de facto prime minister” in the cabinet.


However, before the meeting, there were concerns that the finance minister’s role would put her on collision course with her colleagues.


The presidency source said, “Jonathan foresaw that there might be conflicts among ministers. This informed the meeting, where he read the riot act to the ministers and explained Okonjo-Iweala’s role as the coordinating minister.”


The source quoted the president to have said that as the coordinator of the economic team, Okonjo-Iweala’s position was strategic, but could not be interpreted to mean that ministers would be reporting to her.


Jonathan was said to have made it clear that project executions by ministries must be brought to her attention since it was her ministry that would release appropriated funds for the projects.


Continuing, the source said, “Mr. President has said he will not tolerate any attempt to cause division in his cabinet. He has threatened to deal decisively with any minister who tries to cause trouble in the cabinet. In fact, Jonathan warned that any minister, who failed to key into the new policy, would be sacked.”


The president had, at a retreat for ministers, explained that his transformational agenda rested on the success of the economy.


Jonathan had stressed that since everything rested on the economy, every other ministry would have to maintain a robust relationship with the finance ministry.


The president had emphasised teamwork, hard work and discipline as the cardinal points of the administration.


SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that Okonjo-Iweala’s role as the coordinating minister made her first among equals (a prime minister).


The minister as the coordinating minister exercises both the fiscal and monetary policy instruments of the Federal Government.


Fiscal policy involves the use of government expenditure (budget), and revenue (taxation) to influence the workings of an economy.


On the other hand, monetary policy is the use of interest rates, currency management and exchange rates to control the activities of the country.


Both are linked as they are geared towards reducing unemployment, maintaining price stability and promoting economic growth.


Investigations showed that there were concerns that Okonjo-Iweala’s independent-mindedness and assertiveness might bring her in conflict with other ministers, especially those who did not share her ideals on how the economy should work, or did not have her level of exposure.


The President had directed that the ministry of finance would be the clearing house for projects, contract and other activities of the ministries.


The major tool to achieve this is the budget as each ministry, department and agency is expected to submit an estimate of its revenue and expenditure for each fiscal year.


The minister had given an indication during her screening at the senate that the country needed to live within its means.


This had prompted speculations that she would advocate a contractionary budget as opposed to the expansionary one which the country was used to.


She had also said that policy, which would help to reduce unemployment, diversify the economy and stimulate foreign investment in critical sectors of the economy, would be formulated in line with the transformation agenda of the president.


Before she accepted the job, she reportedly negotiated clear terms on which she would be willing to return to serve in government, including being given broad powers over economic management and freedom from political meddling.


When contacted, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, explained the functions of Okonjo-Iweala as the coordinating minister.


He said she was made the coordinating minister to ensure that the various ministries worked together to forge synergy in government operations.


Abati told one of our correspondents that the president had made the economy the centrepiece of his transformation agenda, saying there must be proper coordination for a strong economy to emerge.


He said, “The duty of the Minister of Finance, making her the coordinating minister, is to ensure that the various ministries work together and there is a synergy in government operations.


“If everything ends with finance, it basically means that, every other ministry would have to have a robust relationship with that ministry. The emphasis is really on this synergy.”


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201108215541231