₦airaland Forum

Olawalexy:
Hello peeps, Is there any Engineering student on this thread, i gat som questions to ask, please

@Olawalexy Harzan is a 500 level student of Eletrical Engineering. I believe he is in the best position to answer your questions. (I dont know whats taking his time these days, its been a long time since he replied to this thread).

mj:
I'll call my friend in ECONOMICS later to verify if the name pro.ayola (DR ADEKUNLE AHMED SEGUN. Department:ECONOMICS/EXAMS AND RECORDS) is posting exits in his department. enjoy your day all.

Dont bother yourself. I am a student of the Economics department and there is no one bearing that name in my honourable department. PROF.AYOLA IS A FRAUD

baslone:
4real!! Marijuana ain't mean't for everybody!!

:d :d :d :d

hectorswag:
so wetin d wife do i believe common sense should tell her what happened

What if common sense does not tell her?

Funny one

Funny

Does IBB think we suffer from chronic amnesia? I doubt if IBB has a conscience

I beg to disagree these claims. CBN is just seeking another avenue to be relevant in the world market

slap1:
Prison Break Complete Season 1. When you fail to educate a people, this is just one of the dividends.

I will also break set record by contesting in 2011 (I've never contested before).

The guy is an orphan, teaching in a nursery school for survival. The story of his life would have changed forever but he appeared to be too honest.
NB: The Polytechnic, Ibadan had offered him free education.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday reiterated its warning to the Federal Government that there would be nationwide disruption if it goes ahead with the planned removal of subsidy on petroleum products by December this year or latest, end of 2011.

The leadership of the workers body was reacting to an interview given by the Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga, at the weekend, where he said the government is set to go ahead with the controversial policy. Although Mr. Aganga also announced that there would be an investment of N10 billion in a mass transit system to ease the impact, the removal is likely to mean a petrol price hike from N65 to N120 per litre.

In a statement by its acting head of information, Onah Iduh, the NLC said that Mr. Aganga’s declaration is contrary to ongoing discussions with the government.

“The position of the honourable minister is completely against the subsisting dialogue between Labour and government.

“To the best of our knowledge, nothing meaningful has come out of the discussion up to now.

“We see the minister’s comment, therefore, as pre-emptive of the dialogue and invariably a mark of government’s insincerity on the policies of subsidy and deregulation,” the statement said.

During the interview, Mr. Aganga said the government was keen to avoid any disruptions, but that there was no “economic sense in marinating subsidies.”

“The question is, what would be the impact of removing the subsidy on those that you want to protect, the most vulnerable in society?” he said.

The NLC statement addressed Mr. Aganga’s comments by saying that a subsidy removal would do the opposite.

“We wish to state that the NLC still remains opposed to the twin policies of subsidy withdrawal and deregulation principally because the arguments usually advanced by government do not take into consideration the broader social and economic ramifications on, especially, the masses, who are supposed to be the beneficiaries of subsidy,” it declared.

According to the NLC, the implications of the removal of subsidy from petroleum products go far beyond the question of availability of mass transit system, or whatever amount of money government would be saving. Rather, it is about the question of government living up to its basic responsibility of providing good governance in the best interest of the masses.

In the oil sector, which is the hub of the country’s economy, it observed, good governance would be symbolised in functional refineries, effectively coordinated distribution network for petroleum products, as well as other variables geared towards serving national interests, adding that it believes what the government requires to achieve these are the will, commitment, and courage to confront the numerous challenges, particularly the most profound: corruption in the oil sector.

While restating its call on the president to ignore any advice on the removal of subsidy on petroleum products without exhaustive engagement with relevant interest groups, particularly Labour, the NLC said it believes “this is not the time to put additional burden on already overburdened Nigerians,” adding that it would not be able to guarantee industrial peace in the country if government goes ahead to unilaterally withdraw subsidies on fuel products, as the Minister of Finance has stated.

The issue of removal of subsidy on petroleum products has always been a touchy issue in labour circles, as it is often seen as a way by government to put more pressure on Nigerians, particularly workers, whose salaries have not witnessed any adjustment, despite rising cost of living.

In spite of several assurances by government that it would take steps to ameliorate the likely pains envisaged from the implementation of the policy, it has always met stiff resistance from a cross section of Nigerians, who claim that the current structures in place can hardly sustain the implementation of the policy without aggravating the already deplorable economic situation of the people.





http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5615760-146/labour_threatens____national.csp

USAIN BOLT has made the startling claim that he fancies a career as a professional footballer once he fulfils his ambitions in athletics.


The 24-year-old Jamaican holds the world record for the 100m sprint after clocking 9.58seconds in Berlin last year, and Bolt says that when he pushes the record even further with a faster time, he will turn his attention to football.


"I have four more good years in me if I train hard," he told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek programme.


'When I finish I'd like to play football for two years. I always watch those guys and I think I could be a professional footballer.


'Til try that. Maybe I could get into a good side or even an average side." he said.


Bolt even has a preferred position should he start a playing career in the beautiful game.


"I m definitely a good player - a defensive or attacking midfielder. Somewhere around there.

"First I'm hoping I get to be the one to get to 9.4 seconds because that's where I think the record will probably never be beaten."




http://www.compassnewspaper.com/NG/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67176:bolt-eyeing-football-career&catid=133:other-sports&Itemid=672

ON February 13, 1976 when Nigeria’s Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed was assasinated the nation was thrown not only into mourning but in worry of what to do to immediately to immortalise him. Especially, the last relics of his life like the specially designed long Mercedes car he was being chauffeur-driven in when he was killed.

In the wisdom of the ruling military council of the time the car was sent to the National Commission for Museum and Monument (NCMM) and a gallery tagged Nigeria Government: Yesterday and Today, was built around it.

Muhammed’s killing was like a scene pulled out from a classic Russian tragedy script. And a visit the gallery which stood for public viewing until it was dismantled for structural renovations in 2007 was like a work into a rare hive of tragic scenes.

It was an unforgettable remembrance last Saturday in Lagos as the black Mercedes Benze car was moved into a permanent new show hall also named Nigeria Government: Yesterday and Today. The unveiling of the new abode of the national monument which brought back memories of the charismatic leader coincided with the opening of a one-month long exhibition tagged Pottery in Nigeria: A Countrywide Heritage, which began in the premises of National Museum, Onikan, Lagos. The exhibition is also holding within the same abode of the Nigeria Governments showcase gallery

The exhibition is staged as part of activities by NCMM commemorating the golden jubilee celebration of Nigeria.

Apart from the pottery exhibition which has over 50 works of ancient and modern Nigerian pottery pieces on display, the photo exhibition serves engaging images of high standard. Also, the 50-piece exhibits in the Nigerian Governments show which symbolically capture the 50 years of Nigeria as an independent nation, chronicle tales of Nigerian political history and leaders from diverse cultures, schools of thought and regions. It tells the story of past, present and future of Nigerian leaders starting from the colonial era. The photos are interesting. Like a real life action, many of the photos bring to fore the reality of the country’s modern history. One of such was a short taken during the Nigerian Civil War during a meeting between the heavily bearded leader of the defunct Republic of Biafra, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu and the former Head of State of Nigeria, Yakubu Gowon, during the Aburi Conference in Ghana. The meeting was brokered by Gen. Ankra of Ghana who was later assassinated.

Other remarkable historic shots in the collection that attracted viewers’ attention at the exhibition include those of such colonial administrators as Lord Lugard, Hugh Cliford, Arthur Richardson, John Macpherson, James Robertson. Others were First Republic Prime Minister, Sir Abubarka Tafawa Belewa, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, fondly known as Zik of Africa, first Military Head of State Major General Aguiyi Ironsi, General Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Gen. Sani Abacha, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Obasanjo as a civilian President, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Despite the many exhibits on display around it the bullet-ridden Mercedes Benz car in which Muhammed was assassinated. Was the centre of attraction. Just a look at the damage done by the bullets, reminded those who earlier knew about the incident of the painful as many who already knew much about the event turned into emergence museum instructors explaining the exhibit to other guests. Those who knew little could also feel the gory incident from the grate created by the hot bullets all over the car. They saw how the metal pellets tore through the drivers’ sit to where the late Head of State sat at the back. The long car, exhibited along with its spare tyres reminds all who see it of what a painful death Muhammed could have had and what a sad country the February 13, 1976 morning could have caused.

Considered collectively, the showcase in the building named Murtala Mohammed Gallery give an insight into the various stages of government from the pre-colonial era to date.

“The Murtala Gallery is essentially about pre-colonial and colonial government as well as the first, second, third and military regimes,” said Yusuf Abdallah, Director-General of NCMM. The Murtala Mohammed Gallery has for years been a major attraction of the National Museum because of the late Head of State until it was dismantled. With its rebuilding, the attraction has returned.

The exhibits in the pottery exhibition were pieces ofpottery which Nigerians use in such situation as in domestic chores, rituals, at grave sites and for burial purposes. There were also decorative pottery pieces and those for social use and musical performances.

Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, who declared the exhibition open along with other top government officials and Directors in the Ministry, described it as a unique exhibition. Abubakar said that the two exhibitions (pottery and Nigerian governments) represent a significant landmark in showcasing the country’s heritage. Because pottery and its associated objects are vital domestic items used in virtually all geo-cultural zones of the nation for aesthetics, storage and cooking purposes, just like leadership touches every aspect of the people’s life. Muhammed therefore told the gathering which includes veteran artists like Bruce Onobrapkeya that the importance of the exhibition cannot be overemphaised.

“This exhibition and the subsequent commissioning of the Murtala Mohammed Gallery, is aimed at reminding us about our diverse but similar heritage, the sacrifice of our fathers, some who unfortunately lost their lives to ensure that Nigeria is not only united but stands as an independent and sovereign nation, which it is today. The onus therefore lies on us, as a people to constantly remember our past as a nation and forge ahead together as people with one voice,” the minister said.

Commending the administration of NCMM for keeping faith with its promise to meet the yearning of visitors to the museum by the return of the the Nigeria Governments permernent, exhibition, the minister said that it is a good news that the exhibition which begins the NCMM’s commemoration of the golden jubilee of Nigeria, will also bring back some of the interesting things that people eagerly look for in the gallery. According to him, “This exhibition is to remind us on a daily basis about our uniqueness as a people, which abounds us our cultural diversity and will futher remind us that no matter what, our strength lies in similarity and unity.”

Director-General of NCMM, Yusuf Abdallah, informed that the purposes of the exhibitions is to show that pottery is an art that is practiced in all the ethnic group in Nigeria and to capture the land’s landmarks in government. Noting that in every part of the country, there are pots made for rituals, domestic, storage and, decorative, Abdallah said the pottry exhibition potrays all these facts. “This exhibition thus shows that while there are differences in traditions and philosophies among Nigerians which has given rise to different sculptural styles, there are some common underlying philosophical and psychological bases that forms the pottery production. These reflections if properly internalised could provide a common root that can cement the country together as one people,” Abdallah said.




http://www.compassnewspaper.com/NG/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67219:for-jubilee-national-museum-brings-back-murtala-mohammeds-car-&catid=54:arts&Itemid=694

Comrade Jerry Obasi is the Chairman of Ebonyi State chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). He is unhappy with the leadership style of Governor Martin Elechi, but he believes that old age has contributed to his alleged failure. He told JEFF AMECHI AGBODO that his party has mapped out strategies to wrest power from the Elechi-led administration in next year’s governorship election.

HOW is your preparation for the 2011 election in the state?

So superb, in fact we have consulted very widely. We have discussed with a lot of traditional rulers who assured us of their support, but they are afraid that the way the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government is behaving, they (traditional rulers) may lose their stools if they make it very obvious. We have engaged different youth’s organisations in the state proactively; we have engaged market men and women, we have formed committees within taxi drivers, Okada riders; we have committees among students’ union, we have committees spread everywhere under my leadership. With what we have done, APGA has already won the election if it is free and fair. The only political party waxing strong in Ebonyi State is APGA and obviously we are taking over the state come 2011. That is why PDP is doing all these things to throw fears into other political parties in the state, especially APGA and its followers, but I think that has failed.

What strategies are you mapping out for the 2011 election and who are your likely candidates for the elections?

I cannot divulge all my plans, but so far there is one Barrister Jude Nkama, a United States based lawyer, he is running for governorship under APGA. He has been consulting very widely and he is very prepared to match the PDP with what they have bearing in mind that there must be credible elections, because of the programme he has for the state and the programme of APGA as the famous Igbo political party is very wonderful.

Secondly, we have Chief Charles Okwuru who has indicated interest to run under our platform in governorship too. We have other aspirants who don’t want to be mentioned here for obvious reasons. We have one Mr. Anya Anyachi who wants to run for the Senate in Ebonyi South among others. I’m assuring you that with free and fair election, we are taking over Ebonyi State come 2011. One thing I want to let the public know is that for what ever reason there can never be an Ebonyi State House of Assembly that would be PDP dominated in 2011, it is true.

The structure we have, we know have destroyed the arrangement, when you have taxi drivers, wrestlers and boxers in Assembly. The lawmaking is a business that supposed to be for the intellectuals among men and women and not for touts, that era is gone. APGA has come onboard to take over what belong to her in Ebonyi State under my leadership.

Do you really think your party can unseat the incumbent, Governor Martin Elechi in 2011?

The issue of incumbent is old fashioned politics. One, Elechi is very old and I advise him to use the little money he has made within this tenure to establish himself. Then, the issue of incumbency factor to me is an old fashioned situation, because incumbency or no incumbency you have to tell the people what you have done for them to actually show that yes the incumbency is working. But if the people gave you four years and you did nothing, they will not vote you in again.

Elechi’s system of governance is governance of preemption, governance of wishful thinking, to me it amounts to nothing, it amounts to total failure, because Elechi’s age is not friendly with the issues of this 21st century. I have not seen this type of governance in my life time, where the hospitals will go on strike, courts will go strike, workers retrenched in a state we are looking for more workers, but Elechi is retrenching workers in the state, so he is not a good leader and my advise for him is to go and open one rice farm where he will be going to monitor as means of recreation.

Elechi’s administration has awarded some projects, are you not aware of them?

Talking about awarding contracts, it is just begging the question, because one, you awarded contracts that never existed, you awarded contracts that is never completed, you awards contracts that even the coming of Christ cannot make them to be real, are these contracts? The issue is this, where are these projects, have people started feeling the impact of these projects. They keep awarding ghost contracts, but I told you before now that Elechi’s kind of contracts to me are white elephant projects that can never be completed.

I know that there is road and bridge projects in your area at Akaeze?

Yes, that is very good, go and see whether the projects have been completed. They came and poured inferior asphalt between some poles in Akaeze, the bridge has been abandoned, the road unfinished, people so hungry, people unemployed, the level of death has increased.

Why did your party not partake in the July 10 council elections in the state?

We did not participate because of the opinion of our numerous followers, first, that of non-compliance to the Electoral Act which says that the election should be conducted by open secret ballot system, but they changed the system to open ballot system which was not inline with the Electoral Act, which we are going to contest in the court. Secondly, how can you conduct election without review of voters register? We are going to court to challenge the non-compliance with the Electoral Act, to challenge the anomaly of the election, to challenge the lawlessness of the election.

And even when the state Electoral Commission did not meet up with that Electoral Act, the election was partly rigged, because the PPA that participated in the election is already in court with them. And, if you watched, with what PPA did they could not win even a ward. And this is the most successful election in the history of election in the state, which tells you that it is too real to be real. And this election was a litmus test to show that PDP did not win anywhere. It is quite unfortunate. So, we are not supposed to have faced such level of lawlessness because it amounts to waste of fund.

Recently you were arrested by the police, what was your offence?

There was frivolous petition written against me by the Commissioner for Inter-Party Dialogue, Chief James Aro-Nweke who is from my place; Ivo Council Area. He wrote a petition against me alleging that there was text message threat to kidnap him, sponsored by me, which was not true. The last person I will think of doing anything to, if at all is Chief Aro Nweke. In my life I only hear about kidnapping which borders me and my party APGA. In our party meetings we always discuss a way the kidnap menace will stop in the South-East.

But because of my proactive nature of engagement politically, the way I am always being proactive on issues in my local government and that of the state, as well as my critical nature of the bad governance of Elechi’s administration, they felt that this is the only way to punish me or to drag my name to the mould or to incarcerate me. The election activities are now gearing up so, they know that now in Ebonyi State APGA is the only alternative to the PDP, because they have failed woefully in the state. That was the issue for which I was arrested and detained for six days.

My arrest by the police was politically masterminded or motivated. This is because the person that called the police was Mr. Chinedu Ogah, the PDP youth leader and not Chief Aro-Nweke, the petitioner, which means that it was a planned thing by the PDP. In fact, it is even very clear to me that PDP is plotting a way to eliminate me. It was Ogah who trailed me with a black Jeep with state government plate number immediately I entered Corporate Affairs Commission. Mr. Ogah came and greeted me and we exchanged pleasantries, after which he went out and started making phone calls and I over heard him saying that he is here, he is here, but I didn’t know whom he meant.

Shortly after his calls, plain clothed policemen came into the Corporate Affairs Commission office and accosted me, I thought they were kidnappers, but one of them brought his ID card and told me that they were policemen from headquarters and I recognized one of the policemen, who I know to be Mr. Udo he approached me and told me that the Police Commissioner wanted to see me over an allegation. So, that is the situation, my arrest was politically masterminded. The PDP want to silence APGA under my leadership. We are very critical of this government of PDP in the state. All efforts PDP made to remove me as APGA chairman proved abortive.

The other time there was an attempt they made to use Mr. Michael Aluegu who is my opponent in CNPP leadership to shortchange me, using some persons within our National Working Committee to do so. But thank God with the wisdom of the National Chairman of APGA who foiled the plan and it didn’t come to pass.

Some political parties may not field candidate for presidential election against Jonathan, is your party one of such?

APGA has more than 28 presidential aspirants, from the letters we received from the last NEC meeting of the party. A lot of people have been coming and trying to woo us. Recently, we have candidates who are already courting APGA to run under her ticket, to secure understanding with the party. The party in every election will have lots of candidates. We will have the kind of presidential candidate that no other Nigerian party will have the type come 2011.




http://www.compassnewspaper.com/NG/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67213:apga-ll-win-ebonyi-elections-next-year-state-chair&catid=53:interviews&Itemid=701

Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho is the Minister of Interior that supervises the internal security of the nation. In this interview with Johnchuks Onuanyim and some Interior Correspondents, he tells what the Ministry is doing to improve the internal security of the nation, and the challenges, as well as efforts being made by the federal government to correct some lapses. Excerpts.


Can you explain the process that led to the emergence of the new Comptroller General of Immigration, Madam Rose Uzoma, as there is allegation that she is not the most senior person in the organisation.


The question with regards to the elevation of Mrs. Rose Uzoma to the position of Comptroller General of Immigration was not unexpected because petitions always trail the appointment of heads of organisations. There is nothing extraordinary about what we had done. People are elevated to superior positions based on their qualifications, and experiences. Mrs. Rose Uzoma was one of the two Deputy Comptrollers General (DCGs) and the highest position is Comptroller General; and there were two DCGs, and behind them are the Assistant Comptrollers General. So, in term of ranking, she was the number two and had always been because every time the former Comptroller General, Mr. Chukwurah Udeh went on holiday, he handed over to her.


Let me also explain to you that quite a number of them, including, the former CG were course mates and came in at the same time. The problem we have is that if four people came in at the same time and they were course mates, you cannot have all those four rising equally at the same time, so there was no controversy as to whether she was next on rank. It was done on merit.


On awaiting trials, we don’t know if you had liaised with the Ministry of Justice to make sure the prisons are decongested?

I have been trying to deal with that a long time, because the issue of prison congestion and number of awaiting trial inmates that constitute a large proportion of people, who are in the prison is a big problem. But one thing you must not lose sight of is the fact that it’s the problem that belongs to the Ministry of Interior. The only way that concerns the Ministry of Justice, is that it is the provisions of the criminal justice that bring people and put them in jail. If we had that element of that legislation that would have changed all these that would have been okay. But like I said, it is our problem. The issue with the prison congestion has to do with the inadequacy of infrastructure that we have in accommodating the number of prisoners that we have there. The other problem is the standards that we have in the prisons. Are they really supplied with the necessary facility to make life easy for those who are there? I have brought this to the attention of the Senators and they have promised that they are going to do their best to fast-track the change in the criminal legislation so that we can establish this CAP in terms of the time someone can be held awaiting trial. These are the things that we are doing. The Justice Ministry is doing its best and working on its own account and trying to see how it can help. On our side, I think we need to find the resources to build more jails. We need to find the resources to supply all the facilities within the jails that will make life more bearable for those who are incarcerated there. Also, we need to find the resources to provide training, so that when these people eventually make a transition from their incarceration, back into the society, they will not become vegetables; rather they will be useful to the society.

The Fire Service does not have a Board, what is the Ministry doing about this? Also, I will like to know how far about the national fire service academy and the ceding issue of the Federal Fire Service.


I am not sure that is the case because we have the Boards that take care of all the parastatals under my ministry. But if it’s with the exception of the Federal Fire Service Board, that is an issue we are going to look at and hopefully within the next few weeks. If you come back to ask questions on this, we will have an answer for you but certainly we have CDIPB which actually takes care of all related Board matters, which we have under the Ministry of Interior with the exception of the federal fire service as you have pointed out. We will work at it and we are hoping that we will be in a position to make recommendations to the federal government with regards to when this Board will be constituted.


Ceding of the federal fire service and what has happened to National Fire Service Academy, which is at Chida?

It is still under construction and we will proceed on the basis of result that we have. We have a plan to develop that academy to an acceptable standard and the problem we have is lack of resources to finish it on time, so we are doing it gradually. We are working at it all the time. Also, there is the issue of ceding of fire service. If you look at it, we only have federal fire service in only two states in the federation; that is in Abuja and Lagos. Subsequently, what is intended is for the federal fire service to metamorphose into regulatory agency; rather than a proper operational service as perceived. But since I have been here, I have been thinking about the federal fire service. No one can say that the provision of federal fire service is something we can take for granted because we really need to secure properties that you have accumulated over a lifetime. When you have fire incidences, it ruin people’s lives. Apart from the fact that people lose their lives, it is also tragic when people lose the properties they had worked for all their lives. The federal fire service is a service indeed, and I will want to have a situation where we actually develop greater capability, rather than allowing the Service to continue to shrink. I know that the plans before I came into the Ministry of Interior was that the federal fire service will be considered municipal affairs, where the FG will shed that responsibility to the state and local government to provide federal fire service. The federal fire service will metamorphose into a regulatory agency with defined standards, with regards to how many stations are to be built in an area, the criteria to be used in citing those stations; what is the physical specification to citing those stations and more. These are the ideas, but I will like to say to you that I have been thinking since I came to this ministry; for instance, the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, is a young organisation and it’s spreading all over the federation, and we have the federal fire service, which seems to be shrinking. What could actually happen here is that we are thinking of merging the two agencies. But we will first look at the feasibility and agree that its workable. This will happen as a result that one is shrinking and the other is expanding. If one is expanding and has a reach in all the states of the federation and in most of the local governments of the federation, why don’t we merge them because there is comparison in what they do?


The fire service is to fight unwanted fire and not only that, in any emergence for instance; if a building collapses, you know people normally call federal fire service to come and assist and this is similar to what the Civil Defence does. So, what it takes is for us to bring together the intellectual capacity, to really articulate the possibility that these two services could be merged and you will have greater value for your money in terms of investment that goes in to sustaining some of these organisations. So, this is something that I have been thinking about and I am thinking of setting up a committee to look at the possibility that the federal fire service can be active rather than shrinking into oblivion and could actually merge with the Civil Defence Corp, so that we can build prototype stations that are not fire service stations per say, but become emergency station, for fire incidence, collapsed building, communal violence or medical emergency.


How far with the much talked about arms unit of the Civil Defence Corps?

Well, we have indeed got all the necessary authorisation for the Civil Defence Corps to metamorphose into an armed organisation, but it is not all that easy. If you have the right to carry arms, so what do you do, you will go and buy guns and you will go and buy ammunition and start walking around with them? No! The first thing is to train people in the culture of arm usage. That is one thing that has to be done. We have to establish infrastructure and facility for storing and maintaining arms and ammunitions, because if you don’t have the training, and you put your gun on the table; you wanted to eat groundnut and somebody walks away with it, then you have a lot of problems to curtail with. So, we have to build an armoury. I know that the management of the Civil Defence at this point in time is dealing with these preliminary issues pending when they are ready.


Every year, issue of conferment of citizenship status to non-Nigerians keeps coming up. Have you taken a census to know how those conferment had impacted into our economy
Yes! it’s true that some governors approached me on this issue and the proposal they presented to me is to consider relocating the prisons from the city centre areas to the outskirts of the city. The governor of Anambra State is one of such persons that spoke to me. There is one programme in Lagos State, in regards to this. Lagos Government proposal is making progress, I rather suspect that we will be talking about it in a meeting tomorrow and the idea is to have a land swap arrangement whereby we give up the land where the prison in a particular location in Lagos is built.

We are given a land elsewhere and the government will build us a prison of a bigger capacity than the one we have just abandoned. These plans are on going. There are states in the North where we have received invitation to act in that manner as well. Also, Imo State government has invited us to come and relocate the Owerri prison from where it is and the Anambra government has done the same thing. It’s just a question of time. It’s suffice to say that we have not been idle since we have been here. We have been busy doing so many things and I really wish we have enough time to deal with these issues. But I know the way to go because most of these prisons were built during post-colonial time. Most of these prisons now occupy very sensitive locations. It would be much better where we can have arrangement, where you could take those prisons out of those areas into the rural areas and get benefits and value for it through the sale of that prime land which will yield equity; which can now be invested in building a much better facility for holding criminals.


On the internal security of the nation, yes the Civil Defence is actually involved in the provision of internal security and it does this, actually by virtue of information that it gets. I receive bulletin on regular basis from the Civil Defence in regards to what is happening in different parts of the country at all times and in fact relating to the issue of kidnappings in Abia State. For instance, they have been very, very active in talking to the kidnappers as a whole, just like the similar things that we did in Niger Delta. Could we grant you amnesty and you guys will walk away from the bad things that you are doing? But beyond the issue of trying to manage the internal security situation, we have realised that one of the things that we need to take our investment into the facilities that will match some of these criminals’ weapons and we are talking about being able to invest in electronic devices! Devices which would help us in pin-pointing the location of people when they decide to seize innocent people. We are talking about having facilities, rapid response and special weapon and tactic facilities that will help us to actually confront some of these kidnappers and indeed send message to them that we are not going to continue tolerating their activities because it is giving our country a bad name.


The third thing that you talked about is the issue of citizenship and you said that year after year, we keep granting citizenship to people. But I do know that year after year, we have not been granting citizenship to so many people. Since I have been here, we have only done one citizenship interview. I have been here and I know the number. It is not that we open our doors and we just issue our passports to them. No! There are definite criteria that are set and one of them is how long you have been here? What is your status here? Are you married to a Nigerian? Have you been here for 15 years? Do you have a job? Are you able to sustain yourself? Are you contributing positively to the development of our economy? When most of these questions are answered in the affirmative, then we will then consider it, look at all the documentation and if you meet the criteria, then we will recommend you to the Federal Executive Council for consideration as a citizen of Nigeria.
Nigerians should be reassured that we are not acting in an irresponsive manner. We really go through a very rigorous selective process, and if you meet the conditions, then we will grant you that status.


Let’s look at our borders that are said to be porous.

I will like to say that before I became the Minister, I undertook a journey several times and I went through Maiduguri; I went through Cameroon and Chad and I came back. And one thing that struck me was when we first made exit from Nigeria into Cameroon; we came to a village and the car stopped and we came out and I said where is the border, they said that is the border there. It was a room, that is the Nigerian Immigration spot and I said where are the Cameroonians, they said those people selling oranges over there are the Cameroonians and I said where are the Nigerians, they said the people walking across the road. So, there isn’t a clear defined border like you would see one great big wall or a fence. On one hand, West Africa is talking about the need to integrate all our systems so that we have one type of passport, one currency and we become one people and on the other hand, we are asking question as to why we are not building walls. We have to make up our minds on what we want. On the issue of the porous border, it is just the way people live because you cannot really demarcate it. So, the people are there. On the Nigerian side, we are doing our best to use e-technology to identify whom a Nigerian is and that is the way I think it should go.


How ‘e’ is the e-passport

I will like to say as ‘e’ as you can get it. A long time ago, it used to be the case that if you wanted to buy a Nigerian passport, you will go down to the gate of the passport office and there are touts who will meet you and they will make sure that you did not get in. That is no longer possible because we enroll people electronically and there is no way we can enroll people through a third party who is standing there. If you lost your passport and you need another one, we will just take your finger print. It will tell us exactly who you are, irrespective of what has brought you there and what story you have come to tell.


It is being alleged that light weapons come through the sea, what are you doing about this?

I know the Attorney General has a committee that actually visits the prisons from time to time. If you listened to what I said about the options that we have available to us for reforming the prison services, reform of the criminal justices is one of them, but it is not everything. I also emphasised the prison decongestion and the problem that we have within the prisons is that of funding in managing the prisons. So, it is a good idea and we are cooperating with them. But I would prefer you talked about Prof. Alemika report on prisons reform. He has a committee and if you do not know about his work, go to the University of Jos and find out about him. He will give you a copy of his report and they represent a full gamut of interest in regards to prison reforms. He put in a very detailed report in terms of what we need to do to reform the prison system and that report was presented to government and they were in the process of developing a white paper from it, before there was a change in the system and the whole thing disappeared in the system. Now we have found the white paper, resuscitated it, and we will make sure that all the recommendations that were contained in his report and his committee report are indeed dealt with.

On the issue of security in the maritime areas, I do not see any particular insecurity in the maritime system. If those arms are coming in through big ships, the ship will have to come in through the port and discharge and one has the responsibility to look into those containers, and if you go to Apapa port for instance, you will see that they have scanners, that is a situation where they have to take the containers through an x-ray machine to view all the things that are being carried in the container. When people talk about insecurity, sometimes I wonder if they are talking about imaginary things or something they know that is happening. Well, if anybody knows for a fact that there are problems at the seaports and if we talked on them, we will deal with them. But to my mind, we have enough structures on ground to take care of all these contingencies that we have talked about.





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A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, who attended the 2010 Legislative Summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures in Kentucky, United States, spoke with OZIEGBE OKOEKI on lessons of the interface for African lawmakers.

What is the importance of the Legislative Summit in US?

It was an event that brought legislators from different continents together. We were exposed to so many issues that border on legislation and the legislature and the processes of legislation. We compared notes, we dealt with topical issues. You know, the legislature plays different roles in democratisation process in various continents. We looked at the relevance of legislature and legislators in the democratic scheme of things and, of course, the role of legislature as it concerns finance and budget, state expenses, public-private partnership in undertaking infrastructural development, how it should be done and the laws that should guide it and the rest of it.

In concrete terms, what did you learn from the summit?

One of the things I found very interesting was when we were looking at the roles of the legislature in budgetary allocation and state funding. And in the course of it, the guest speaker said that, as a legislator, I should not legislate anything to law that will make my grand children pay the debt they did not owe.

That speaks volume, and that is the extent that legislators must be very critical about every naira and kobo that is appropriated. Every legislator must be conscious of what he is contributing to and be sure that laws that are made are laws that would be able to stand the test of time.

Among the three arms of government, the legislature is first among equals. In Africa, it is the absence of just one arm of the government that leads to military dictatorship, and that is the absence of the legislature. Any coup in Nigeria and Africa is directly an elimination of the role of the legislature. And to realize the enormous powers conferred on legislators and legislatures under the various constitutions; and to know that the signpost for democracy and democratic rule is the presence of the legislature, which is one of the three arms of government.

And when you look at it critically, it is not by coincidence or error that when the constitution is actually setting out the roles of the three arms , the first that is dealt with is that of the legislature in Section 4 of the constitution. All other ones follow subsequently. And that shows the paramount recognition given to the legislature under the constitution.

In what other way is the legislature different from other arms?

It is the only body that has the largest number of representatives. The Lagos State House of Assembly, for instance, is made up of 40 members and all of them stood for election and won. That means they were actually sent by their people, by their mandate, and the vote of the people.

Sovereignty, they say, resides with the people and these people have entrusted unto you their own sovereignty to take decision on their behalf. So, you must take it so seriously and attend to it seriously as well. And that means that, as a legislator, you must endeavour to attend plenary always so that your people’s voice will always be heard when debates are on, when bills are to be passed into law and when topical issues are being debated. So, it is a way to like lubricate legislative awareness and to compare notes here and there.

What did you learn from the legislative/executive relationshp there?

We left Kentucky for Indianapolis where we visited their legislature. And we discovered that the whole governmental structure, Executive and Legislature is within the same precincts. They are housed in the same compound, unlike our own where you have the Assembly fenced separately from the Executive and the rest of them. I see that as a way of saying that, though the legislature is different from the executive, they are independent of themselves. But at the same time, they are inter-dependent. And when you are closer to yourselves and you meet yourselves every now and then, of course, that aura of togetherness, sense of belonging and brotherhood in the course of service to humanit, is actually underlined.

Furthermore, when we were taken through the legislative processes of lawmaking in Indianapolis, I also saw something that was striking. Here in Lagos, when bills come from the executive, it comes through the office of the Attorney-General. After the first and second reading, it is sent to the appropriate committee for public hearing before we take the committee report. If it is accepted, we take the resolution and do the third reading thereafter after a clean draft had been made.

But in Indianapolis, something striking was exhumed and that was to the effect that, it is almost the same process, but the second reading of bills is usually after the public hearing; our own second reading is before public hearing. So, while they are doing the second reading, they are taking into consideration in totality what people have said about the bill. So, it won’t be the opinion of the members alone that would allow the bill to sail through the second reading and go through public hearing. The opinion of the people is actually taken into consideration before the second reading. So, it will be now the opinion of the people with the views of the legislators that will now determine whether the bill will scale second reading.

As an individual, I think it is something we have to look at when we resume; and after debating it and the majority of us feels that it is better, then we have to amend our rules to adopt that position. It is not because it is done there, we want to look at the advantages and disadvantages of our procedure.




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At least 10 people were injured during yesterday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Madagascar at the U.J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar.

More than 35,000 fans watched the Eagles beat their visitors 2-0 in the 25,000-capacity stadium. Trouble started after the match when the fans tried to leave the overcrowded stadium. There was a stampede during which people fell over each other in a bid to get out of the stadium. The injured fans were later rushed to the hospital.

An unlucky lady who fell in the VIP stand was trampled and fainted. Her people quickly rushed her to the hospital.

Security was tight with well over 1,500 policemen and about 900 civil defence corps on ground to ensure that the match was hitch-free.

Players and officials of the Super Eagles were guarded by the special security personnel led by Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, Gideon Akinsola.

Meanwhile, Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River thanked the fans for coming out in their numbers to support the Eagles. Imoke gave the Eagles the sum of N10m and congratulated them for beginning their Nations Cup qualifiers on a winning note.

President of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Alhaji Aminu Maigari thanked the Cross River State government for rescuing the FA by hosting the match. Samsung also gave the team the sum of $9,000 for the nine shots on target.

Nigeria hardly raised a sweat as they triumphed 2-0 against Madagascar in Calabar through clinical first-half finishes from strikers Obafemi Martins in the 18th minute and Michael Eneramo in the 45th minute.




http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2010/09/06/nigeria-vs-madagascar-10-eagles-fans-injured-one-in-coma/

Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana has vowed to stop former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.) from contesting the 2011 presidential election.

Falana who made this vow at the one year remembrance of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, held at Ojota, Lagos State, called on Nigerians to stand against him.

“It is sad to hear that somebody like Babangida is coming to rule us again after he has brought Nigeria to collapse. Somebody like Babangida, who institutionalized corruption and has done enough harm to this country, still wants to rule us, I can assure you that we will stop him. Nigerians will not allow him,’’ he stated.

On the recent endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan by political parties, the human rights activist said: “I do hope that President Goodluck is sufficiently intelligent to know that the endorsement will not earn him votes, only his performance can earn him votes and I have not seen any performance that will earn him votes that will make Nigerians vote for him.”

Commenting on the zoning controversy which nearly tore the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into shreds, Chief Falana blamed media for celebrating the issue, saying it is very dangerous for the progress of democracy in Nigeria.

“Instead of promoting the zoning formular, the media should ask the politicians their programmes for the Nigerian masses.

“Our media are not asking the politicians questions about poverty, bad roads and good medical services, but only promote zoning. Babangida institutionalized corruption in Nigeria. I expect the media to ask him how he is going to arrest it, but they are not doing that. The people shouting zoning are using it and religion to deceive Nigerians,” he stated.

He expressed support for the January date set for general elections by INEC, saying: “If Nigerians are determined, we can have successful elections in January. That is why we are appealing to our people to support the new leadership of INEC in ensuring that we all register and we make it one man one vote.”

He commended the decision taken by INEC last week not to allow tenure extension of some governors and promised to stand by the organisation “to ensure that the riggers of election, who ordinarily should have been punished by the law, do not profit from illegality.”

Falana commended the Lagos State governor for the honour bestowed on the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, adding that the late activist deserved all the honours that this country can bestow on him for his immense contributions to the development of this country and in defence of human rights and promotion of rule of law.

“This is a challenge to all men and women of ideas and vision in Nigeria that someday, whether they are alive or dead, they are going to be honoured by the people at the appropriate time. And for those that have engaged in the primitive accumulation of wealth, this is a challenge to them too. If you made money and you don’t invest in the people, you are going to be abandoned. Gani is gone but we are celebrating him, his integrity and not his wealth,” he said.




http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2010/09/06/we%E2%80%99ll-stop-ibb-at-all-costs-says-falana-2/

The trial of a former chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chief Sani Lulu, and three others over alleged multi-billion naira fraud will begin today.

The suspects were detained by the EFCC yesterday in Abuja preparatory to the commencement of their trial

The others are a former Secretary-General of the NFF, Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba; a former Chairman of the NFF, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi and ex-Vice-President of NFF Amanze Uchegbulam.

EFCC spokesman Femi Babafemi said the suspects would be arraigned before a Federal High Court, Abuja. Mr Justice D. Okorowa will hear the case.

Babafemi said: "We have filed charges against them and we have got a notice from the court for the commencement of the trial of the former NFF officials."

Although Babafemi was not forthcoming on the charges, The Nation learnt that some of the allegations are:

•Payment of estacodes/allowances of $800,000 to 220 delegates to the World Cup in South Africa. Of the lot, only 47 are authorised NFF officials

•mismanagement of N900million World Cup funds;

•purchase of over-inflated luxury buses for the Super Eagles;

•incurring a $125,000 fine in South Africa over a deal with Hampshire Hotel;

•mismanagement of $250,000 to charter a faulty aircraft for the Super Eagles from London to South Africa; and

•spending $400,000 for a hidden friendly match between Colombia and Nigeria on a practicing pitch in London.

A source said: "We expect the court to take their plea on Tuesday. But for the first time, Nigerians will have insight into the rot in NFF.

"With the beginning of their trial, Nigerians will also have the opportunity to hear their side of the issues at stake."

The EFCC had on July 6 summoned top officials of the NFF, including the four suspects, for interrogation.




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The Independent National Electoral Commission has denied stories that poor funding has stalled its activities. The commission said the federal government has always released money for its programmes according to its requests.

The commission’s chairman, Attahiru Jega, who spoke through his aide, Kayode Idowu, however refused to disclose how much had been released to it so far.

A member of the House of Representatives had last week told journalists that the minister of finance, Olusegun Aganga, told a committee of the house that the federal government was unable to release the N87 billion allocated to the commission because government was broke.

Mr. Aganga who later denied making such a statement said although budget cuts had been made across board, the federal government was far from broke. “The fact is that in spite of the recent budget cuts, capital expenditure for this year still comes in at about N1.5 trillion which is more than double what was spent last year.”

On the right course

Although the electoral commission will not say exactly how much money it has collected from the federal government, Mr Idowu said the electoral body has received “what it asked for, for now”.

“I cannot say exactly how much INEC has received, but I can say that INEC has received what it asked for, for now,” Mr. Idowu said, refusing to give further details. Nigerians were concerned when stories spread that the commission had not received enough funds to handle the projects for a new voters register despite the fact that N87 billion was approved for it.

While denying that dwindling revenues has affected the government’s funding of the electoral body, Mr. Aganga disclosed last week that INEC has received N56 billion out of N87.7 billion expected for the exercise, contradicting an earlier statement that the money has been released in full after President Goodluck Jonathan signed the Electoral Act into law.

A source has quoted Mr. Aganga as explaining to the house committee on Works that a severe cash crunch had hit ongoing road projects and hampered the release of funds to the electoral body. He reportedly said that

only N16 billion had been released to INEC by last week.

Shy on details

Responding to inquiries from NEXT at the weekend, INEC said it will neither confirm nor dispute the figures. Mr. Idowu said he is not at liberty to say the exact amount given to the commission but confirmed that the funding was being made in batches as mutually agreed.

“I was assured by the chairman that INEC has from government, depending on the funding plan, what it asked for,” he said. He also denied that funding shortfall caused the delay in the official release of elections schedule, that is “absolutely false”.




http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5615450-146/electoral_commission_denies_being_starved_of.csp

Convicted preacher and head of the Lagos-based Christian Praying Assembly, Emeka Ezeuko (aka Rev Dr. King) has threatened to sue the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) and some of its officials for allegedly subjecting him to inhuman treatment.

Rev. King, currently being held in Katsina Prison, was convicted and sentenced to death on January 11, 2007 by a Lagos High Court for killing a female member of his church and subjecting others to inhuman treatments.

His lawyer, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, said at the weekend in Lagos that King was being traumatised with prison officials denying him access to visitors, mostly his family and church members.

He argued that under the country’s Constitution, Rev King is entitled to receive visitors and ought to be treated like every decent citizen even in prison, particularly when his appeal against his conviction is pending before the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division.

Ojo said: "The constitutional and statutory rights of an inmate do not and can not end at the prison gate as every prison inmate is entitled to receive visits by counsel, family members and friends under the Prison Regulations made under Section 15 o the Prison Act Cap P 29 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004."




http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/12279.html

Eighteen pressure groups in the education sector are seeking to influence the election of education-friendly candidates into office in 2011.

The groups, under the aegis of the Joint Education Stakeholders’ Action Coalition (JESAC), begin a four-day consultative conference today at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, to agree on what their demands will be on candidates seeking public offices in next year’s election.

The unions and associations that make up JESAC include: the National Union of Teachers, All Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON), Exam Ethics International, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Senior Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, among others.

During the conference which has as theme: "Education Friendly Transformational Leadership: Time to Speak in one Voice with our Votes", participants would strategise on how to push their message through various platforms through an initiative christened the Five-Minutes-Teacher (FMT).

National Coordinator of JESAC, Mr. Ike Onyechere told The Nation that the FMT would be used to sensitise the public on the need to put the right people who would implement favourable education policies in office.

"The aim of the FMT is to mobilise education stakeholders across the country to use their platform of classrooms, meetings, seminars, conferences etc. to give a five minutes enlightenment speech on the need to vote for only committed education- friendly candidates in 2011 elections.

"Collaborating organisations will present position papers (at the conference) on irreducible minimum commitments expected from candidates for education reforms. The record of previous achievements and/or commitments by candidates will form the basis for stakeholders to take decisions on whether or not to support any particular candidate," he said.

During the conference, Onyechere, who is also the founding chairman of Exam Ethics International, said participants would institute modalities on how to spread its tentacles to all nooks and crannies of the country.




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IT was meant to be the 16th annual convention of the World Igbo Congress (WIC), but supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan and former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), turned the venue of the event in Philadelphia, the United States (U.S.) to a campaign ground.

Advancing reasons why their preferred aspirant should earn the support of the Igbos in Diaspora were the President of Ijaw National Congress (INC), Dr Wolfe Obianime and Dr. Chidi Amuta.

Obianime, who was the first to take the floor, told other presidential aspirants that it would be “extremely difficult” to unseat Jonathan in 2011.

Leading a delegation of the INC to the convention, Obianime urged Ndi Igbo, the umbrella body of the Igbo, to support Jonathan’s presidential bid, saying it represented a “generational and paradigm shift”.

He added: “His (Jonathan’s) major challengers have been Presidents before and they have historical judgements against them, not by the Nigerian courts, but by the judgements of the people.

“I do not need to bait the Igbo people, Goodluck Jonathan is from the Eastern region.

“Nineteen states were created from the North and they still relate as the Northern region but they keep telling you zoning is between the North and South.

“They don’t tell you zoning is between North-West and North-Central, they tell you zoning is between North and South. In other words, they see themselves as a monolithic north.

“Then, here I am from the Eastern region and you are asking me what I am selling to the Eastern region to be able to actualise an aspiration that will work better for them.

“Goodluck Jonathan is from the Eastern region. His name is Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan. So, why must he bribe his brothers to get what he wants?” he asked.

Obianime said it was “political arrogance” for any man to promise to give Ndi Igbo presidency by 2015.

He said: “To the level that Nigeria has developed today, no one man can come and tell a group to bring out one person in 2015 and he will make him a President.”

Earlier, former military ruler, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, had declared through his supporters that his desire to return to the presidency in 2011 was “to heal the past through national reconciliation”.

Babangida’s address was delivered by a member of the IBB 2011 Campaign Organisation, Dr Chidi Amuta, who led a team of supporters to the convention.

Babangida reaffirmed his resolve to support an Igbo President in 2015.

He said: “I have recently expressed my commitment to completing ‘the work of national integration of Ndi Igbo into the Nigerian political leadership, which we, as military officers began in the 70s and 80s’.

“This commitment is cardinal to my current campaign that come 2015, Nigeria should by consensus elect a President of Igbo extraction. This is not only a historical necessity but also a moral imperative.

“We must pass around the torch of equity and justice so that our federation can thrive as a place where justice and fairness reign supreme.”

According to Babangida, 40 years after Nigeria fought a bitter and tragic civil war, the time had come to permanently heal the wounds of war and remove the scars of conflict.

His words: “I stand before you, not only as a witness of the ravages of that war, but as one whose professional career as a soldier was formed in the effort to defend national unity and protect our collective heritage.

“In those years of rage, I travelled through our South-East in the armour of a warrior.

“As a military President, I retuned there as a messenger of peace and an agent of development and positive integration.

“Once again, driven by the urge to promote the consolidation of democracy in our land, I have returned to the South-East with a message of hope and promise that we should now permanently heal the wounds of war and remove the scars of conflict.”

In his address, Ichie Chibuzo Onwuchekwe, WIC Chairman, listed several proposals that the Igbo would want “serious presidential candidates to do for the region”.

For instance, he said Igbo would like to have a date explicitly stating when work on the second Niger Bridge would start and end.

Onwuchekwe further identified the scrapping of the current local government system and formation of regional governments on the basis of geo-political regions within Nigeria, as another proposal.

He proposed that a “Nigerian President of Igbo heritage” should be elected in 2015.

Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ireland, Mrs Kema Chikwe and the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu, were among those who attended the convention.

Also speaking in Kano, Babangida challenged the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to clarify its position on the controversy surrounding the 2011 presidential race.

He said doing so would lay to rest the raging controversy over the issue.

The former leader spoke in Kano after a condolence visit to one of his erstwhile aides, Colonel Habibu Shu’aibu, who recently lost his father.

Shu’aibu was the military administrator of Plateau State during the Babangida regime.

The presidential aspirant emphasised that it was ambiguous for the party to hold on to its belief in zoning and yet, make the presidential contest an all comers affair.

His words: “The party must explain its stand because it is ambiguous to say that every person will contest the presidency, as well as equally accepting or believing in the concept of zoning. It must clarify its stand.

“As long as the PDP leadership keeps mum over its position on the zoning arrangement, it would be given all sorts of interpretation.”

According to him, the PDP as a party, has laid down rules and regulations which ought to be adhered to and respected by all members, irrespective of position, pointing out that “the zoning arrangement is one of the principles governing the affairs of the party and must be respected at all times.

“Zoning must be respected by all member of the party as it has been enshrined in its constitution. The party has the right to formulate rules and regulations for its members, which should be respected by all. The party is supreme.

“Journalists are Nigerians I understand. You do have your association, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, which sets rules and regulations that all journalists must obey and the Nigerian Constitution is still there. Therefore, the PDP as a political party can set rules for its members which all must obey. Zoning is one of such rules to be respected by the party members.”




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NOT even the heavy downpour, yesterday, could stop residents of Akure, the Ondo State capital from trooping out to witness the traditional coronation of their monarch, the Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida.

Adesida entered the palace weeks after he was announced as the new royal father for the ancient town.

Residents in their hundreds of thousands, defied the torrential rainfall, to witness the completion of the traditional rites leading to the Adesida’s ascension to the throne of his forebears as the 46th and the fifth in line of Adesida lineage to ascend the throne.

The new nonarch had undertaken three traditional rites leading to his ascension as the Deji as he had been kept at the Asamo’s palace for seven days, after he was brought from the farm and stayed in his father’s house for nine days to observe the traditional Arapon’s rites before yesterday’s rites.

As early as 9 a.m., Oba Adesida had left his father’s house for the Omolare’s palace where he had gone to pay homage to his predecessors.

The Omolare’s palace is the burial site of all the monarchs before him.

He made the last appearance to the Asamo’s palace from where he went to the Elemo’s palace.

At the Elemo’s palace, Adesida underwent tutorials on the ‘dos and don’ts’ in the palace.

The new monarch also proceeded to the Alakunre’s Groove and later to Ejio’s house where he collected his beads, before proceeding to Ooye’s house where the monarch and his eldest daughter were crowned.

He climbed the historical Okiti Omolore with his eldest daughter, Princess Adetutu, before entering the palace.

Amid thunderous applause from the people, the new monarch, who was accompanied by his wife, Olori Mojisola, was dressed in complete royal apparel with a cap to match and a horsetail with which he responded to the applause.

Yesterday’s coronation coincided with the Adesida’s 60th birthday anniversary.

Many residents, high chiefs and well-wishers dressed in various attires looked on in admiration and dancing as the new Adesida, a trained agriculturist, entered the palace.

In his short speech, he prayed that his reign would usher in peace, progress and peaceful coexistence of all the people in the town.

He promised to cooperate with government to bring about the rapid development of his domain.




http://www.compassnewspaper.com/NG/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67086:at-last-adesida-takes-seat-as-46th-deji-&catid=672:top-stories&Itemid=794

When Aduralere Babatunde Ojo lost 40,000 dollars via internet business in February 2010, he was psychologically affected.

But like most rich businessmen, he had swept it under the carpet, labelling it as one of the flukes in businesses.

Ojo’s business is buying and selling of bakery items. He had been in the business since 1978, and had seen the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of the trade.

In the business, which he lost 40,000 dollars, he had been communicating with a Chinese firm that sells modern oven that will make baking easier and less time consuming.

According to him, he decided to start trading in foreign ovens, “ because local ones, didn’t have much raw materials to compete with foreign ones”.

He further explained that it was basically because of this need for modernisation and search for a new market to make baking easier and more profitable that he travelled to China in 2006.

In China, he found the Chinese firm that deals in bakery items and started a business correspondence with them. Immediately he returned to Nigeria, he kept in touch via e-mail, and was about to seal a deal worth 40,000 dollars with the company to which he had paid some money. Then suddenly for reasons he could not fathom, the company abruptly stopped communicating with him.

In August, exactly eight months after he lost his money, three men approached him; they wanted to know if he was interested in buying some bakery equipment they had just imported.

Ojo, always open to new business adventures, followed him to the warehouse where they stored the bakery items.

Ojo said that he must have stopped breathing for a minute, when he saw the items, for they were the exact make and numbers of items he had specified, ordered and was supposed to received from the Chinese firm.

He explained that he knew it was nothing short of divine intervention and had pretended to be an interested buyer, until he invited the police, who arrested the suspects.

They were identified as Ahmed Raheem, 26; a trained mechanic and Olusesan Ajibare, 54, an estate agent.

Police spokeman, Frank Mba, said: “Ojo ran into problem on the deal over his inability to access the internet independently and had to seek for assistance from a cybercafe attendant, whenever he goes to any cybercafe.

“Unknown to Ojo, this laxity was explored and exploited by Raheem and another accomplice, who hijacked the criminal business from him. All was set for the company to send his cargo, but something went wrong.

“Ahmed hacked into his e-mail, and got hold of Ojo’s transactions and immediately started dealing with the company. He managed to get bill of laden and other clearing documents.

“He did that in connivance with Sesan Ajibare. It was Ajibare that provided the financial and technical advice to perfect the deal and also approached a professional money lender, who accepted to give them money needed to clear the goods from Apapa.’’

The suspects were said to have started shopping for a buyer for the goods kept in the home of the money lender at Palmgrove in Lagos, where incidentally, Ojo resides.

The duo approached Ojo, who on sighting the goods, counted the items, and suspected that they could be his own.

He began to pretend as if he was interested in buying the ovens. He deposited some money, then he alerted the police.

Ojo said: “ This is my second deal with the company.I really don’t know and can’t explain how these men hijacked my business.

“Suddenly, when I send e-mails to the company, they won’t reply. I used to call a lady there, who said I should stop calling her. She told me that there was a problem

“After the company accepted to send me some ovens, I paid $38,500. I was about to pay the balance when the company stopped communication with me.

“ All efforts to know what went wrong, proved abortive.”

Raheem who claimed to have trained as a mechanic at Folagoro area of Shomolu after he graduated from Morocco Comprehensive High School in 1999, was all smiles.

For someone who had been nabbed for cybercrime, he appeared unperturbed.

According to him, he opened his e-mail one day and saw a mail about buying and shipping in, bakery items from China.

He claimed to have been surprised to see the e-mail in his box and said: “ I believe the e-mail was sent to my inbox by mistake.

“ I replied the message and the person also replied. Since then, I kept on monitoring the job. My e-mail is jamesscot@yahoo.com, but when I started discussing with this company in China, I created a new yahoo account, with Adura’s name.”

As soon as Raheem changed the e-mail, all correspondence to Ojo’s email stopped. This was precisely the point, he lost control of his goods.

Raheem added: “The Chinese lady asked me for an address to send the documents for the clearing of the goods.

“They were later sent to Nigeria. We cleared the goods with the assistance of the people Ajibare introduced into the deal.

“The goods were kept at the money lender’s warehouse at Palmgrove.’’

Ajibare, who denied been an ‘area father’ to Raheem narrated his own side of the story.

He said: “It was Raheem’s friends who introduced him to me. They approached me, saying that Raheem’s brother sent some goods from China, and they didn’t know how to go about it.

“He told me that his brother had already paid for the goods. I asked him for the bill of lading which he later provided.

“I went to a friend, Alhaji Jimoh’s office at Palmgrove and explained that Raheem wanted to clear goods.

“Alhaji Jimoh is a friend of the money lender. It was also Jimoh that introduced the clearing agent at Apapa to us.

“I went ahead to get money from the lender, who was also introduced to us by Jimoh, in order to clear the goods.

“The money lender lent us N1 million, plus the N500,000 given to us by Jimoh, making it N 1.5 million.

“The receipts of payment is attached to the bill of lading with the number of the goods.”

The Nigerian Compass gathered that the suspects agreed to use the goods as a collateral and thus kept with the money lender identified as Mukaila Runsewe. They had sold two items from the goods before the police swooped on the suspects.

Runsewe, 57, said: “When they came to me, to lend them money, I asked some people to go on market research, just to know the worth of the goods before I give them the required amount.

“They agreed to put the goods in my custody, and used it as collateral. The two machine that I sold were at N60,000 and N70,000.

“All the goods were worth N7.5 million. When I gave the N1 million, it was based on 10 per cent interest. I didn’t know the goods were stolen.”

Mba said: “On no account must anyone disclose e-mail, ATM, Drivers’ Licenses particulars, passwords to anyone.

“Such thing like password should not be hawked on the streets. We believe that’s how the victim lost track of his business. We also use this opportunity to advise youngsters to stay off cybercrimes, or the long arms of the law will soon catch up with them!




http://www.compassnewspaper.com/NG/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67156:how-mechanic-hacked-into-millionaires-e-mail-stole-40000-dollars-&catid=40:crime-a-security&Itemid=696

AT least, four persons were feared dead and scores injured yesterday, when three fuel-laden trucks, a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) and five other vehicles collided in Ibafo, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The accident came less than a month after a similar incident at the Ojota end of the dual carriageway claimed the lives of about 50 people.

According to an eyewitness account, the victims included a six-year-boy, a four-year-old girl and their father, all occupants of one of the vehicles involved. Their mother was said to have escaped with injuries.

It was learnt that two of the trucks were carrying diesel, while the other was ferrying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol from depots in Lagos to other parts of the country.

An unconfirmed report said the Kia SUV, marked Lagos BZ 342 AKD, suddenly developed a fault in the middle of the road, thus causing the approaching truck to ram into it.

The accident, which allegedly occurred about 5.30 pm, threw motorists along the road into another round of traffic.

It was nightmarish for travellers along the road as religious events by three bodies brought traffic to a complete halt at the weekend.



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Saharareporters has learned that adherents of the dreaded religious sect, Boko Haram, have killed two local district chiefs and shot another village warden in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The two district chiefs known, with the title of "Lawan," were slain behind the palace of the Shehu of Borno in a fierce twilight attack carried out by Boko Haram militants. The militants accused the chiefs of serving as police informants. The third victim of the attack, a Bullama, was shot in the leg and left for dead.

The brazen attacks have heightened tension in the area. Our sources said the palace of the Shehu of Borno and the areas surrounding it were thought to be beyond limits to Boko Haram militants because of the tight security in the area. One SSS officer described the area as the "green zone," a reference to the heavily fortified administrative area in Baghdad, Iraq, manned by US military security. “We were caught unawares,” said the source, adding, “If Boko Haram could infiltrate the area, then they are a huge threat to lives and property.”

Last year, the police and army quelled an insurrection mounted by Boko Haram adherents in Bauchi and Maiduguri, killing the extremist group’s leaders. However, our sources revealed that the group had since re-organized and began small but effective attacks against security agents and local chiefs they believe were responsible for the clampdown on members of the group last year.

Local and international human rights groups accused the Nigerian police and soldiers of indiscriminate executions of innocent civilians in last year’s reprisals against the Boko Haram. The government of former “President” Umaru Yar’adua promised to launch an investigation into the alleged widespread executions, but never did so.

Our SSS source revealed that the way the government killed innocent people helped the new Boko Haram leadership to recruit new members.

Lawans are districts heads while Bullamas are village wardens in the Borno emirate.




http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/boko-haram-militants-kill-two-district-chiefs-borno