₦airaland Forum

By Elder Peter Godsday Orubebe
I have read, with a deep sense of shock and disappointment,
allegations made against me in an on-line medium, claiming that I
attempted to bribe the leadership of the Save Nigeria Group, SNG,
after a visit with the president.

I find these allegations deeply distressing, and I am certain that the
highly respected Pastor Tunde Bakare must have been quoted out of
context. I am forced to react to these allegations only because I
would consider it an insult for anyone to attempt to bribe someone of
that stature, visiting with his group, and with, of all sums, 50,000
dollars.

True, a bribe is a bribe, no matter the sum. This is the reason why I
am all the more concerned and worried about these claims. What I
however find intriguing is that there is absolutely no reason to bribe
the Save Nigeria Group. When the body on its own volition rose to
challenge the sense of drift that had befallen the country over the
illness of our late leader, Mallam Umaru Musa Yar’adua, did anyone
bribe them?

So it is hard to believe that any right thinking person would attempt
to do so now.  If a bribe is intended to induce someone to either do
something, or to refrain from doing it, what in objective terms would
I need to bribe the SNG for at this time?

This is a false story that should be dismissed by all right thinking persons.

Elder Peter Godsday Orubebe,
Hon. Minister,
Ministry of Niger Delta.
29th November 2010.

http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/no-reason-bribe-sng-says-orubebe

2011: Atiku, IBB, Saraki meet in Abuja , IBB to nominate Running Mate, Saraki, Chief of Staff , Power sharing formula on the table
…Ben Obi is Director of Campaign


Feelers from Abuja indicate that Atiku Abubakar, Ibrahim Babangida and Bukola Saraki, are having preliminary talks towards a merger of the three blocs. The trio which met earlier today at the Asokoro home of the former Vice President for three hours, picked Senator Ben Obi as Director of the Atiku Campaign organization.

The trio , aware that the Adamu Ciroma committee’s choice of Atiku slightly polarized the region, decided to come together, and tackle President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

Sources at the meeting which commenced at about 1pm, Nigeria time, told Pointblanknews.com that the trio discussed ways of coming together to form a formidable front against President Goodluck Jonathan, sharing power and picking a vice Presidential candidate.

Pointblanknews.com sources hinted that the meeting agreed that Babangida would submit the name of his preferred running mate for Atiku, while Saraki would be made Chief of Staff if Atiku eventually becomes the sole occupant of Aso Rock.

Our source also hinted that Babangida reiterated the need for Atiku’s running mate to come from the south east.

It was further gathered that Atiku agreed that Babangida, and Saraki would be allowed to nominate ministers and heads of Federal Government agencies if he (Atiku) wins.

Pointblanknews.com sources also said another issue that came up was the stance of some northern Governors who have vowed to stop Atiku. They are Adamawa’s Murtala Nyako, Wamakko of Sokoto, Sule Lamido of Jigawa and Isa Yuguda of Bauchi.

It was learnt that the reluctance of the Adamawa PDP to embrace Atiku was also a talking point at the Asokoro parley.

Pointblanknews.com gathered that Atiku pleaded with Babangida especially, to prevail on some of the northern Governors loyal to him (IBB), to come to his (Atiku) fold.

According to the source “ Atiku is really worried about the Adamawa problem and the role Nyako is playing. He is aware that Nyako a service chief under IBB is seen as a Babangida boy. So Atiku feels IBB could ask Nyako to change his mind”

Said our source” they have been talking for a while since Atiku became the consensus candidate. So today they met in Atiku’s house for over three hours. It was IBB who first arrived a little after 12 noon. They are putting together a team that would face Jonathan in the primaries”

“ The calculation is, if they back Atiku at the primaries, and he eventually wins, Saraki would be made Chief Of Staff, while Babangida is to pick Atiku’s running mate, it is however not clear where he would come from , but from IBB’s previous utterances, he could pick an Igbo man”

http://www.pointblanknews.com/News/os4227.html

By TUNDE ODESOLA
Sunday, 28 Nov 2010


I, Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, do solemnly swear to protect and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I do solemnly affirm that I will be faithful to the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Governor of Osun State; I shall protect the fundamental objectives and uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I will exercise the powers invested in me with faithfulness and integrity. So help me God.”


With these words, Action Congress of Nigeria’s governorship candidate in the April 14, 2007 election, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, was sworn-in by the Chief Justice of Osun State, Justice Olaniyi Ojo, at 3:09pm on Saturday.


Aregbesola’s deputy, Mrs. Grace Laoye-Tomori, was sworn-in at exactly 3pm by Ojo at a colourful ceremony watched by thousands of jubilant people at the Government Technical College, Osogbo.


Making his inaugural speech, Aregbesola announced the freezing of all government accounts and ordered that all the cheque books belonging to the state be deposited with the Accountant General of the state.


He promised to deploy his energy and ability in the total service of the people of Osun, stressing that a new dawn of liberation has come for the state.


The new governor said, “The Olagunsoye Oyinlola administration has thrown Osun State into the cesspit of retrogression. I can’t fix Osun State alone; together, we must do it.


“I will not delude myself into believing that the task of reviving Osun State can be done by me alone. No words are adequate to express my gratitude to you for being steadfast in the face of political brigandage, suppression and oppression by Oyinlola government.


“I thank the judiciary for showing courage and truthfulness in their judgement. I am indebted to the judiciary for restoring the people’s mandate stolen by the PDP.”


Aregbesola, who described the Oyinlola government as lacking ideas, recalled the alleged oppression and suppression by the erstwhile administration against him and the people of the state during the struggle to reclaim his mandate.


He promised to provide 20,000 jobs within his first 100 days in office, adding that within the first 150 days, he will turn Osogbo into a commercial hub, where goods would be sold for the same price they are sold in Lagos.


Meanwhile, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, who was a staunch supporter of the ousted Oyinlola administration, was absent at Aregbesola’s swearing-in ceremony.


A former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who gave glory to God for the victory, said the house of lies and deceit built by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo during the 2007 election was crumbling before his (Obasanjo’s) eyes.


He said Obasanjo, Oyinlola and their supporters in Osun robbed their way to power in 2003; adding that Obasanjo foisted a pack of incompetent PDP governors on the South-West.


Tinubu said, “People of Osun State, your prayer has gone up to God and God has answered your prayer by changing the visionless government of Oyinlola. Aregbesola can fix the rot in Osun. He did it in Lagos. I worked with him for eight years in Lagos.


“He is a workaholic, faithful, dedicated and upright individual who has the passion to serve. Osun has good soil, agric will be developed and the state will earn money from it.”


Dignitaries present at the occasion were the National Chairman of ACN, Chief Bisi Akande; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN); Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.


Others were the former Governor of Ekiti, Chief Niyi Adebayo; former Governor of Ogun, Chief Segun Osoba; former Governor of Anambra, Dr. Chris Ngige; former Governor of Oyo, Alhaji Lam Adesina; ACN governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; and Senator Ibikunle Amosu.


Also in attendance were the leader of Niger Delta Volunteer Force, Asari Dokubo; poet, Ordia Ofeimum; a former Commissioner for Information in Lagos State, Mr. Dele Alake; a chieftain of ACN in Lagos, Mr. Bola Ilori; Mr. Femi Falana and Chief Adegboye Onigbinde.


Lagos commissioners, Messrs. Muiz Banire and Bamidele Opeyemi, were also present at the ceremony.


Governors Mimiko, Fashola, Oshiomhole and Fayemi commended the people of Osun for their unwavering support for Aregbesola, stressing that the rule of law must be obeyed for democracy to thrive.


Fuji star, Wasiu Ayinde, treated the audience to songs, while the programme was anchored by comedians Gbenga Adeyinka and Holy Mallam.


Osogbo, the state capital, witnessed an unprecedented crowd and merrymaking which went on simultaneously in various streets, pubs, residences and offices.


There was free food for the masses at designated centres such as Isale-Osun, Ayetoro, Oke-Fia, Ajegunle, Aregbesola’s campaign secretariat, among several others.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201011282521943

By Allwell Okpi
November 28, 2010 12:32AM


In 2007, Abdulazeez Mustafa, 20, left his hometown Tesa, near the famous city of Timbuktu, in Mali, for Lagos, Nigeria. Since then, he has had varying experiences as a water vendor, cobbler, and security guard, in both Lagos and Port Harcourt, developing survival skills as well opinions of Nigerians.

"I come Lagos because I want make money," said Mr Mustafa, who was a farmer in his hometown, and now a security guard at a residential building at Ojodu, a Lagos suburb.

"But Lagos get wahala too much. Any small thing, they will want to fight you. They dey disturb us too much. That time when I still dey sell water, na okada people go just slap me for head, say, ‘Kuro mbe!' They dey do am every time. In fact, many things dey, but I like Lagos because here I dey make small small money."

The influx

Mr Mustafa is one of the many young people who have migrated from other African countries to Nigeria, in search of a greener pastures. Most of them are from the rural areas; farmers and nomads, who have migrated from their hometowns owing to low yield and loss of vegetation for grazing.

"I be farmer for Mali. But rain dey hard to fall so the ground dey dry, so the farm no dey produce well. So I leave the farm to come to Lagos to make money before I go back to Mali," Mr Mustafa said.

According to him, many youth in his country are looking for a way to come to Lagos because they see it as a big city with many opportunities. And many of them regularly come to do menial jobs and make money before they go back home to see their families.

"I dey go Niger sometimes, to go see my wife and my family. If I make small money, I go go give them," said 24-year-old Ali Mohammed, a security guard who is from Niger Republic.

Mr Mohammed, who doubles as a cobbler and a water vendor, just like Mr Mustafa, has been in Lagos since 2005 and still desires to return permanently to Niger sometime.

Mistaken for Hausas

Those of them who are from countries like Mali, Niger, and Chad are generally mistaken for Hausas from northern Nigeria. As a result, many of them strive to learn both Hausa and English languages (and they end up with Pidgin) so that they can do business with more ease.

"They dey call us ‘Mallam' (a name by which many southerners refer to northerners), when they want to look for our trouble. I stay for Port Harcourt for complete seven months. I stayed with my brother there. He sells provision. If it is in Port Harcourt, if somebody calls me Mallam, I can hold the person and nothing will happen. But here in Lagos, you cannot do that one because Lagos people get wahala," Mr Mustafa said.

These African immigrants to Lagos; including those from Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic and Cameroun; are craftsmen. They are auto mechanics, carpenters, hairdressers, and masons, among others.

In recent times, Nigeria artisans have protested against the obvious preference of these foreigners by some employers. However, many Nigerians attest to the fact that the foreigners are often more dedicated to their jobs and more honest.

Hardworking folks

"They do their work well. That's why I prefer them. My mechanic is from Benin Republic, and he gives no trouble. I can leave my car with him without fear and he always delivers on time. And I know what I'm saying because my former mechanic is a Nigerian and he gave me hell," said Oladimeji Lawal a Lagos resident.

Generally, the Nigeriens and the Malians are preferred as security guards, even though some of them cannot communicate in English, while the Ghanaians are preferred as hair stylists.

Solomon Atamah, a Ghanaian hair stylist, said he came to Lagos because of the big opportunities that abound, and that's why he constantly tries to do his best. "I came to Lagos in 2008 because my friend told me that there are opportunities here; that women here like Ghana weaving and they like to patronise Ghanaians. So I came and business is better. I'm making more money here. I know this is not my country, so I always try my best, because there is competition. And the money that I make I send to my family," Mr Atamah said.

For Mr Mustafa, his biggest motivation to return home is to organise the wedding ceremony and, thereafter, take his young wife.

"Me, I don marry. I dey 16 years when I marry. That na before I come Nigeria. The girl is still dey her father house. So after I make some money, I go back go do the wedding, take the girl. She dey 12 years when we marry. We dey marry early for my place. If you reach 24, 25 and you never marry, people go help you," he said.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5646977-146/seeking_gold_in_lagos__.csp

By Elor Nkereuwem
November 28, 2010 12:14AM


The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Chukwuma Soludo, is under the radar of British crime investigators who want to understand his role in the N29 billion polymer banknote contract issued during his tenure.

Between 2006 and 2009, the Central Bank carried out currency reforms that saw the introduction of polymer bank notes to replace the paper notes of the country’s lower denominations. In late 2009, media reports alleged that top CBN officials had received bribes in order to grant an Australian company, Securency International Pty Ltd, the contract which saw the Australian company supplying Nigeria with at least 1.9 billion pieces of the polymer substrate.

The contract is now the subject of a multi-national investigation straddling Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, the UK and Nigeria, from which about N3.5 billion was paid out in slush fund. Investigators believe that millions out of the amount were paid to top Nigerian politicians and bank officials.

Investigating the Scandal

International sources who spoke to NEXT in confidence, said that feelers from the on-going investigations by the British Serious Fraud Office (SFO) point to the fact that Mr. Soludo has become a subject of their investigations. NEXT had earlier reported that the former bank chief directed contract processes in the CBN as well as the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting PLC, of which the CBN has a 77% shareholding.

“SFO is investigating the Nigerian deal in the UK. Soludo may be tied to a lot of those Nigerian deals which explains why the SFO may be investigating him,” our source said.

The SFO’s spokesperson in an email exchange with NEXT however declined to confirm or refute the claims.

“Without wishing to be unhelpful, I am unable to provide any further details. The investigation is ongoing. For guidance; it is not SFO policy to confirm or deny the names of suspects in its investigations,” Katie Winstanley of the SFO said. Ms. Winstanley further said that the SFO has arrested at least five people so far in connection with the on-going investigation.

A source within the EFCC, who asked not to be named, however confirmed that the SFO had indeed contacted the Nigerian anti-graft agency in relation to the investigations involving Mr. Soludo.

“There may be something like that. I know that there has been intelligence exchange between the EFCC and the SFO concerning this matter. It is an on-going investigation which was not initiated by the EFCC,” our source said.

In the months following the media reports, several anti-corruption agencies within and outside Nigeria have launched investigations into the scandal. In Nigeria, the initial enthusiasm showed by the Nigerian Police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the National Assembly has since waned. None of the Nigerian investigations have yielded any results.

Efforts to get obtain reactions from the official spokesmen for the EFCC and the CBN were unfruitful.

Sharing the contract commissions

Documents obtained by NEXT show that Securency, whose parent company is the Reserve Bank of Australia, paid about $23 million dollars in suspect commissions to a company domiciled in a tax haven, Seychelles. The company, SPT Limited, further commissioned two other agents to secure the Nigerian contracts.

The Australian media, championed by The Age, is claiming that the agents chosen had close links with top government and CBN officials. One of the agents, Joseph Raad, who was appointed as a ‘confidential sub-agent’ by SPT LTD, is Iceland’s honorary Consul General to Nigeria. SPT, which stood to gain 12% of all contract deals secured from Nigeria, pledged to pay its agents between 4.5-5% of the contracts worth.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5647115-146/british_investigators_turn_sight_on_soludo.csp

http://www.saharareporters.com/column/northern-political-leaders-forum-work

Northern Political Leaders Forum At Work
Posted: November 27, 2010 - 04:29

Columnist: Pius Adesanmi


Shhhhhhhhh!
Silence please!
No Loitering!
Northern Political Leaders Forum at work

Adamu Ciroma: Gentlemen, sanu da zuwa. We are firmly behind closed doors. Please, speak freely. You all know why we are gathered here today. You all know that we failed in our attempt to bring down the renegade Goodluck Jonathan after the Abuja bomb blasts on October 1, 2010. Enemies of the north stood between us and victory by claiming that we did not ask our late brother, Umaru Yar’Adua, to resign after Boko Haram. That Ijaw fellow and his handlers turned the table against us with that argument. The man does not even respect his elders in the Oligarchy anymore. We consequently deemed it necessary to present a united northern front against him in the race for the presidential ticket of our great party, the largest party in Africa. We are fortunate that all our presidential hopefuls agreed to present themselves before us for the onerous vetting process. We are particularly pleased to have had four heavyweights come before us: His Excellency General Ibrahim Babangida, His Excellency Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, General Aliyu Gusau, and His Excellency Alhaji Dr Bukola Saraki. Now that we have heard from all these illustrious leaders of the north, may I please invite our able secretary to remind us all of the evaluation criteria and benchmarks that we have established to guide our decision at this momentous juncture in the history of Nigeria.
Forum Secretary: Thank you Mr. Chairman. Gentlemen, as Mallam Adamu has said, we are all on the threshold of destiny. Ours is the generation that must rediscover the north’s Manifest Destiny and either fulfil or betray it. We have chosen to fulfil that mission in response to the urgent call of history. Today, one MEND apologist, who doesn’t know the meaning of extant agreements, stands between us and our Manifest Destiny. He must be stopped. To help us arrive at a consensus candidate after interviewing our four illustrious leaders, we have evolved a grading system based on the CCI rating of each candidate.

Chieftain 1: CCI rating?

Forum Secretary: Yes, CCI rating. Please open the folders before you and go to Appendix 1a, subsection 2b. That is where we have a glossary of acronyms in our workbook. CCI rating stands for Corruption and Criminality Index rating. Our goal is to determine the candidate with the least CCI rating on a scale of one to ten. Our system is a little like the credit rating system in Europe and America where people have good and bad credit. But there are certain provisos we have designed to reflect the Nigerian factor.

Chieftain 2: What are the provisos?
Forum Secretary: Thank you. First, the grading system works in descending order towards excellence. For instance, the candidate with the most ample crime and corruption portfolio scores a maximum of ten points while the candidate with the most negligible crime and corruption portfolio scores one point. Theoretically, a clean candidate with no corruption and crime portfolio should score zero and emerge as our consensus candidate. This is where Nigeria comes in, hence the need for the following provisos based on our assessment of the political history of Nigeria. In grading the candidates, please be advised that:

1) Nigeria has never had a President with a CCI rating of less than 5
2) Nigerians erroneously believe that two of our illustrious party heavyweights, Generals Obasanjo and Babangida, ruled Nigeria with respective CCI ratings of the maximum 10 points
3) There is no reason to believe that Nigeria will be ruled by a leader with a CCI rating of less than 5 points in the foreseeable future. That is why Chief Gani Fawehinmi never stood a chance. General Buhari, Pat Utomi, Dele Momodu, and Nuhu Ribadu do not have CCI portfolios worthy of making them serious contenders for the Nigerian presidency. They are just noise makers.
4) Our goal, therefore, is not to select a candidate with a CCI rating of less than 5. That would never be a viable option for the presidency of Nigeria. At the same time, we must debate whether we want to go all the way to a CCI rating of ten. By the time anybody has a CCI rating of 7, he is already known nationally and internationally as corrupt and criminal, fairly or unfairly. In other words, we are looking for the least corrupt of our four candidates who must not fall below 5 on the CCI scale in order to remain viable but must also not burst the scale at the other end.


Stakeholder 1: Just a minute, Mr Secretary, thanks for your wonderful presentation thus far. I have a quick question before you continue. Do we have any intelligence dossier on Goodluck Jonathan? We need to know what he has been up to on the corruption and criminality front. Obviously, we cannot use the Nigerian intelligence services to gather serviceable dirt on him. But the Saudis and the Libyans may be willing to help us. They have vested interest in a northern presidency.

Stakeholder 2: What do we need to gather stuff on Jonathan for?

Stakeholder 1: Haba, Alhaji, isn’t that obvious? If we are able to accurately determine his CCI rating, wallahi, we can select a candidate with a better CCI rating.

Adamu Ciroma: Indeed, our brothers in Riyadh and Tripoli should be able to help us gather dirt on him. The problem with Jonathan is that he snored his way from Deputy Governor to Governor and President via Vice President. Because he is so boring and invisible even as President, it is very difficult to determine how much he has stolen thus far. He is very wise. His bowler hats are all the same exact colour. That way, you can’t even accuse him of embezzling money to buy too many bowler hats. He can always claim that he has only one since they all look alike. We could try to use the asset he reluctantly declared as Vice President but that is chicken feed in the nature of things in Nigeria. Only a couple of billions he gathered on the way from Deputy Governor to Governor. That cannot give him a CCI rating of more than 3. And all our own candidates are certainly above 5. You see the problem now?

Chieftain 1: What about that little matter of his wife and the EFCC? Isn’t she an alleged money launderer? Doesn’t she have an EFCC case file? We should be able to use that to raise his CCI.

Adamu Ciroma: I thought of that, Alhaji. May Allah punish that foolish Ribadu fellow. He has ruined that fantastic opportunity for us. Aren’t you aware that in order to prevent Jonathan from sending Waziri after him the way Obasanjo sent him after political irritants, Ribadu has gone around the country denying that he ever indicted Patience Jonathan even with the case file available online? If we try to press that angle, Ribadu will rush to grant media interviews and swear on the Koran that he heard the name, Patience Jonathan, for the first time in his life only after she became the First Lady of Nigeria.

Chieftain 2: How about Jonathan’s refusal to look into Halliburton and Siemens? Can we use that against him somehow?

Adamu Ciroma: Halliburton and Siemens?

Chieftain 2: Yes, now, Alhaji. I am talking about the bribery scandal and President Jonathan’s refusal to,

Adamu Ciroma: Is anybody in this room aware of any Halliburton and Siemens bribery scandal? Personally, I have never heard of Halliburton and Siemens.
Stakeholder 1: No, we are not aware of Halliburton and Siemens.

Adamu Ciroma: Did you hear that? The NPLF is not aware of any Halliburton and Siemens scandal. All our candidates are men of integrity.
Chieftain 2: Ah, I get it. I am not aware of any Halliburton and Siemens bribery scandal.

Forum Secretary: All protocols observed, may I suggest that hold off this debate on how to raise the CCI rating of Goodluck Jonathan and focus on our own contestants? We can consider individual cases and see where they stand on the CCI rating. Let’s start with General Babangida. What do you all think of his CCI portfolio and how do we rank him?

Stakeholder 2: Well, although like everybody here, I do not believe any of the stories out there about him, we have to take public perception into consideration as we rank him since it goes into his overall acceptability. Nigerians say that the $ 12.5 billion Gulf War oil windfall disappeared under him.

Stakeholder 1: They also say that he is responsible for Dele Giwa and the Ejigbo plane crash

Chieftain 1: Some say that he institutionalized corruption, introduced SAP, and murdered Maman Vatsa.

Chieftain 2: Others say that he annulled June 12, and cleared the road for Abacha and the eventual murder of MKO Abiola.

Stakeholder 2: There is also the hilltop mansion. Too many questions about where the money came from.




Forum Secretary: Looks like we’ll have to give the General a 10. All in favour say yea.

All: Yea.

Forum Secretary: Now to His Excellency Alhaji Dr Bukola Saraki.

Adamu Ciroma: In the eyes of Nigerians, the Saraki name alone and their history in Kwara state already give him 5 points for starters.

Chieftain 1: Add two points for Société Générale bank. I’m not sure they have even paid Jay Jay Okocha’s money.

Chieftain 2: Add another point for the repeated scandals of the Governor’s Forum that he leads. The forum is very unpopular with Nigerians.

Adamu Ciroma: And he is still a small boy. He cannot stand up to the apparatus of state under Jonathan. He should perhaps consider the Senate. Baba Oloye, his father, can swap him very easily with his sister.

Forum Secretary: That gives him 8 points. All in favour say yea.

All: Yea!

Forum Secretary: Now to General Gusau.
Stakeholder 1: Well, the General has been around for too long and has served too many governments. That makes him an AGIP – Any Government in Power. Nigerians always frown on AGIPs. They tend to pour all the deficits of all the governments they served on them.

Stakeholder 2: I agree. Let’s give him a ten.

Forum Secretary: All in favour say yea.

All: Yea!

Forum Secretary: Now to Alhaji Atiku.

Chieftain 1: Atiku is an interesting case. Although he is a multi-billionaire who made his billions the Nigerian way, technically, he is not corrupt. He is not corrupt in Nigeria.

Chieftain 2: How so, Alhaji?

Chieftain 1: Well, Obasanjo brought case after case of corruption against him in court but he was somehow able to crush the General in all those cases. The courts kept clearing him. So, there is a point to be made that he is not corrupt in the eyes of Nigerian law despite public perception of him. The only surviving onshore matter of apparent corruption against him is the case of that bank loan that he said he forgot to pay. And it was the bank that even opened the account in his name to thank him for attending the opening ceremony of a branch. His only crime here is that he spent all one hundred and eleven million naira that the bank put in the account and forgot all about it until the list of failed bank debtors was released last year. That is an episodic case of memory loss. We have pockets of cases like that in our political landscape.

Chieftain 2: Wonderful! Wonderful! Technically, this means that Atiku has only one onshore corruption issue and one offshore corruption case – the money laundering thing in America. That makes him the best not-totally-corrupt candidate we have. I say we give him a 5 on the CCI rating.
Forum Secretary: All in favour of 5 points for Atiku say yea.

All: yea!

Adamu Ciroma: Looks like we have a consensus candidate!
Forum Secretary: Yes, Mallam, our process has just produced the least-technically-corrupt of our top four contenders:
General Bagangida – 10 points on the CCI scale
Alhaji Aliyu Gusau – 10 points on the CCI scale
Alhaji Bukola Saraki – 8 points on the CCI scale
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar – 5 points on the CCI scale

By virtue of the powers conferred on me by the Northern Leaders Political Forum, I hereby pronounce Alhaji Atiku Abubakar the consensus candidate of the north to run against Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential primaries of our great party.

Adamu Ciroma: Gentlemen, this is a great day in the history of the north. We thank Allah for doing us this great honour by making us major actors in the course of history. I thank you all for your sacrifice and commitment to this exercise. Tomorrow, our able secretary will convene a press conference to announce our choice to Nigerians. Gentlemen, we have work to do going to the primaries. We need to convince Nigerians and our party’s membership that Goodluck Jonathan is far more corrupt than our consensus candidate. It is not going to be easy because he is invisible and has no presence even as President. Sometimes I don’t even know that he is there. They say he comes alive only on Facebook. We need to continue to work on strategies to raise his CCI rating. Our target should be to get him to 9 or 10 points before the primaries. Luckily, Atiku is no longer in government. He has no access to state funds and is therefore not likely to rise above his current 5 points unless, Allah forbid, our enemies dig up something new on him that may have happened during his spell as Vice President. Gentlemen, let’s go to work on Jonathan’s corruption profile!


Curtain Falls!

http://www.saharareporters.com/column/northern-political-leaders-forum-work

By Ako Amadi
November 11, 2010 08:28PMT   

Some moments are defined by most people as one, “I’ll never forget all my life!” It was a day in the harmattan of 1958, and I had lied to my father that the teacher asked us to pick some insects on the way to school, and bring them along for the period in a subject called “Nature study.” But teacher had given no such instruction. I only wished for my father to leave me alone, so I could go to school on foot, like every other pupil, rather than be bullied by the older boys in the class for arriving in a car. We lived quite far away from school.

Puzzled but suspicious, my father shrugged and drove off to work, perhaps still wondering why I’d rejected the ride. I skipped with excitement from Margaret Avenue, across Factory Road, past the golf course, over the railway line and into Milverton Avenue, just approaching the General Hospital. As it happened on that morning, everyone around me suddenly started running! Pandemonium. People running helter skelter into the police barracks! I joined them, only to behold an event I have never forgotten all my life. The body was lying in a small pool of its own blood; some of which still trickled from the mouth on to the sand, around which a small crowd gathered in horseshoe fashion, staring in amazement. It was the corpse of a freshly shot leopard! The animal had been killed in the forests surrounding Aba. As was the case in those days, any unusual episode, not only of criminal interest, was reported to the police. Hence, the hunter had carried his night kill in a van to the police barracks. The next time I saw another leopard, albeit a live one but in captivity, was on September 7th, 1967. It was at Hagenbeck’s Zoo, the very morning I arrived in Hamburg from Lagos.

Citizens of all lands

A leopard in Aba? It cannot be imagined now, but such was life then that there were even patches of pristine forests in the south-east in which such a big cat could survive. In the entire eastern Nigeria of today, a sighting of a leopard outside the Oban Hills sector of the Cross River National Park must be novel. And even at Oban, reports have been mainly of footprints. No one sees lions or leopards beyond protected areas in Nigeria anymore. The most degraded and decimated forests in the country are in the south-east and the result has been gully and sheath erosion, as well as poor soils. The ultimate is, of course, the lowest agricultural yields in Nigeria. I often wonder whether there are environmental and agricultural commissioners and departments in the southeast of Nigeria. The basics and fundamentals of land use planning are not understood in the Igbo-speaking states, despite all the doctors of philosophy you find in the area.

Everybody here in Igboland is anxious to flee the village into the city, and from the city to America, Europe and South Africa, because there are no jobs. We often praise the enterprise of the Igboman, the manufacturing skills in Aba or the iron casting in Awka. But of what use is manufacture when there are no export markets for the goods produced? I was watching the former Nigerian football team’s goalkeeper, Willie Opara, saying on South African TV a few months ago, that, “any country in the world you go to and you don’t find a Nigerian cannot be a good country.” It’s easy to laugh at that statement and forget it. But countries whose citizens are constantly leaving for other places cannot be well governed.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5640425-183/environment_focus_the_famished_igboland_.csp

BY JETHRO IBILEKE
November 25, 2010 12:24AM


European countries have a big role to play in efforts to curb the menace of human trafficking, secretary to the Edo State government, Pally Iriase, has said.

Mr. Iriase, who spoke yesterday in Benin City, when he granted audience to a German delegation, led by the Consul-General of Germany to Nigeria, Walter von den Driesch, said the state was ready to partner with Germany to combat the scourge.

Mr. Iriase said the state was blessed with natural resources, and expressed surprise that any of its residents would allow themselves to be trafficked.

He, however, noted the culpability of some European countries in the menace, saying it takes two to tango.

“We are not enjoying stigmatization that has arisen as a result of some of our daughters involved in this ignoble act of human trafficking. We are well travelled, and we know that if you find yourself in a place and there is no conducive atmosphere in which to ply your trade, certainly nobody will tell you to scamper back. But on our part, we are not resting on our oars. It is an ongoing war that is being waged relentlessly here,” he said.

Lamenting the treatment being meted to Nigerians as a result of this, Mr. Iriase said: “We are not also happy with the kind of suspicious eyes with which they look at Nigerians.”

Serious at containment

He assured the German delegation of the full support of the state government. Coordinator of the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters, Olufunke Abiodun, noted that the issue of human trafficking is a global menace and a product of development. She said the federal government was serious about tackling illegal movements of persons, and that her agency has recorded a number of successes in this regard.

Mr. von den Driesch, in his remarks, commended the people of the state for their hospitality.

“We have seen the beauty, the nice atmosphere of the people, and I can say that Benin-City is a place to be,” he said.


http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5646174-147/edo_to_partner_germany_on_human.csp

BY JETHRO IBILEKE
November 25, 2010 12:22AM

Nigeria’s premier private university, Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, will this weekend make history as it turns out the first doctorate degree graduates from a private university in Nigeria at its 8th convocation ceremony.

Another interesting feature of the ceremony is that five members of two families are among the 680 graduating students across the seven colleges of the institution. While a mother and her daughter would be awarded a Ph.D and a bachelor’s degree respectively, a man and two of his daughters will be awarded a master’s degree and bachelor’s degrees in accounting respectively.

A further breakdown of the figure shows that 16 students will graduate with first class honours, 168 with second class upper, 358 with second class lower, and 20 with third class lower. Others are six doctorate degrees, nine master’s degrees, and one postgraduate diploma in mass communication.

At a pre-convocation press briefing in Okada, the vice chancellor of the university, Eghosa Osaghae, described the upcoming convocation ceremony as unique and important to the university, as the first set of nursing graduates from any higher institution in the mid-western region will be graduating at the ceremony.

Mr. Osaghae said the university was able to achieve this feat “through a robust staff development, which gives birth to the award of doctorate degrees to deserving students, the first of its kind from a private university in Nigeria.”

Private supplier of educaton

He said that in spite of the daunting challenges of running a private university in Nigeria, Igbinedion University has continued to serve as a major alternative provider of education to the public, as its operates uninterrupted academic calendar, giving high quality education and quality association and control, through behaviour modification programme.

He, however, called on the federal government to help fund research programmes in private universities, as it is done in other parts of the world.

Other activities lined up for the events include a convocation lecture on Saturday, titled ‘The Future Prospect of Nigeria’s Economy’, to be delivered by Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Highpoint of the convocation ceremony will be the award of honorary doctorate degrees to three prominent Nigerians in the persons of Victoria Hansatu Gowon, wife of Nigeria’s former head of state, Yakubu Gowon; the immediate past chief of defence staff, Marshal Paul Dike (Rtd.); and Evelyn Oputu, managing director of Bank of Industries. Some deserving graduating students of the university will also be awarded prizes.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5646153-147/igbinedion_university_turns_out_first_doctoral.csp

November 25, 2010 12:07AM

The Bayelsa State government is to evolve a legislative framework to compel traditional rulers and chairmen of councils to reside and discharge their functions in their domains.

The State Governor, Timipre Sylva, on Wednesday, in Yenagoa, at a Town Hall meeting with community leaders, said that the practice where some traditional rulers and council chairmen were residing in the state capital was counter-productive to the development of the rural areas.

About 90 percent of council chairmen and traditional rulers in the state reside and carry out their functions from Yenagoa, abandoning their subjects in the rural communities.

“If only the traditional rulers and council chairmen would stay in their respective domains and carry out their leadership functions, I believe we will have fewer problems in the state,” Mr. Sylva said.

The governor’s decision to return them to their areas of authority followed a complaint by a concerned community leader, Dennis Atimi.

Mr. Atimi, who is from Ekeremor local government area, had, at the meeting, complained to the governor that the absence of the council chairmen in their areas had led to the collapse of local government administration in the state.

“If the chairmen were compelled to stay in the council areas and discharge their functions, there will be high sense of responsibility and commitment to the growth and development of the councils,” he said.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5646231-147/sylva_plans_law_to_cage_chairmen.csp

Neglect of Liberia peacekeepers shocks visiting lawmakers

By Festus Owete

November 25, 2010 12:36AM


Shocked by the state of the equipment used by the Nigerian soldiers on peacekeeping operations in Liberia, the House of Representatives committee on defence, yesterday, stated its determination to continue with its investigation into how N23 billion was spent by the ministry of defence on equipment for the operation.

The renewed plan to launch the investigation is coming after a tour of the committee to Liberia. The committee was accompanied on the tour by the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole.

Consequently, the defence minister, Adetokunbo Kayode, is billed to appear before the committee to explain how the money was expended.

A source in the committee said that during the visit, the lawmakers discovered to their chagrin that in spite of the huge sum expended on peacekeeping operations in Liberia since the minister assumed duties, the Nigerian contingent is the least equipped among the nations that contribute to the United Nations peacekeeping operations in that West African country.

It reportedly discovered that the paucity of the equipment was the main reason the reimbursement from the UN to Nigeria has greatly reduced. The committee also found out that Nigeria has so far lost about 1000 soldiers, and spent over $40 billion on peacekeeping operation in Liberia since 1990.

The legislators were also said to have demanded the total overhauling of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and the United Nations on her involvement in peacekeeping operations.

Next stop, Sudan

The committee chairman, Wole Oke, confirmed the visit of the committee to Liberia during a telephone interview yesterday. He also said Mr. Kayode will appear before the committee to discuss the issue with its members, adding that they will visit Dafur, Sudan, soon to check on Nigerian troops there.

Meanwhile, Mr. Oke has urged the Liberian House of Representatives to legislate to ensure permanent peace and unity in the country, even as he promised to convey the country’s request for further assistance on its 2011 poll to President Goodluck Jonathan.

He stated this when he paid a visit in company of defence committee members to the Speaker of the Liberian parliament.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5646242-147/neglect_of_liberia_peacekeepers_shocks_visiting.csp

By SaharaReporters, New York
Kidnappers in Owerri, Imo state on Saturday abducted the first son of a super rich judge of the Court of Appeal, Justice Chioma Iheme-Nwosu.

The kidnapping took place at famous Item 7 Restaurant in Owerri.
The victim was waylaid by kidnappers as he drove into the restaurant in a Bentley car reportedly owned by the judge.

The car was abandoned while the kidnappers drove away with him to an unknown destination. Family sources said the kidnappers later contacted the family demanding N100 million ransom.

Justice Iheme-Nwosu owns a palatial home in Owerri, the house is described as one of the biggest in the Imo state capital.

http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/kidnappers-seize-son-court-appeal-judge-iheme-nwosu

SUNDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2010 00:00 FROM KELVIN EBIRI, PORT HARCOURT NEWS - NATIONAL 

Says Okah Called Him Last Week

SIXTY-THREE militants responsible for the recent spate of attacks on oil facilities and abduction of expatriate and Nigerian oil workers in the Niger Delta have been arrested.

Among those arrested yesterday by the Joint Task Force (JTF) is Obese Kuna, the group’s commander, who was among the thousands of former militants that accepted the Federal Government amnesty in the region.

Obese, however, alleged that Henry Okah, who is on trial in South Africa over the October 1 bombings in Abuja, was their main sponsor.

According to him, Okah called him last week but he dropped the call because he had decided to surrender himself to the authorities.

Obese’s armed group recently seized 19 who were last Wednesday freed by the authorities, following an offensive launched by the JTF targeting Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States.

The hostages included 12 Nigerians, two Americans, two Frenchmen, one Canadian and two Indonesians.
JTF, code-named, Operation Restore Hope, said Obese voluntarily surrendered himself and his cohorts following sustained onslaught by the JTF on his camps around Bonny in Rivers State.

The offensive was the largest military campaign in the Niger Delta since the government offered an amnesty programme in 2007.

Commander of the JTF, Major General Charles Omoregie, who paraded the militants at the Air Force Base, Port Harcourt, said the military intensively raided three of Obese’s camps and recovered 45 AK-47 riffles, 12 general-purpose machine guns, several thousands of assorted ammunition and the sum of N673,000 and.

Other recovered items include brand new military boots and vests, combat uniforms, telescope, several GSM mobile phones, laptops, communication gadgets, such as walkie-talkie, barges with MEND insignia and bulletproof vests.

Omoregie accused 25-year-old Obese, who was ex-MEND commander, Dagogo Farah’s boy, of masterminding the recent attacks on oil facilities and abduction of 19 oil workers.

“These weapons were recovered from three camps that were run by Obese, who released those 19 hostages to us from his camp and volunteered to give up himself.

“He is the one that did all the kidnappings; he is the one, under the pressure from the military through the JTF’s Operation Restore Hope, that released those hostages unhurt to us,” he said.

The JTF commander described, as most worrisome, the fact that Obese had accepted the amnesty granted to militants in the Niger Delta by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, as indicated by his (Obese’s) amnesty registration card.

Omoregie said: “He has been fully registered and he is receiving government allowances based on the agreement of the amnesty. So, it becomes very worrisome that after accepting amnesty and being included in the programme, he should go back to the creeks.

“However, we have brought them out of the creeks and we hope they will not go back to the creeks.”
He expressed dismay that some of those ex-militants, who were granted amnesty like Obese, had all gone back to the creeks to resume criminality such as despoil, piracy, sea robbery and kidnapping.

He reiterated the resolve of the JTF to completely eradicate criminality in the Niger Delta. According to him, the issue of emancipation of the region, as claimed by MEND fighters, had been taken care of by the amnesty programme put in place by the Federal Government.

The Commander, who later handed over the suspects to the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Suleman Abba, said the police were saddled with the responsibility of further interrogation and eventual prosecution of the militants.

The Commissioner of Police lauded the military for, once again, assisting the police in making sure that criminality was eradicated in all forms in the Niger Delta.

Abba said: “What has happened is that they, JTF, have followed the path of justice. What happens to a suspected criminal or if he is suspected to have committed an offence, is that he is to be properly and discreetly investigated.

“Then, he (suspect) is brought to justice. That is to say, he is brought before the court. That is exactly what is going to happen to these suspects.   

“A discreet and diligent investigation will be conducted by our team and the appropriate charges will be put on them, and they will be charged to court.”

Obese told journalists that he was forced to return to the creeks because his former leader, Farah, had abandoned him and others to their fate.

“I am a general commander of MEND. I did not like the way our leader treated us. He (Farah) has not been communicating with us in relationship to how he is relating with the government,” he said.

Obese said that with his surrender, the MEND could no longer carry out attacks in the region.
He said that Henry Okah, who he alleged had been their main sponsor, contacted him last week but he had to drop the call because he had resolved to quit MEND.


http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29897:mend-commander-62-others-arrested&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha clocked 58 years on Tuesday, November 16, 2010. He spoke to NKECHI ONYEDIKA in Abuja on the struggle of the Ijaw nation; the Niger Delta problems; the Amnesty programme for Niger Delta militants; the PDP zoning arrangement and why President Jonathan should be allowed to run; and issues relating to his governorship.

WHAT is your reaction to the Federal Government’s Amnesty programme?

I think the Federal Government has done extremely well and it’s part of our recommendations. It’s a process, and every process takes time. If we still have problems in the Niger Delta when we have a president, what we are fighting for, we have got it. We have no reason at this point in time to rise against our own that is occupying the highest office in the land.

Criminality should be separated from the genuine struggle. There is no society that does not have deviants, but if you now use rascality to disturb the peace of others, the laws of the land will catch up with that person. As far as I am concerned, it’s pure criminality at this point in time.

There is no difference between armed robbery and what they are doing now. Sea piracy is armed robbery. They are stealing oil through bunkering. But I always say it: those boys do not do bunkering; big men in our society do it. Those boys don’t have the connection to bring tankers from abroad to come and steal our oil; they don’t have that connection; somebody is doing it. Crude oil is not garri you sell across the counter; it has to be processed. Nigeria knows, the intelligence community knows where our stolen oil is taken. It’s only that we are not decisive; it is a leadership problem.

As long as there is bunkering in the Niger Delta, you will occasionally come across militancy. Bunkering is the problem and the big men are the ones involved. How many Niger Delta people lift oil? How many Niger Delta people have oil blocks? The oil is there but those that are doing it are hijacking it; they only use those boys for surveillance/escort duties and pay them peanuts.

Thank God that we have a president that understands the problem. How many times had both of us gone to the creeks to salvage people that were kidnapped? We took risks. At times, I ask, why should a governor undertake that type of risk? Several times I did that, unarmed and without escort. I go in their midst.
I have done so much for this country with little gratitude. I repeat, I have done so much for this country but I was paid back with evil. God bless them. The president (Jonathan) knows; I received about five commendation letters from President Obasanjo then, congratulating me for display of courage, and what I have been able to do for the security of this nation. (But) the same man, because of power, did what he did. I don’t want to be provoked to going into it; To God be the glory.

What is your impression about the struggle of the Ijaw nation; what does it actually refer to?

It has been a long struggle; I did not start it. You have heard of Akasa raid.

The Ijaw man by nature is a republican; he doesn’t want to be oppressed. The oil that gives us life, the life support is derived from our land since 1956. Some people say money is blood. If you go to Oloibiri where this all began, the oil company, Shell in particular, that started it only went with caravans just like a wicked child that sucks her mother’s bosom dry and goes away. At the end of it, oil being an asset, they sucked it dry; they dismantled their canopies and caravans and left the place with so many social problems.

The studies that have been carried out, though a bit restricted, if you go through the hazards of oil exploration activities, you will weep for the people, without any adequate remediation programme in place. There are environmental hazards everywhere. The laws are obnoxious; they are repugnant to natural justice, equity and fair play. The laws were meant to protect the Queen. The Federal Government of Nigeria inherited those laws that are so inhuman.

In those days, as a young man, you put pot on fire before you go to the river to get the fish that you will add in the food. Today, they are all gone. There is unwarranted child mortality; very funny sicknesses that were not there before oil exploration; the environment is polluted. There is acid rain and you must constantly be changing your roof maximum every three years because of corrosion. As a result of acid rain, the water we drink is polluted and marine life is destroyed.

We are predominantly farmers and fishermen. When you destroy the livelihood of people without an alternative, you can’t even prosecute them in our law courts because the only courts that have jurisdiction are Federal High Courts and not state’s. And the multinational companies are so rich. How can you, as a poor villager, prosecute a case in a Federal High Court and get justice? When there is oil spillage, the oil companies are the prosecutor; they are the defending officer, and they are the judge, because once they pronounce that it is sabotage, there is no compensation.

So, they were accumulative. You can see why the people in that area became aggressive. Ken Saro-Wiwa led protests; Isaac Boro took up arms to draw Federal Government’s attention. Our time was non-violent approach; we campaigned for resource control, and I carried it on my head. (Former President) Obasanjo would say, ‘ok, you can control your resources but I will manage it.’

Manage? Why? Do you manage something that does not belong to you? That was the issue. We have come to a stage of using our intellect and wisdom to get what should belong to us. But in every revolution, people must pay a supreme price. For those that died in the struggle, may their souls rest in peace; for those of us that are alive, that were bruised, rubbished, today I am alive, celebrating my 58th birthday; I am alive to tell the story. But what of those that were wasted, that cannot today present their case? All types of stories are labeled against you to nail you.

I am a happy man today because the person that was next to me in the state for the struggle is president. That political space we have been fighting for without bloodshed, God has come with His divine judgment. So, who is happier that me? If you go to the state (Bayelsa), the governor there was my special adviser. I have a president, and he is the president of Federal Republic of Nigeria. We can dance Awigiri in Aso Rock and nobody will say no; we can speak Ijaw. How great is this God! So, it’s possible.


Jonathan Should Be Allowed 2011
DO you consider the emergence of Jonathan as president as a divine intervention for the Ijaw nation?

You have said it. We have prayed, fasted and cried. What is our population? Bayelsa has only eight local government areas. If it is numerical strength, in a democracy, by the time you add Kano, Jigawa and Kastina, you have wiped out the whole South-South. In our level of development, it is only God that has done this. So, everyday, I wake up, I say, ‘Lord, I thank you.’ I see myself as John the Baptist; I thank God.

You seem to have so much confidence in President Jonathan?

Yes. There is nobody in Nigeria that knows President Jonathan more than me. I will contest with even his wife because I know him, and I know that he has the capacity to rule this country. He should be supported. I am not saying that other presidential candidates today do not have capacity; they are all eminently qualified. None of them mentioned that is aspiring that is not qualified; my plea with them is that we can only have one king at a time, and we have got a king, anointed. Whoever that says what God has installed, you say no, it’s your problem; whatever you get, don’t complain.

You can see clearly, without looking at any crystal ball, the handwork of God. There are certain things you don’t argue, unless you are saying that you just came down from the sky as a human being without passing through a process, so complicated, you can’t event understand why we are here. There is God and if Nigerians rally around Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the young old man who has just clocked 53, will take us to the next level and he should be given a chance.

Also, his presidency will give confidence to other minority tribes in the country, that we are, indeed, stakeholders in this Nigerian enterprise. So, their turn is also coming. It gives everybody hope and a sense of belonging. The unity of this country is sacrosanct; we must live together. Whatever ills have been discovered, we must seat round the table, and not by the barrel of gun, to resolve them and move this country forward.
But there has been serious argument on whether power should return to the North or not; what is your view on the zoning principle?

As far back as 1953 at the Lancashire Conference, England the rights of minorities were argued prior to Nigeria’s Independence to a point that the Queen of England set up the Willinks Commission. And in that report, it’s clearly stated that the Niger Delta — not the political definition — the Niger Delta, predominantly the Ijaws is a special area and should be treated specially before Independence. There are other clauses but I don’t want to go into it.

The Federal Character is meant to bring people together; it is a good thing. I am also not against zoning but the concept of zoning is deceptive in the arrangement. It is restrictive. Now, everybody is talking not about the Constitution, not about our Federal Character but they are talking about PDP. Zoning is not enshrined in our Constitution but in the PDP constitution. But again, I say it’s deceptive.

They did state that zoning should be between North and South. When you talk of North, it is a region, it is not a zone; the South is a region, not a zone. And even in that constitution, if they were not deceptive, there are six geopolitical zones; they would have stated that the president would come from zone (1) first, or zone 5, zone 4 in that order. The order of rotation is not there and no one has actually tested this zoning in the court of law.

Of course, if Yar’Adua were alive, I am sure Goodluck (Jonathan) will not be talking of running an election; Yar’Adua would have contested in 2011, and other parties would have contested against him. So, I think we are over-flogging this issue just because PDP is the ruling party. Is PDP Nigeria? No. Not all the citizens of this country are members of the PDP. We have about 64 political parties in the country, and who knows tomorrow? Is Labour not ruling in England now?
I think we are over-flogging this issue of zoning. We can argue left and right, but leave this presidency for Goodluck. When we get to the bridgehead, we will know how to cross it after his presidency.
The fear is that if Jonathan is allowed to run in 2011, by 2015, he might be talking of running for a second term…
When we get to the bridgehead in 2011, we shall cross it. We are still in
November, so allow Goodluck to rule. When it is 2015, that decision will
naturally come. In 2007, who among us knew that Yar’Adua would not complete the race?
Those that think that they can do and undo the things of the world without making reference to God are the biggest fools. At the end of the day, God’s decision will stand. So, we should not beat the gun now.


How Yar’Adua Saved My Life

BOTH President Jonathan and Governor Timipre Sylva worked under you, but it appears as if the relationship between them is not cordial. How have you been mediating in the matter?

As far as I am concerned, it is you, journalists and newspaper houses that are creating this seeming difference among them. I have sighted Governor Timipre Sylva several times in the Villa. Only recently, the President was in Bayelsa State and he was in the Government House, the house we all built.
People who live in glass houses don’t throw stones. The Press is Nigeria’s major problem. You remember how they used computer and put a woman on me that I came from overseas, dressed like a woman and many people believed; our illiterate believed that it happened that way in the name of politics. Go and ask the publisher of the newspaper that published the picture how he used graphics to do what he did.

Are you trying to tell us that you never disguised yourself as a woman?

Go and ask the publisher what he did. I am mentioning names; he will tell you that people did not read the footnote — that it was graphics. But when you present somebody’s picture and underneath you make one tiny remark, how many people that even have eyes for detail, will take time to read that?

I am in Ijaw man, a very proud Ijaw man. Of course, if they (security/airport people) saw me dressed like that, why didn’t they arrest me in the first place? But that is story of the past; I don’t go back. For those that did what they did, most of them had come to beg me; they had come to apologize and I have forgiven them. Some had died; some had gone through very terrible experiences. I saw death several times but thank God I am alive, and to God be the glory.

Do you have regrets over anything, especially your removal as the governor of Bayelsa State and are you considering returning to the political arena?

No, I am a kingmaker; I have no political ambition. Leadership is a relay race; I have handed over. That is not to say I will keep quiet if things are going wrong. I am a stakeholder.
I wasn’t impeached; I was removed and if I was not pressurized or cajoled to go into a plea bargain, you won’t be sitting down with me here; I would have died.

I thank the late President Yar’Adua for pleading with me to come out. That was how his elder brother (Maj.-Gen. Shehu Yar’Adua) was killed; that was how (Chief MKO) Abiola died. Very instructive, I remember his (President Yar’Adua’s) exact words and it was a good decision I took to listen to the President pleading with me. The man was helpless. It is not easy to fight the government; it is a great lesson.

What is your relationship with former President Olusegun Obasanjo; did you ever feel betrayed by him?

I have made this statement before; I don’t discuss somebody I don’t have regards for. Obasanjo is an important person in Nigeria; he has done so much for this country; he made tremendous sacrifices in nation building. It will be unfair for me to make derogatory statements on somebody that has ruled this country three times.
In 1999 and 2003, I played a major role in making him president. Obasanjo did not vote for me; I voted for him. He knows what he did; I have forgiven him, and I don’t want to discuss it again. We are serving only one God. I’m Happy To Develop The Youth

How do you feel at 58?

I am an accomplished man and I give God all the glory. If I will take a statistics of those that have attained the age of 58 vis-à-vis their accomplishments on planet earth, then you can appreciate what I am talking about. To me, God has been wonderful; I was specially created.

What were your greatest achievements as governor of Bayelsa State?

I am no longer a governor; so, I can talk about it. My greatest achievement while in office was in the area of capacity building. When I became a governor in 1999, Bayelsa State was near ungovernable; the military was even unable to contain them (militancy and criminality). You can’t walk on the streets of Yenagoa as from 4pm. That was the peak of Egbesu (deity) that we were hearing: this false sense of security that with Egbesu, you are invincible. So, even a child of 10-13years can dare a giant.

It was a very false premise; that was the time I became a governor.
When I made a quick appreciation of what really was the problem, I discovered that 85-90 percent of the youths that were creating this problems were school drop-outs; they did not have five credits in school certificate exams to enable them go to the university. They had to feed; they became local heroes in their communities, and of course, they had very strong followership.

So, what I did was to establish a College of Arts and Science and the first intakes then were 5,000, to come and remedy their deficiencies free. With the 5,000, the crime rate dropped. Then, I established the College of Nursing and a College of Health Technology.

It dawned on me that the products of the College of Arts and Science needed to have somewhere to go; so the next stage was how to absorb the army of students graduating from the College. I thought of establishing our own State University, because there was no way other universities in the country would absorb all of them. Hence, I established the Niger Delta University.
I did not stop there. I went to all the major towns and villages to identify the ringleaders that were creating problems in the state and they were 53 of them. I sent them to the American Institute in Gbuwai in Cameroun for 18 months in vocational courses. However, those boys caused the first riot since the establishment of that Institute. They raised the spirit of Egbesu right there in Cameroun. The principal ran to me and I said, ‘if they were good, I wouldn’t have sent them; you must transform them and they are not coming back.’ Luckily, the principal of school was a Yoruba woman.

I also had a very liberal scholarship scheme. I sent 350 students to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus to study engineering, medicine and agriculture. Today, I am very proud, as most of them have returned and their parents are so happy. From state of hopelessness, they now have graduates in their families in very important disciplines. In Europe, any Bayelsan that could read could go for Masters and PhDs. We had IPAC, an agreement with British Universities where we send students for Masters and PhDs and I know that most of them, if not all, had returned.

That is my philosophy of eradicating poverty. With education, you liberate the person’s mind, and then they will be able to conquer their environment. I created awareness, and located Bayelsan, the Ijaw man strategically. I did not discriminate; whether you come from Delta, Arugbo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers State, once you are an Ijaw man, you are a Bayelsan.

I wanted to integrate the Ijaw nation that is so balkanized. I wanted every Ijaw man to see Bayelsa as the epicentre of our struggle as a nation and I achieved that. So, to me, if it is a singular achievement, I consider that as most important. Today, from your house, you can go to the university; I am proud of that.

Why are you referred to as Governor-General?

I just touched it. A leader must be courageous, a leader must have capacity, a leader must have character, and I have it all. I just told you that I was able to bring all Ijaws not only in Nigeria, even those in the Diaspora to appreciate where they are coming form, their identity, culture and values. As a governor of
Bayelsa State, if I go to Delta, if I go to Rivers State, if go to anywhere, I
am celebrated because I take them as my home, and I intervene in any problem and I try to solve. Until my last breathe, I will continue to play that role, even out of office within the limits of my ability.
Ideally, whoever that becomes governor of Bayelsa State should be Governor-General but no one even wants to try it and contest. So, it has become a second of Chief (Dr) D.S.P Alamieyeseigha. If
anyone tries it, they will stone that person; that is it.

http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29865:alamieyeseigha-criminality-takes-over-niger-delta&catid=73:policy-a-politics&Itemid=607

Nov 17, 2010
By Victoria Ojeme

ABUJA—A Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential aspirant, Mrs Sarah Jubril, has slammed a chieftain of the party in Kwara State, Chief Olusola Saraki, for politically enslaving the people of the state, insisting that he was only using his children to swindle the political liberty of Kwarans.
Mrs Jubril, in a chat with newsmen, noted that it was treachery against the poor and women, “if women now come out and say Gbemi should not be governor.
“People will say women are working against women. Are other women in Kwara State not capable to contest for House of Representative and Senate or even governor, so why must it be the Sarakis alone?
“Please, check the roots of Sarakis. I beg you, did he not come out one time to say he is allegedly from Mali?
“Please check the magazine where it was published because I have it. We are not sure of the indigeneship of Dr Saraki, so in the name of Allah that he worships, let him be fair to Kwarans. Has he not enjoyed enough support and political dividends from Kwarans?
“Kwara must not continue to be imprisoned politically; Nigeria is 50 years now, it is jubilee also for Kwarans; they should stop enslaving Kwarans,” she said.
Commenting on her involvement in PDP, Mrs Jubril stated that she was on a rescue mission to the party.
She said: “The reason I came back to the PDP is that I am on a rescue mission of PDP, on the rescue mission for the women of this country, rescue mission of the youth of this country and the generation yet to be born.”
“We cannot continue to run a democracy of double standard and large hypocrisy and by occultism and moral irresponsibility, we cannot run a democracy on culture of corruption, if we all believe and hope in this country.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/11/sarah-jubril-accuses-saraki-of-enslaving-kwara/

pointblanknews.com
Date Published: 11/15/10

E.K Clark risks expulsion from PDP …As President Jonathan insist it's Uduaghan

Former information Minister and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Edwin Clark may be expelled from the ruling party in what officials of the party consider as his “gross disloyalty to the party directives and position.”

Chief Clark, a die-hard supporter of President Goodluck Jonathan Presidential bid is accused of flaunting the PDP directives that all of its members work towards the re-election of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who was the latest PDP Governor removed by a court of Appeal.

Rather, has been championing calls for the replacement of Dr. Uduaghan and calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to immediately arrest the former Governor. But the EFCC said it has no case or petition against Dr. Uduaghan while the PDP insist that it has no plans and would not substitute the former Governor.

A national officer of the PDP in Abuja told our correspondent that instead, the activities of the former Information Minister who is seen as a leader of the party has continued to heat up and disintegrate the party in Delta State.

“We are very much concern with the way the Chief has been carrying on and if he is not careful, he might be expelled from our party for anti-party activities. We expect that regardless of his hatred for the former Governor, we are all in the same party and if he has a personal problem with the Uduaghan, he should treat that personally and not bring it into the party.”

According to the PDP official who does not want to be named “the party has decided to support Uduaghan’s re-election and such decision is now a directive that all PDP members in the state should support the PDP candidate. Anyone who does not follow the directive will be considered to be disobeying the party and we have rules on how to deal with such situation.”

Sources told Pointblanknews.com that some Delta State party officials have also been looking at the activities of the former Minister with a view to deciding on the appropriate action to take if he continues in moves aimed at hurting the PDP.

While some are considering a written warning to Chief Clark, others are insisting that if his activities continue to give grave concern to the Party in the state, an expulsion would be considered.

“We respect him as an elder and we expect that he should behave like one. We are not happy that he has continued to say things that put out party at a disadvantage position. The party has spoken at the national level and even here in the state and it is expected that we all fall in line. If he continues the way he is going, he might be inviting the wrath of the party.”

Meanwhile, Pointblanknews.com gathered that President Jonathan at a recent meeting told Chief Clark that he has decided to back the former Governor for his reelection as that is the only way he is guaranteed Delta State delegates ahead of the PDP Presidential primaries.

Pointblanknews.com was informed by insiders at the Presidential Villa that Chief Clark had expressed anger over the President’s meeting with Dr. Uduaghan without his presence and had warned the President of his support for the former Governor.

But the President, it was gathered told Chief Clark that his decision to support Dr. Udughan was final as he cannot be seen to be going against the party’s decision to support the former Governor.

http://www.pointblanknews.com/News/os4179.html

BY SEGUN BALOGUN
November 16, 2010 05:20AM


The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday said it will take a legal action against claims made by a Nollywood actress, Ufoma Ejenabor.

Addressing a media briefing on the issue, Segun Olusesi, the Chief of Staff of the Assembly, said the House will make the issue a deterrent case. The incident,which happened on October 29 on Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, had two different accounts from the two parties.

While Ufoma claimed one of the vehicles (the Pilot) in the lawmakers' convoy hit her Nissan Xterra car, Mr. Olusesi, who claimed to be driving directly behind the Pilot vehicle said Miss Ufoma drove into the convoy, hitting the left rear of ‘the pilot ‘ vehicle's bumper with her right front bumper.

"Even if it is true that we hit her car, which cannot be proven from the video recording, when there is an accident on the road, the first thing you do is not to call a lawyer. So, it was obvious she was onto something right from the beginning and that was why the Speaker directed that everything be recorded," he said.

A rowdy scene ensued and rather than continue on their journey to Lagos University Teaching Hospital to visit an ailing lawmaker, who died three days later, the lawmakers decided to drive to Zone 2 Police headquarters at Onikan. As seen from the footage provided, the intervention of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lateef Junaid could not resolve the impasse as Mrs. Ejenabor refused all entreaties.

Claims and counter claims

Though, Mrs. Ejenabor did not make any statement to the police, she claimed, in a letter dated November 2 and written to the Speaker by her lawyer, Obinna Ukawoko, that she was beaten and that her vehicle was damaged. She also alleged that the following items stolen: white gold necklace (N850,000), Silver Gucci wristwatch (N475,000), Pink Ipod (N55,000), Blackberry Bold (N150,000) and Channel Sunglasses ($1,215). She also claimed that her wedding band, worth £3,000 was broken and her damaged vehicle will be repaired for N595,000.

"We have our client's firm directive to demand N35million as compensation," said the letter, advising the Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, to quickly pay in order to avert imminent bad publicity and legal action.

Mr. Olusesi rebuffed all the claims, saying that the video showed Mrs. Ejenabor as she drove her car away from the police station without any visible damage and she still had her wedding band and bag while she was at the station.

"The photograph of her damaged car, as she claimed in the media, can be best described as insurance fraud and an attempt to extort and blackmail this Honourable House and the Right Honourable Speaker in particular," he said.

"Nobody touched her. At a time when the security officers were not sure what to do with her, one of them wanted to deflate her tyres, but the Speaker kept shouting from inside his vehicle that nobody should touch her vehicle." "If she was beaten by policemen as she claimed, she won't be the one to drive her vehicle to Zone 2 headquarters. Her dress was intact throughout and she claimed she was stripped. She alleged that her fingernails were broken but she refused to show the police. And if she was truly in pains as a result of the beating, she will not be able to put up such display at the police station." "She provoked everybody present, including the members of the public. She wanted to be beaten by the way she behaved but we were lucky and matured enough, especially because we were in a state of mourning and that is why we didn't give it to her."

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/5642551-146/story.csp

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/uche-nworah/my-friend-and-brother-nze-sunny-ogbu-1965-2010.html

November 15, 2010

By Uche Nworah


Nze Sunny Ogbu or Nze as we all fondly called him was a man that God planted on this earth to spread cheer through his many acts of kindness, and through his funny take on life in general. His sense of humour was infectious and being around him for a second was enough to have even the hardest of hearts melt away in joy. You will never in your life think that anybody will ever have it in his or her plans to harm such a man, not to talk about pointing a gun at his head and blowing his brains out at close range, all in the name of Nigerian politics. Perhaps, this must have been the reason why Igwe Joe Odenigbo, another close friend of ours had remarked that those who murdered Nze did not know him, for if they did, they would have known that Nze didn’t mean anybody any harm. A jolly good fellow he was in every sense of the word.

Born to the Ogbudibe family in Akpulu, Imo state of Nigeria. Nze was the loving and caring husband of Helen Anyiam Sunny-Ogbu, and father of Chiazokam Ogbu. He was a brother, friend, uncle and associate of many and so it is with heavy hearts that we are all struggling to come to terms with the sad reality that Nze is no more, his dreams and hopes for a better Nigeria brutally and tragically cut short by the bullets of hired assassins on the evening of Sunday, October 24th 2010 in Urualla – Imo state as he was returning to his native Akpulu from a political rally.

Nze will not fit into your bill of a typical Nigerian politician; his philosophy of politics without bitterness was modelled after the late Waziri Ibrahim of GNPP. He never saw politics as a ‘do or die’ affair believing strongly in his catholic faith that only the will of God will prevail at all times. This much he told the people of his constituency that Saturday, the 8th of August 2010 as we accompanied him on a whistle –stop tour of towns and villages in Ideato North & South federal constituency in Imo state, a day that officially marked the flag- off of his campaign to seek election to represent the good people of Ideato North & South in the federal house of representatives under the platform of the PDP, a position currently being occupied by Rufus Omeire.

In life, Nze represented the true ABU (Aba –Brought- Up) spirit, surviving against the odds. He opened the doors to his heart, wealth, home and office to those in need, friends and family. He was the rallying point for ABUs and Nigerian diasporas that had lived in Israel where he had lived in the nineties before returning back home to settle in Abuja. Having made good, he easily made his platform and resources available to those coming in newly into Nigeria’s capital city mentoring, guiding, advising and supporting. In appreciation of his rare acts of brotherhood and kindness, the entire Ogbu clan during the Ogbu day celebration in December 2008 honoured him with the award of ‘Best Brother’, with the award for ‘Best Sister’ going to Ngozi Ogbu-Nnaji who had lost her daughter (Chidera) in the 2005 Sosoliso plane crash.

Nze was to me what Ndigbo would call Nwanne di na mba (brother from a distant land) or Enyi ka Nwanne (a friend that is more precious than a blood brother).It was Obi Agobua, my classmate at C.I.C Enugu that took me to the family home of the Ogbus for the first time in 1988. Obi had insisted that I meet Nze before the start of the first semester as I prepared to begin my freshman year at the then University of Cross River state (now the University of Uyo) where they had just finished their sophomore years. As I was admitted to study Communication arts, a course Nze had been enrolled on and studied for 2 years, Obi wanted Nze to take me under his wings and ‘show me the way’ around the department. My friendship and brotherhood with Nze and the Ogbus including Nnamdi, Ikenna, Adaobi, Somadina and the rest of them began that day. Through the years, we have shared many triumphs and disappointments, survived a near tragic armed robbery attack in 2007 while preparing for the public presentation of my book – The Long Harmattan Season in Abuja, an event Nze emceed and championed.

Our lives were intertwined. We were business partners and close confidants sharing family moments together. Nze met his wife Helen at George’s (my elder brother) wedding in Aba while I met my wife at Chimezie’s (his younger brother) wedding in Lagos. I will never forget how my brother Nze hurriedly moved out of his rented apartment with his wife and young daughter and moved into their uncompleted personal house in Kubwa, near Abuja so that my fiancée who was having accommodation problems at the time could move in. I cannot begin to recount his many selfless acts towards me and others, none of whom would have imagined that the man we all love and hold in high esteem will be one of the first casualties of Nigeria’s coming elections. This is a heart wrenching tale as my friend and brother has now become the latest addition to the growing list of well-meaning, good natured and good intentioned Nigerian politicians assassinated by desperate and wicked Nigerian politicians.

Saying that Nze had a passion for life would be stating the obvious. God blessed him with great oratory skills, this he applied in fighting the cause of oppressed. He was Igbo leader at the University of Uyo and in Israel during his diaspora days. He was at the forefront fighting the cause of displaced Kubwa residents as Chairman of the Kubwa Landlords Association before the Justice Idris Kuta Senate ad-hoc committee on the Kubwa land crises of 2005.

Nze attended the famous Constitution Crescent Primary School, Aba (Santa Maria), Eziama High School, Aba where he was an active member of the debating society and the University of Uyo where he studied Communication Arts. While at Uyo, he founded a comedy group - Nze and the Idiots which thrilled at major campus events.

Those who knew Nze will testify to his good nature. We may cry, curse and doubt. Our hearts may bleed at the brutal nature of his passing. We may wonder; why Nze Sunny Ogbu? A man that lived his life for his family and for others. His heart was pure, his smile genuine. His kindness was great and legendary; Nze was slow to anger, always seeing the funny and sunny side to life’s many challenges.

Nze blessed and touched us all in many ways. He taught us lessons in friendship, kindness, contentment, hope, sharing, love for family and for the next person. We will forever remember him for the man he was, he will still be that man forever in our hearts, for to live in the hearts of those we love is not to die but to live forever.

May God keep Nze in his bosom and keep us all that he has left behind from harm. Amen.

http://nze-sunny-ogbu.memory-of.com/About.aspx

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/uche-nworah/my-friend-and-brother-nze-sunny-ogbu-1965-2010.html

Reuben Abati
November 14, 2010

THE parliament, known in our own context as the legislature, is the connecting thread of the democratic process and arguably its most central institution. The quality of a country’s democracy can be easily judged via the quality of its parliament, how accessible, transparent, representative it is, and the extent to which it serves as a stabilizing force, especially at critical national moments, when it may on behalf of the people provide direction with regard to policy actions and the relationship among various constituencies. It is along these lines that the Speakers of Parliaments resolved at a 2005 UN World Summit as follows that “parliament is the central institution through which the will of the people is expressed, laws are passed, and government is held to account.”

There have been moments in Nigerian history, during the First Republic, and occasionally during the Second Republic when the parliament in Nigeria showed flashes of such relevance. But since 1999, parliament has been such a funny part of this democratic process, it remains essentially inchoate, behaving for the most part as a truncation element, which compelled Senator Joseph Wayas to boast on one occasion, that he led a far more productive and respectable Federal parliament during the Second Republic. I am tempted to think that he is right.

For, to paraphrase Pliny the elder, “something new” is perpetually coming out of our parliaments at all levels and at the Federal level what we have is no better than a Congress for Scandal. The class of 1999 was undistinguished. The class of 2003 almost forced a tenure elongation proposal down the throat of Nigerians. The class of 2007 has been an infernal nuisance, greedy, alimentary, obsessed as it is with its own interests as opposed to the people’s interests. There isn’t enough space to itemize, line by line, the various “crimes” that the current Federal Parliament has committed against the Nigerian people. I intend to draw attention to the three most recent faux pas.

Preliminary questions: is this not the same parliament that began its career with well-advertised obsession with benefits and privileges with crisis arising therefrom? Was it not in this same parliament that a female Speaker lost her position due to allegations of gross misconduct, only for her to end up later with a National Honour? Can anyone forget that it was in this same parliament that a Speaker chose to defend the interest of importers of generators whose investments he reckoned should not be jeopardized through the provision of regular electricity to the people? Is this not the same parliament that has caused the present electoral and constitutional crisis when it chose to dilly-dally and shilly-shally over the constitution amendment process? And please, is this not the same parliament that refused to entertain a significant request that Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Ogoni environmental rights activist who was murdered by the Nigerian government, is deserving of national recognition? Now, let us return to the three most recent somersaults which raise more questions about the quality and relevance of our Federal legislature. First is the attempt by the National Assembly to introduce a new law which creates special pension benefits for former Heads of state, former Presidents and Vice Presidents and their children and spouses (until the last one dies), heads of Federal legislative houses and their deputies, and former Chief Justices of the Federation. The proposed Bill, dripping with greed and absurdity (see “Scandalous Pension benefits for former leaders”, The Guardian, November 5) has since been passed by the National Assembly, it is now before the President for his assent.

The President must not sign that Bill into law, for by their procedure, the lawmakers are seeking to violate a trite principle of law, namely that no subsidiary piece of legislation can override the Constitution, such law is to the extent of its inconsistency with the Constitution null and void. Section 84 of the 1999 Constitution, a similar provision exists also in the 1979 Constitution, approves special pension benefits only for former Presidents. Until that section of the Constitution is amended, and which has not been done, no piece of legislation can be used to extend special pension benefits to those who have not been so recognized in the basic law. Someone should please go to court and plead the issue on this score, lest the lawmaking assembly is allowed to so blatantly break the law of the land. The second piece of scandal from the National Assembly in recent weeks, was in the shape of an amendment to the Electoral Act through which the legislators are proposing that all elected principal members of the National Assembly must be automatic members of the National Executive Committee of the political parties that they represent. The real intent of the Bill is to ensure that political appointees of state Governors and the President are no longer automatic delegates to party conventions, and to do this will achieve the effect of reducing the suffocating powers of state Governors within the present ruling party who with their numbers, have wielded enormous influence during election seasons. Principal members of the National Assembly, of which there are many, will with their membership of their party’s NEC, then constitute the party leadership. The view has been expressed that this will make the NEC unwieldy but this applies only to the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), and it is where the problem lies.

Members of the PDP control the majority number of seats in the National Assembly: what they have done is to push a law which is meant as a Special Purpose Vehicle to redirect (so they think) the balance of power within their party. This is unacceptable. The National Assembly cannot and must not be used to serve private purposes. Laws cannot be made simply because a cabal seeks to achieve its selfish ends. The responsibility of parliament is to make laws for the good governance of the country. The reverse has been the bane of our democratic process. And I immediately recall in this regard Lee Kuan Yew’s revelation in his From The Third World to Firs: The Singapore Story (at page 393), about how Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance in the First Republic, told him certain tax regulations in his country, Nigeria had been changed because he, the Minister of Finance was planning to set up a shoe factory! Lee Kuan Yew could not believe that anyone would do such a thing: to cause laws to be changed for strictly personal benefit. In 2010, the story of Nigeria has not changed.

The proposed amendment apart from being thus self-serving as the one on special pension benefits, also amounts to meddling in the affairs of political parties: “every political party in Nigeria shall establishing its constitution a National Executive Committee (NEC) which shall be the highest decision making body of a political party.” This is an attempt to violate the internal democracy of those parties. Political parties are supposed to be independent associations of like minds, who have come together to seek power and influence the direction of society because they believe in a particular set of ideology and values. The proposed legislation talks about principal members in the National Assembly being members of parties’ NEC. There are 62 political parties in Nigeria at the moment; not all of them have members in the National Assembly.

So, how do such parties compose their own National Executive Committees? And what will be the case if in the future we have independent candidates? General laws and guidelines already exist which political parties are required to abide by such as the provisions of the Electoral Act on campaign finance but to dictate how the leadership of a party should be composed is not the business of the legislature. Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison in The Federalist Papers No. 10, describe political parties as factions opposed to the national interest, in other words, they are diverse representations of the people’s interests, out of which the people are entitled to make a choice. There is however no mention of political parties in the American Constitution. In reality, they are mere electoral machines to facilitate the election of individuals into office and platforms for the aggregation of consensus and ideology. Americans do not dissipate energies on political parties as we do in Nigeria.
The urgent challenge with regard to our political parties is not who sits on their NECs, but how to turn our political parties into relevant organs. Parties in Nigeria these days have become like churches, or eateries, just about anyone who feels moved by the spirit and needs to be engaged sets up one without any understanding of purpose or mission. If members of the PDP have issues within their parties, they should go to their party meetings to resolve those issues and not seek to make national laws to resolve them. Their party Constitution for example is still a subject of much disagreeableness. It is in that Constitution that they can talk about the composition of NEC.

The third piece of scandalous legislation is that dealing with the inauguration of Presidents. The National Assembly is proposing a law which will put its members in charge of Presidential inauguration. Where is the motivation for this coming from? Well, there are funds involved and our lawmakers will like to be in charge of those funds! Again, this is another case of self-serving legislative work. The Federal lawmakers may have been inspired by the example of the United States where Presidential inauguration is overseen by a Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. But there is a critical difference which our lawmakers may have overlooked. In the United States, the system of elections is staggered. At the time a US President is elected and inaugurated every four years, there is a Congress in place, while the Executive is departing. It is Congress that is the central, surviving institution. The Americans hold Congress elections every two years and the Presidential election every four years. There is a gap of about three months between the election of a President and his inauguration on January 20 of the following year. By that time, Congress would have settled down and appointed its officers.

In Nigeria, both the Executive and the Legislature are elected to power at the same time, which makes it practically impossible for the latter to take on the responsibility of managing Presidential inauguration. Indeed, since 1999 the President is sworn in, before the parliament is inaugurated. So, how does a new, in-coming parliament take charge of Presidential inauguration? In addition, the lawmakers insist that the inauguration of the President must take place within the premises of the National Assembly. Well, sheer imitation. Presidential inaugurations in the United States take place at the Capitol, but that has not always been so, and the location for the event is not written into any law, it has evolved only as a tradition. What is most important is not even an inauguration, with all the parades and dinners, but the swearing-in-ceremony which requires the President to take an oath of office!
Further, the proposed legislation states that former Presidents, Vice Presidents, Speakers, Senate Presidents and their Deputies, former and serving Chief Justices of the Federation, and heads of the Federal Government shall attend Presidential inaugurations, and they shall do so with their spouses. Shall? Shall in this context is a command, a mandatory order, suggestive of sanction in the event of non-compliance. So what sanctions are the lawmakers proposing? So if a former leader does not want to attend a Presidential inauguration or he is indisposed, or his spouse is, they are required by law to do otherwise? Our lawmakers shall not make such frivolous laws, which translate into acting in vain. The truth is that even an out-going President is not duty bound to attend his successor’s swearing-in-ceremony! In the same United States which our lawmakers are trying to copy, there have been at least four five instances when out-going Presidents did not attend Presidential inauguration.

Parliamentarians should not behave in a manner that gives the impression that they are merely interested in their own welfare and how they can use their position to gain more privileges, for they stand the risk of making themselves irrelevant. It hurts to see that the process of amending the Constitution and the Electoral Act has been reduced to this level. There are more serious pieces of legislation which can promote the national interest which our lawmakers have ignored. The Anti-Terrorism Bill, the Freedom of Information Bill, the Cybercrime Bill – all these are pending Bills which the National Assembly has failed to treat with dispatch and there are many others. Nigeria is in need of legislative reform. We need a parliament that works, a constructive and systematic parliament that promotes significant ethos to raise national integrity. At the moment, this is what we lack, at both the Federal and state levels. President Jonathan is advised to not to sign any of these frivolous amendments and proposed legislations into law and civil society must resist any attempt by the National Assembly to impose its selfish will.


http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/reuben-abati/nigerias-parliament-a-congress-for-scandal.html

Posted: November 15, 2010 - 23:16

http://www.saharareporters.com/article/emeagwali-responds-what-did-emeagwali-discover

Introduction: This is the first in our weekly Monday series that will provide answers to our most frequently asked questions. In this column, we will focus on Philip Emeagwali’s discoveries and inventions, and will answer specific questions, such as, Why was Emeagwali called one of the fathers of the Internet?

How did his seventeen years in eight degree programs at five universities help him solve one of the “20 Grand Challenges” in science and engineering? Why did he need a supercomputer that sends and receives emails as an internet to solve it? How did he get exclusive access to a supercomputer, which today costs 1.32 BILLION dollars, according to The Wall Street Journal (October 4, 2010)?

Most importantly, how did he become a famous scientist? The key to success, Emeagwali believes, is to make discoveries and inventions and then become famous for creating new knowledge to be taught to mankind, present and future. The reason President Bill Clinton extolled Philip Emeagwali for creating the knowledge now used to program the supercomputer is that Clinton understood that the inventor is the first teacher of his invention to humanity.

Our weekly series will put the most emphasis on his discoveries and inventions. We’ll begin with Emeagwali’s “41 patent claims,” filed 20 years ago.

Regards,

His Inventions

Philip Emeagwali scribbled the actual equations used by the oil company Exxon (now Exxon Mobil) to simulate the flow of oil, water, and gas inside its petroleum reservoirs. Emeagwali pointed out that four forces exist inside every petroleum reservoir; he discovered that the Exxon Mobil equation had summed only three forces. Emeagwali correctly summed all four forces, namely: pressure, viscosity, gravity, and inertia. After learning about his discovery, Mobil Research and Development invited him (in a letter dated March 19, 1990) help the company in “reservoir simulation.” It’s as abstract as the Navier-Stokes equations listed in the “Seven Millennium Problems” but yet computably solved by Emeagwali. His equivalent of six degrees in mathematics and engineering helped him to discover the 36 partial derivative inertial terms and to invent 36 algorithms for solving them.

His Lectures

As an invited speaker at the world’s largest gathering of mathematicians on July 8, 1991, in Washington, D.C, Philip Emeagwali presented his discoveries and inventions to the field’s foremost experts. From 1993 to 1998, Emeagwali represented the world’s two premier computer societies, The IEEE Computer Society and the Association for Computing Machinery, as their Distinguished Speaker at Computer Science Departments in the United States. As the headline speaker at a top science festival (on January 30, 2009, near Calcutta, India), he held 7,000 attendees spellbound for 40 minutes. When he stepped down from the stage, the audience mobbed him like a rock star.

How “41 Patent Claims” Was Shortened to “Patents”

Stories evolve, often subtly, with each retelling by others. The retelling of the story of “the 41 patent claims” that Philip Emeagwali told on July 8, 1991 at the International Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics evolved into “41 patents.”

This conference is to mathematics what the World Cup is to soccer—unique and held only once every four years. Emeagwali told mathematicians at the conference that he had filed 41 patent claims, which covered the 36 algorithms he had invented for solving the 36 partial derivative inertial terms that he had discovered.

As non-mathematicians retold his story, his “41 patent claims” was shortened to “41 patents.” Similarly, his young age of 35 years, published accurately in a 1989 interview, was repeated over and over for 21 years, which contributed to a few mistaken tabloid media attacks claiming Emeagwali had “lied about his age.”

Philip Emeagwali told the mathematicians at the International Congress that his 41 patent claims were precise legal definitions of his algorithms for solving the 36 partial derivative inertial terms that he had discovered. He filed his 36 algorithms as 36 patent claims to avoid losing some of his rights and protection under the law. He also filed five additional dependent claims, bringing his total number of claims to 41.

Emeagwali stopped pursuing his patent claims because the United States Patent and Trademark Office told him that his 36 algorithms were discoveries, not inventions. He argued that they were inventions, not discoveries, explaining that although the Second Law of Motion encoded within his algorithms was not patentable, his algorithmic techniques that embodied that Second Law within supercomputers should be, because they are the discrete analogue of the 36 partial derivative inertial terms that he had discovered. In other words, they were functions with input and output.

Patenting algorithms was a gray area in 1989.Today, it is possible to patent algorithms; however, because he publicly disclosed his inventions in 1989, the one year filing deadline passed.

Importantly, scientific progress is only measured by discoveries, not patents. To discover means to see something that is previously unseen or unknown. Philip Emeagwali discovered that petroleum reservoir engineers summed only three forces, instead of summing all four forces within their oilfields. The word “invent” means the contrivance of that which did not before exists. He invented 36 algorithms for summing all four forces.

To invent means to originate or create as a product of the inventor’s ingenuity. It does not mean to patent. In supercomputing, it means to correctly formulate and solve one of the “Twenty Grand Challenges” at a world-record speed. Philip Emeagwali simulated the flow of oil, water, and gas— with the forces correctly summed—at the then unheard of speed of 3.1 billion calculations per second. It was a Grand Challenge that was of interest to Mobile, but completed by one man in 1989.

In summary, Philip Emeagwali received a standing ovation at the International Congress for telling the field’s foremost experts that: Exxon was falsifying its petroleum reservoir equations and that the equations taught in universities are not equating to what’s happening inside a petroleum reservoir. It is an unpatented invention just as the internet is an unpatented invention. Your dictionary defines the word “invention” without using the word “patent” and groundbreaking inventions, such as the Internet, cannot be patented because it has many fathers, mothers, aunts, and uncles. Most importantly, the discoverer is the first teacher of his discovery to humanity.

http://www.saharareporters.com/article/emeagwali-responds-what-did-emeagwali-discover

Nov 15, 2010
By Gbenga Ariyibi

ADO-EKITI — Ekiti State Government has accused ousted governor of the State, Engr Segun Oni, his Deputy, Dr Sikiru Tae Lawal, Senator Ayo Arise and former Minister during the regime of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof Babalola Borisade and other top political office holders of alleged mismanagement of N1.8 billion micro credit scheme executed during the regime of Engr Segun Oni.
An audit report carried out by Abike Soniki and co (an accountant) ordered by the government revealed that as much as N1.765 billion is presently in the hands of the former political functionaries and top politicians under the regime of Engr Segun Oni.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant Media to the Governor, Mr Mojeed Jamiu yesterday noted that these former government functionaries served as guarantors and mentors to the beneficiaries, noting that fictitious names were used to siphon the money.
According to the report titled “Audit Report of Ekiti State Micro-Credit Agency for the Three Years Ended 31st December, 2009″, Oni took N2.2million to disburse to 15 beneficiaries.
Former Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun took N1.8million for 18. For both sums, there was no repayment. Senator Ayo Arise obtained N2.47 million for disbursement to 60 beneficiaries for which none paid anything back.
Yinka Akerele, a former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant got N1 million for the benefit of 10 people. Out of this amount, N65, 000 had been paid back.
Also listed are Oni’s running mate, Dr. Tae Lawal, (N25 million); deposed Senator Femi Kila (N10 million), Rt. Rev. S.O. Oke (N9.973 million); Bisi Kolawole ( N7.89 million); Chief Elemure Ogunyemi, a local musician, ( N7.82 million); former Finance Commissioner, Tunji Adeniyi (N7.36 million); Femi Bamisile (N6.89 million); Air Vice Marshal Ernest Adeleye (N6.66 million); and Dr. Jide Josiah (N4.98 million).
Others are Sir. Remi Omotosho (N4.86 million), Senator I. O Akinyede (for N3.835 million); Engr Bisi Aje (N3.86 million) and Barrister B.I. Ogunsemi, the agency’s manager (N3.76 million).
Former deputy governor, Abiodun Aluko got N5.4million on behalf of 117 beneficiaries. The repayment stood at N1.84million. Prof Babalola Borishade, former Aviation Minister, stood for 31 people, who got N1.8million and paid nothing back.
Other guarantors with defaulters include legislators, prominent members of the Segun Oni Campaign Organisation, SOCO, traditional rulers, friends of the government and civil servants.
The case of Tunde Ojo, a member of the board of the Oodua Group of Companies, provides a window into the shoddiness that characterized the agency’s operation.
Ojo had put down the name of one Dayo Adetunmbi as having guaranteed N1.6million for 32 people. When contacted he denied being a guarantor for anybody in the loan scheme.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/11/ekiti-govt-accuses-oni-arise-others-of-embezzling-n1-8bn/

Posted: November 14, 2010 - 01:16


Dear General Buhari: I sincerely believe you should not contest next year’s presidential election. Of course, if we are asking you to stay off, NOBODY should even contemplate mentioning the name of Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. In a decent country, Babangida should be in jail or already hanged for multiple murders. So, this letter is just about you, who some of us still consider a very decent human being with some flaws.

You were an icon of moral rectitude and genuine patriotism until your sojourn with the late despot, Gen. Sani Abacha, as Chairman of the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF). While Abacha’s murderous regime lasted, not for once did we hear you insist that the right things must be done. You were there when Alhaja Kudirat Abiola was murdered. You propped Abacha up when Pa Alfred Rewane was murdered in the comfort of his home. And there were others like that including protesters who were killed for insisting that the results of a democratic election be respected and the winner announced.

As PTF Chairman, you were an ethnic champion with the way projects under your supervision were executed. The Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, Shagamu/Benin Expressway and their Ibadan/Ilorin counterpart became death traps because you deliberately ignored these national arteries of commerce and social mobilisation due to a myopic vision of ‘punishing’ the Yoruba Nation for standing up to Abacha.

The restiveness in the Niger Delta region would have been contained a bit if the funds under your supervision as PTF Chairman were used effectively to put in place good infrastructure in the oil producing areas, where you got the money from. Instead, between 80 – 90% of PTF’s activities were concentrated in the North-West sub-region, which is your home area. And in the South-East, the deplorable state of the federal roads there is more than enough proof that the PTF under your watch was more interested in other places. You did nothing there.

For a man who often takes on former President Olusegun Obasanjo as an ethnic champion, your record in office as PTF Chairman and Obasanjo’s eight years as president shows the Ota Chicken Farmer to be more nationalistic than you in every ramification. Obasanjo left the Yoruba Nation in 2007 as he met it in 1999. The federal roads around us remain the same. Same with other infrastructure, which is why residents along the banks of Ogun River continue to suffer from the negative fallouts of overflow from the Federal Government owned Oyan Dam in Ogun State.

Kindly note that one is not accusing you of being corrupt. No. We want a leader who is acceptable to all segments of our society. Such a leader must also be courageous enough to face the entrenched Oligarchy/Godfathers who thrive on corruption and impunity to perpetually put Nigeria in bondage. You have some of these qualities. But being an ethnic champion, you cannot be the new face of Nigeria that this country desperately needs. Hope you remember your ethnic trip to former Oyo State Governor, Alhaji Lam Adesina, while the old man was still in office?

And don’t think I dislike you because of your leadership of the Fulani cause across Nigeria and other parts of West Africa. No. My best friend, Ahmadu Adamu, is a thoroughbred Fulani from Gembu Town in Taraba State. If I die today, he is the first person who knows what to do about my immediate family. And in Kaduna, which is my second home, some of the key people I rely on in life are Fulanis. We are like blood relations. But in matters like these, emotions should not be part of it. You should rest assured that your candidacy will not fly in about 80 – 90% of Southern Nigeria.

General, you are a deeply religious person. And despite your failings during the Abacha days, you are one of the few moral icons Nigeria has today. I know the average Northern Talakawa holds you in very high esteem. During my recent sojourn in Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Kebbi and Abuja, my usual destination for food was among these men who enjoy pap with beans cake (kose/akara) spiced with ground pepper early in the morning. You have a cult-like following among them. From my study, I know it has to do with your moral uprightness.

But in the same places, the very opposite is true among the upper class and majority of the middle class. A number of them believe it has to do with your original status in life, in which they claim (like the Indians) you should ‘know your place’. I do not agree with that at all. But as pointed out earlier, I am a realist who does not use emotions to take decisions. In your part of Nigeria, it is the upper class who directs things. The middle and lower classes always fall in line. These decision makers do not want a Buhari to be president for their own reasons.

However, the same people who are working against your candidacy, respects Mr. Nuhu Ribadu. Their major worry is that like you, he might want to stop their illicit running down of every segment of the Northern society and Nigeria as a whole. But till date, at least, from my findings, they have not been able to pin any negative ‘caste’ label on Ribadu. The only issue remains Ribadu’s uncompromising stance against corruption, which they fear could deny them their status if the man is elected president.

You have the same traits with Ribadu when it comes to work and orientation about what a decent society should be like. The only difference is that, Ribadu is very acceptable to Southerners and grudgingly so among the upper class in Northern Nigeria. Ribadu’s acceptability among the Northern middle class is also on the same level with the South. You control the Talakawas there almost 100%. But you and I know that on election day in your part of Nigeria, these downtrodden members of the society will vote and leave voting centres which could be hundreds of miles apart. It is the middle and upper classes who determine the results of elections in Northern Nigeria.

If you contest the presidential election, there is no doubt the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will retain its stranglehold on Northern Nigeria given the fact that your supporters cannot do the needful on election day apart from voting and leaving the place. Of course, you should not consider getting much support from the South because of the reasons mentioned earlier. The fact is that you’ll lose! Unfortunately, if I read you correctly, there is nothing dearer to your heart than a replacement of the current corrupt and visionless Federal Government.

Given the above, I’ll strongly suggest you throw your weight behind Ribadu as Nigeria’s next president. He is young, vibrant and has the same orientation like yourself. What is more, he has enormous goodwill in Southern Nigeria. Beyond the issue of personal ambition, I sincerely believe you should not allow this opportunity to pass us by in 2011. You definitely cannot win. But you can assist another, who is like you, to win. It is like another battlefield. Soldiers often sacrifice themselves strategically for their colleagues to achieve a difficult objective. Those are the real heroes of war!

Wale Adedayo,
Okeliwo, Oke Ife,
Ijebu Ife,


http://www.saharareporters.com/article/open-letter-general-muhammadu-buhari

2011 & 2015: Where Ohanaeze Ndigbo missed it
By Femi Adesina (kulikulii@yahoo.com, 08055001928)
Friday, November 12, 2010

Let me today venture where even angels fear to tread. Not being Igbo, let me poke my nose into the affairs of the Igbo nation, and of its apex socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Let me add my voice to the growing babel, because it is indeed a national issue, and not strictly regional, so it deserves rigorous interrogation and appraisal from different permutations.

The Ambassador Raph Uwechue-led Ohanaeze Ndigbo has endorsed the ambition of incumbent president, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to have another four-year term from May next year, after the general elections in April. According to widely circulated advertorials last month by the group’s leadership, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo firmly believes in the reality and absolute equality of the six zones and holds the view that the topmost executive office in the land… should now go to them in turn in unbroken succession as a matter of national priority, before any other zone can justly claim the right to a second or even third term… Ohanaeze Ndigbo confidently urges the Igbo nation to support en masse a credible new generation presidential candidate that has emerged from the South-South geo-political zone, Dr Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan.”

Naturally, a lot of storm was generated by the above position. Some antagonists, even within the Igbo nation, went downright rude, calling Uwechue unprintable names. Others said the organisation received a bribe of N250 million before the endorsement came. Some others even said it was Uwechue’s unilateral decision, not concurred to by the Imeobi, which is Ohanaeze’s highest decision-making organ. Well, the inner caucus has since then met, and approved the position earlier espoused by Uwechue.
Like any other socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has the right to take a position that it feels is in the best interest of its people. If the truth be told, the Igbo nation has been given the short end of the stick in the Nigerian federation. For too long, they’ve been marginalised, circumscribed, treated as second-class citizens. This is unconscionable. But in endorsing Goodluck Jonathan for 2011 presidency, based on the conviction that he will then support an Igbo to emerge president in 2015, I think the Ohanaeze is presumptuous, and too conjectural. How and why?

The apex Igbo group rationalised its support for Jonathan through Uwachue this way: “It is like two pilots flying a plane, if one dies, the other one takes over from him, so, we are saying that since Jonathan is there now, he should continue until 2015, and then an Igbo man will take over. Having been sworn in twice in line with the constitution, Jonathan cannot run again in 2015.” With due respect to Ohanaeze leadership (they are men of intellect and proven integrity), this is rather simplistic. How can they base their support on the supposition that Jonathan is precluded from running in 2015, because he would then have been inaugurated twice as president? Has that been determined by a relevant court of law? Is it not mere surmising, hypothesis and speculation not grounded on law? Neither Jonathan nor his camp has promised to run for one term. If he gets it in 2011, and as 2015 approaches, they simply approach the courts to determine whether the inauguration to complete Umaru Yar’Adua’s term amounts to his being ineligible to be sworn in for two fresh terms? The ruling can go either way, and where would that leave the Igbo nation, already warming up for 2015 based on a flimsy, will-o-the-wisp agreement?

And talking of agreement, who says Jonathan can keep any, particularly one that is not even documented? He was signatory to the zoning formula of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), now he says zoning never existed as far as the office of president was concerned. Can you then trust such person to keep any agreement, particularly if unwritten? He reneged on a documented one, which he duly signed, how much more one hanging in the air? Great will be the consternation of the Igbo nation when Jonathan sings another tune in 2015. And a nation of intellectual powerhouses like the Igbos will have been fooled, robbed blind, and ridiculed. What a pity it would be.

Hear Uwechue again on the 2015 race: “The support we have given to the South-South because of its push to produce the president, we want to believe it will be replicated in 2015 when it will be the turn of an Igbo man to rule this country.” Funny. Turn of an Igbo man to rule the country? When the Igbo would have assisted somebody else to torpedo the turn-by-turn arrangement that can guarantee equity, fairness and justice in the country? There will be no ‘turn’ again. It would be every man for himself, and God for us all. By running in 2011, Goodluck Jonathan has abrogated the turn-by-turn arrangement. Every zone and region would then just need to hold its destinies in its hands. Any zone or region that gets power now can hold it for as long as it can, till it can be taken away through the ballot box.

There can’t be any talk of ‘turn’ again, because what should have been the ‘turn’ of the North is about being taken away. That is the implication of the Jonathan 2011 adventure, with all the advantages granted by incumbency. Again, how can Ohanaeze hinge its entire plan and strategy on a man who’s still simply an aspirant? The advertorial from the group says the Igbo nation should “support en masse a credible… presidential candidate that has emerged from South-South geo-political zone.” It is malapropism. Goof. Gaffe. Faux pas. Jonathan is simply an aspirant, not a candidate yet. And just in case he does not become a candidate, if he does not win the PDP primaries, where does that leave the Igbo nation? Will Ohanaeze then endorse another candidate? Why then not wait till the candidates emerge before an endorsement is made? I’m afraid the Ohanaeze has positioned the entire Igbo nation for a mighty embarrassment, discomfiture and distress, if Jonathan fails to clinch his party’s ticket (which is a possibility). I didn’t expect such hasty endorsement from the honourable men that lead the Igbo nation.

Ohanaeze says the presidency, “which has eluded the South-South and South-East since the birth of our nation half century ago, should now go to them in turn in unbroken succession as a matter of national priority…” Really? Quite funny. So what happens to the other parts of the country? Watch the overhead bridges in Lagos? Then Emperor Nero has risen from the dead. He fiddled while Rome burnt.

With the entry of Jonathan into the presidential race, the scenario now is that any region or zone can aspire for the presidency, even now. The Igbo nation needn’t wait till 2015. It is now survival of the fittest, the brightest and the best. To think Jonathan would quench his overpowering appetite for power just after four years, or help them attain the presidency in 2015, is like building castles in the air. If that is the entire strategy Ohanaeze banks on, then, (with due respect again), the leadership of the Igbo nation is simply living in a fool’s paradise.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/columnists/femi/2010/femi-nov-12-2010.htm

Previous articles by Femi Adesina can be found here - worth reading: http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/columnists/femi/home.htm

Govt Orders Destruction Of Militants’ Camps

SATURDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 2010 00:00 FROM MADU ONUORAH (ABUJA) AND KELVIN EBIRI (PORT HARCOURT) NEWS - NATIONAL

THE Federal Government has declared that it would not for any reason condone any further attack on oil installations and kidnapping in the Niger Delta.

It has, therefore, ordered that all militants’ camps in the region be “cleaned out,” adding that henceforth “anyone committing any act against the law will be treated as a criminal, who exactly he is.”

Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, told journalists in Abuja yesterday that the operation to destroy all camps in the region had begun and would be completed in “the next few weeks.”

Petinrin, therefore, asked all law-abiding citizens living near the camps to “leave immediately” to “avoid collateral damage.”

The government, he stated, would “assist those who may need to relocate temporarily until the clearing out of these den of common criminals has been completed.”

As Petinrin spoke in Abuja, spokesman for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Jomo Gbomo, released the names, nationalities, and employers of the expatriates being held by the group as: James Robertson and Jeffrey James (Americans), Patrick Weber (French), staffers of Transocean, 4 Mignon Gilles (France); Sodexo, Robert Croke (Canadians) PPI, Robert Tampubolon and Permana Nugraha from Indonesia, work for Century Energy Services Ltd (Century Bumi JV).

The Defence Chief noted that the Joint Task Force (JTF) code named Operation Restore Hope, being “an existing Task Force” will lead the operation.

The government’s amnesty, he said, “does not exist forever. A period was given and if you are left behind, you still have the opportunity to submit your arms and take advantage of the amnesty.”

According to Petinrin, “we have observed with concern some criminal acts within the past few days by some people claiming to be militants. We are all aware of the kidnappings, illegal boarding of oilrigs and other acts of brigandage that have been committed by these criminals. I want to repeat that these people are criminals and will be treated as such. Many of these criminals are known to be hiding in camps within the creeks of the Niger Delta. These camps will no longer be tolerated.

“To avoid any collateral damage, we are seizing this opportunity to instruct all law abiding citizens who live around the vicinity of these camps to leave immediately. Enough is enough. All efforts will be made to assist those who may need to relocate temporarily until the clearing out of these dens of common criminals have been completed.”

He stated that with the end of amnesty in October last year, “no one is expected to be living in a militant camp.”

MEND) said yesterday that it did not intend to release the seven expatriates abducted at Okoro oilfield in Akwa Ibom State soon.

Gbomo said on November 7, 2010, fighters attacked the shallow-water Okoro oilfield where they faced stiff resistance from the Nigerian military stationed at the facility.

He said after an intense gun duel, the resistance from the Nigerian military was subdued.
Gbomo alleged that the group’s fighters caused extensive damage to this facility and attempted to set it ablaze as they were instructed to do.

And it was in course of the same attack that the expatriates, whose whereabouts remain unknown, were captured by the militants.

He said: “As earlier reported, we took custody of three French nationals and one Thai national abducted about two months ago by a militia group in the Niger Delta. Owing to their poor state of health, we were compelled to release them on humanitarian grounds.
“The abduction of the seven expatriates from the Okoro oilfield in Akwa Ibom State was to prevent the Nigerian government from denying the attack on this facility. The seven individuals are all in good health and will be in our custody for a while.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy has threatened to clampdown on illegal bunkerers and pipeline vandals in the Niger Delta, including its personnel that aid and abet this act of economic sabotage.

Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS Pathfinder), Rear Admiral Usman Jubrin, explained that this had become imperative because oil theft and vandalism of pipelines in the region in recent times.

Jubrin, who officially took over the command from Rear Admiral Ben Acholonu at Iwofe, Obio/Akpor Local Council of Rivers State on Thursday, noted that oil theft had reduced remarkably as a result of the amnesty offered to militants by the government.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29064:govt-orders-destruction-of-militants-camps&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

Wednesday, 10 November 2010

THE National Assembly, on Wednesday, November 3, 2010, passed a bill which elongated the list of public office holders entitled to pension, upkeep allowance and the usually generous perquisities. One group that readily attracts attention on the list of beneficiaries is that of former military dictators. The Senate, which earlier in March this year voted against the inclusion of former military leaders on the list, eventually made a U-turn when the conflicting positions of the two legislative chambers were being harmonised. The bill now awaits the assent of the president to become law.

THE involvement of the military in political administration is generally regarded as an aberration. Nigeria and many other African countries have had their age of colonels and generals. In many countries, the people trooped to the streets to celebrate the advent of soldiers on the political scene. In all cases, the ostensible purpose of their intervention was to clean the Augean stable. It, however, later became apparent that the primary motive of the nocturnal conspiracy of most of the coup planners was to secure an unrestricted access to the public treasury. At the end of the day, particularly in Nigeria, they left the stable messier than they met it. Their eventual exit from the political arena was highly ignominious.



NIGERIANS know military rulers who rendered selfless service just as they know those on the other side of the divide. It is regrettable that those who have stolen even what they do not need and would have, in saner climes, been put behind bars, are among those to be provided with additional luxuries at the expense of the people. The resources that should be committed to the provision of the basic needs of the hoi polloi are to be used to further enhance the comfort of those who have made their lives miserable. In both the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, it is now an article of faith that no one should take control of the reins of government by unconstitutional means. Nigeria is a prominent player in the two organisations. The recognition and reward being given to former military dictators is antithetical to Nigeria’s avowed commitment to the principles of democracy.

IT is an act of treason when a soldier ousts an elected government from power. It is a continuation of illegality when a soldier supplants a comrade-in-arms. The overall total of 29 years of military rule that Nigeria has experienced was a period of arbitrariness and blatant disregard for human rights. The intervention of the military in the political administration of Nigeria was an obstruction to the evolution of democratic governance and the practice of federalism. The fundamental issues that should have been sorted out within the first 10 to 20 years of sovereign existence are still outstanding. The standards and systems which the military inherited were perverted by their unitary approach to a federal structure. The persistent agitation for a sovereign national conference is aimed at the creation of a forum at which the distortions imposed on the country by the military can be discussed and corrected.

FORMER military leaders are, like other former public officers, entitled to their retirement benefits. Their usurpation of political power in the course of service should not confer on them additional advantages because it was an illegal act. The legacy of the military in Nigeria’s political history is one of economic decline and corruption of the value system. By extending undeserved perquisites to former military rulers and their family members, the National Assembly is offering them handsome rewards for illegality and illegitimate exercise of political power. It is an unwitting yet obvious encouragement to ambitious soldiers who might wish to enjoy similar benefits.

ANOTHER revolting dimension of the ill-considered bill is the inclusion of presiding officers of the National Assembly and their deputies on the list of those to be undeservedly remunerated. Some of the intended beneficiaries served in these positions for less than one or two years. It is unthinkable that such people are meant to be paid for life for doing just that. This is utterly irresponsible in a country in which so many other citizens who have served for 35 years are starving because of the irregular payment of the peanuts that the system provides for them as pension. Should this bill become law, state assemblies will quickly take their cue from it. It will become a precedent in the pursuit of selfish interests.

THE entire bill is indeed a disservice to the people of Nigeria. It is a senseless addition to the already-bloated cost of governance in a country in which nothing works. It is an obnoxious piece of legislation to which the president should not give his assent because it amounts to an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians.


http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/editorial/13308-handsome-rewards-for-illegitimacy

Thursday, 11 November 2010

TWO members of the National Assembly, Senator Kala Mallam Yale, representing Borno Central Senatorial District and the minority leader in the House of Representatives, Muhammed Ali Ndume, representing Gwoza/Chibok/Damboa federal constituency, recently donated N100 million and N200 million respectively from their constituency allowances to the University of Maiduguri. The donations are meant to improve water supply and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) of the institution.

THE Pro Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the university, Dr Wale Babalakin, made this disclosure in his address at the 21st convocation ceremony of the university recently. Against a desultory background of infrastructure decay and the deterioration of the intellectual environment, issues which have brought university education to its knees in certain state owned universities in the country, the gesture of these legislators ought to have at least elicited applause, indeed adulation from the discerning public and other stakeholders in the education sector. Indeed it ought to have even generated a bit of curiosity as to what other legislators from that state have been doing with their own constituency allowances. After all, there are still two other senators and other members of House of Representatives from Borno State who ought to have been taking more than a passing interest in the affairs of the University of Maiduguri.

HOWEVER, such a critique would only be superficial because this presumed generosity of these legislators has brought to the fore once again certain repugnant peculiarities of Nigeria’s democratic structure. One of such peculiarities is the expensive nature of the country’s democratic process which makes the average lawmaker earn more than their counterparts in other arguably more successful and effective democracies. It has been established that the Nigerian lawmaker has access to more funds than their American counterparts, for example, and this is amidst such odious and pervasive poverty and collapse of infrastructure in the land. Indeed, it is apposite to inquire about the value of this constituency allowance that is available to these legislators that they can unilaterally spend without actually consulting their various constituencies. It is indeed also necessary to ask if these legislators carried their various constituencies along in their decision to donate these amounts to the university. Are their various constituencies satisfied with the development programmes put in place by these legislators?

ANOTHER peculiarity of the democratic experience in Nigeria is the way in which making legislators have access to constituency allowance impacts negatively on the principle of separation of powers. It has been argued in many of our past editorials that legislators ideally should not do beyond the passing of bills into laws and that making them execute projects puts them in the logjam of confronting the executive arm of government and this to some extent, once informed the request which the judiciary once made that it should make decisions on awarding contracts for building courts or providing amenities which the court needs. It was a request which was generally condemned because it is at variance with the principle of separation of powers, a principle which is sacrosanct in a genuine democracy. We still believe that the access which the average Nigerian lawmaker has to constituency allowance has predisposed him to an abuse which, of course, facilitates corruption avidly. Besides, the ‘generous’ gesture of these legislators may be a ploy to sway the attention of the unwary public from finding out what has been done with whatever remains of the constituency allowance vis-a-vis the provision of infrastructure and delivering other dividends of democracy to them.

SADLY, in the peculiar Nigerian context, the hype made by these generous donations may ultimately succeed in distracting the public from the more fundamental issue of separation of powers, probity and accountability which are by far more important. It is also important to know if their various constituencies endorsed these donations that truly speaking have been made on their behalf.

HOW would the University of Maiduguri have approached its water supply and information and communication technology (ICT) challenges if these legislators had not donated N300 million to it? Does the university have a vote for such projects? What percentage of the challenges have the donations taken care of? We are not bowled over by the ‘generosity’ espoused by these legislators’ gesture. We would rather be on the side of propriety and probity and insist that it is not right for legislators to spend constituency allowances in assuaging their individual whims and predilections without any form of recourse to the constituencies which they represent and who may be suffering from different forms of deprivations, to garner glory and adulation for themselves. We think it is indeed reprehensible and fraudulent to do so.


http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/editorial/13364-the-generous-legislators

How Fulani herdsmen beat life out of a 75-year-old

Written by Adebayo Waheed
Friday, 12 November 2010

The entire Igboora community in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State was recently thrown into mourning following the killing of a 75year-old man by three Fulani cattle rearers

The cattle rearers were said to have used the “cattle stick” to beat the elderly man to death at his residence.

The suspects, Saliu Muhammed (20), Muhammed Abubakar (25) and Sulaiman Muhammed (22) while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune at the police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, Oyo State, confessed to the murder, saying that they were paid to kill the man.

The suspected criminals who could not speak good English Language, said they have been into cattle rearing in the town for a very long time now until the man who they claimed was now at large, approached them, promising to give them handsome sums of money if they could kill the victim. Without asking the man the offence committed by the victim, the herdsmen said they approached the old man and used the “cattle stick” to hit on the head until he finally gave up the ghost.

According to one of them, Saliu, immediately after the incident, he escaped to Abeokuta in Ogun State.However, luck ran out on him when he was arrested by members of the vigilante group in the state capital.

After his arrest, he told the Nigerian Tribune that he was taken to Eleweran police station from where he was taken back to Igboora. At Igboora, he said after thorough interrogation, he confessed to the crime but the man who sent them on “errand” was nowhere to be found.

He said his confession led to the arrest of two other persons involved in the crime while the fourth suspect had taken to his heels.

The other herdsmen, Muhammed and Sulaiman confessed that they actually participated in the crime.

The state police commissioner, Baba Adisa Bolanta, while briefing newsmen in Ibadan on Monday, said the suspects were arrested in Abeokuta, Ogun State after the incident. According to him, immediately they committed the offence, they ran away only to be arrested by members of vigilante group in Abeokuta.

He said after interrogation at Abeokuta, they were taken back to Igboora for further interrogation.

During interrogation, the police boss said they confessed that they were sent by one man, now at large to kill the deceased.


http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/features/13449-how-fulani-herdsmen-beat-life-out-of-a-75-year-old

Inec Contracts, Minimum Wage And The Attack On Obasanjo

Reuben Abati
November 12, 2010


“WHAT kind of thing was that?”

“What?”

“The story about that fellow at the airport road in Lagos who jumped into former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s vehicle and assaulted him.”

“No. He didn’t assault him. He was going to do so, but security men quickly intervened and whisked the man away.”



“I read one story that says the man gave OBJ a punch in the face, a slap in the tummy and that he really meant to be nasty towards the former President.”

“That is a very serious matter. I hope the madman didn’t give Baba an upper cut. What is wrong with him?”

“And when security men came to Baba’s rescue, I read that the man started screaming: “America is watching oh, America is watching o!”



“I think the matter calls for a serious investigation. The Federal Government should set up a special committee of enquiry to look into the remote and immediate causes of the attack on former President Olusegun Obasanjo on a federal road, in the city of Lagos! The Chairman of the committee should be of no lower rank than a retired Chief of Defence Staff.”



“Committee, how?”

“The committee’s terms of reference should include looking into how such an ugly incident can be prevented in the future. That committee should be allowed to take memoranda from the general public and hold sittings in all states of the federation, and of course, the members should be paid very good sitting allowances so they can take the assignment seriously!”

“You are a clown.”

“No. I am serious. You look at it this way. In fact, I think that the recent law that was passed by the National Assembly awarding special pension benefits to former Nigerian rulers should be reviewed and there should be a clause there indicating that in the event of any attack on a former Nigerian leader by all kinds of ungrateful citizens who don’t know their place in society and history, such leaders will be paid a certain amount for the inconvenience.”



“That is not funny. OBJ’s security aides should be fired.”

“Then, you don’t know this country. You watch. By now, many politicians would have started trooping to Ota to express solidarity with President Obasanjo over the “madman” incident. How about phone calls too. And don’t be surprised if the President himself visits Baba, or plans to do so.”



“But Baba should just have locked up his car. I believe that car has a central locking system. It is a 4 x 4. With that type of vehicle, once you start the ignition, the central lock is promptly activated.”

“Well, you never know. What if the vehicle is a Tokunbo and the central locking system does not work?”

“Obasanjo will ride a Tokunbo car? I don’t want to believe that”

“Why? Have you not seen former Governors riding okada?”

“No. But not OBJ?”

“So, why him motor no get central lock? Was the old man rattled? Did he have a swollen lip or some other injuries?”



“No. Him dey kampe”

“You know what I have just remembered.”

“What?”

“There was this interview with former Governor of Ogun state, Chief Olusegun Osoba in The Vanguard newspaper. I think about two weeks ago or so. I recall that in that interview Chief Osoba had challenged President Obasanjo to a walk on the streets of Nigeria, some kind of a test of popularity challenge.”

“Ha. I won’t advise Baba to take up that kind of challenge oh. See how he was attacked inside his own car. Can you imagine President Obasanjo taking a stroll on the streets of Ota where he lives, and doing so around that pot-hole ridden road by the Sango-Ota junction? That certainly will be an act of provocation because what people are saying is that in eight years of being President, Obasanjo could not even tar the road to his own farm, and that the people of Ota did not benefit from his Presidency.”

“But that shows that he is principled. He didn’t use his position to serve his own interests. If he had tarred the road to his own home, it is the same Nigerians who will accuse him of selfishness.”

“Leave matter. You try and drive on the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway towards Ota, it could take a whole day!”

“It is worse in other parts of Nigeria.”

“And we had an engineer, a former Federal Minister of Works, as President for eight years.”

“So is that why a mad man should jump into the man’s car. I don’t agree with you. That man should be sentenced to life imprisonment for breaching national security and exposing the Presidential institution to international ridicule!”

“You like to exaggerate…”



“No. I must defend my former President. And I don’t like the way too many people are attacking our leaders these days. In Bayelsa, the other day, some scallywags pelted the Governor with stones, pure water sachets and other dangerous objects at a public function. That was a serious threat to national security and if the people had been gunned down on the spot, people would have said that was murder.”

“Three of the stone-throwers have been arrested. They have been charged to court for treasonable felony.”

“They should add sedition to the charges. And I hope they go to jail like that man in Baghdad who threw a shoe at former US President George W. Bush!”



“I am sure you know sedition has been dismissed by the courts as irrelevant in a democracy.”

“Let them wake it up and let the lawyers argue it out. In fact, I am volunteering to join the proposed committee to look into the assault on Obasanjo.”

“I see you are having fun, because I know you and your capacity for mischief.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You”

“Search me?”



“You know of course that when the people throw stones or eggs at their former or serving leaders, they are making a statement. In a democracy, such statement is an expression of anger, disgust, rejection, frustration. It happens all over the world, and the people have a right to express an opinion. Now, let’s talk seriously, we should start asking questions: why is it that many of our leaders cannot walk freely on the streets when they are in office or when they leave office? Why do Nigerians hate their leaders?”



“Imagine if that guy that broke into President Obasanjo’s car had had a dagger with him or a gun. This was how Chief Bola Ige was killed in his own home.”

“Do you want to hear the truth? I have heard in the last two days some people saying they wished the man drew blood. That guy is some people’s hero!”



“Wicked people! To say such a thing in the month of holy pilgrimage is unGodly.”

“What has pilgrimage got to do with it? I am saying that our leaders should learn from what has happened to former President Obasanjo. There is a lesson there. The way our leaders behave, they provoke people, ordinary people, angry people. You keep calling the man that attacked Obasanjo’s car a madman. Are you sure? Someone who remembered to tell the security people that “America is watching oh.” That doesn’t sound like a madman to me. Let our leaders realize that they will get their rewards sooner than later.”

“More like their comeuppance. I am beginning to think that you have a point.”

“Take the workers’ strike. The Federal Government doesn’t want to pay workers N18, 000 as minimum wage, that’s how much in dollars?”

“How am I supposed to know? My problem is with the Naira not dollar.”

“About 120 dollars per month, that is what workers are asking for and yet Federal lawmakers collect a million naira per day for doing so little, and when former Presidents, heads of Federal legislatures, Governors and their Deputies retire, they are paid pension for life, whereas ordinary workers are unable to get pension. And you say people should not slap former leaders? In fact, they should kick them in the groin!”

“I am flowing along with you. You know when I read that states collected one trillion Naira from the Federation account in six months, I shuddered. What did they do with it?”



“More than half of that money must have gone into recurrent expenditure and the financing of waste. A third will be diverted into private pockets. Look, we need to rethink the structure of governance in this country. I don’t really pity our so-called leaders when the people attack them. Obasanjo was assaulted. Have you not read about former Governors whose wives, children, and mistresses were kidnapped? Or lawmakers whose parents were kidnapped? Perhaps when the poor and the aggrieved begin to take out their anger on the rich, and disrupt their comfort zones, they will learn the appropriate lessons.”

“But the 2011 election, do you think it will still hold?”

“I hope so. No general election has been more uncertain in recent Nigerian history.”



“As at this moment, with the ruling of the Federal High Court in Lagos rubbishing the Constitution amendment process, we don’t even know which Constitution will be used for the election. And I keep wondering, why won’t the President sign the Constitution? What is the big deal with a funny scribble on paper? The same people who claimed they took documents to a sick man in Saudi Arabia to sign can’t get Jonathan who is just a few minutes away to sign a Constitution?”



“It is precisely that kind of behaviour that provokes the people, so when any of our leaders gets assaulted, don’t pity them.”

“In fact, even INEC is confused. How do you have proper elections with a confused electoral commission? You know I may not be able to talk aplenty like you, but I know one or two things about figures. I have taken a look at the $230 million contracts for Direct Data Capture machines that the INEC signed. Something is not right there.”

“Tell me. Blow the whistle, make dem hear.”



“Okay it is like this. The contract is for the supply of 132, 000 units. Zinox, the company that is supplying 80,000 units is charging $1, 7771.73 per unit, Haier Electrical Appliances which is supplying 30, 000 units is doing so at $1, 699.60 per unit, and the third company, Avante International which is supplying 22, 000 units is quoting $1, 6999.60 per unit, all charges inclusive of taxes and other charges. The unit price for 80, 000 units certainly cannot be higher than the quotation for lower units. The difference is about $72.13. That amount in 80, 000 places translates into $577,704,000 (N865, 560, 000). Can someone please explain what is going on?

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/reuben-abati/inec-contracts-minimum-wage-and-the-attack-on-obasanjo.html

Ogboru lights up Abraka
NewsNov 13, 2010

By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South
The kinsmen of Chief Great Ogboru in Abraka are looking beyond the rerun election ordered by the Appeal Court after it sacked Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State.
ABRAKA, the country home of Chief Great Ogboru in Delta State, has been euphoric since Tuesday, November 9, when the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City ordered a re-run of the 2007 governorship election.
All through Tuesday night and up till last Wednesday morning, his supporters reportedly went on a drinking spree to celebrate the nullification of the election that saw sacked governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, ruling the state for three years.
To them, the annulment of the election means that Ogboru is the next governor of the state and they were only waiting for time for it to manifest.
As at November 10 when Sunday Vanguard visited the community, Ogboru was yet to touch base after the court verdict but his residence was being repainted to give it a fresh look.
Other parts of the town was quiet but near the Delta State University in the town, joyous women of the Democratic Peoples’ Party, DPP, were seen celebrating Ogboru’s victory on the streets.
Their leaders, Mrs. Rose Onikpeteti, Mrs. Rose Fakpide and Mrs. Mary Efenure, said they were excited because the court had annulled the election of Uduaghan and ordered a fresh election, which they believe Ogboru would win.
“We did not vote in 2007 and we believe that we will vote this time around and that our vote will count for Ogboru”, Mrs. Onikpeteti said.
Ogboru’s political father, Prince Sylvester Kowho, based in Warri, told Sunday Vanguard, “Politics is a game of number, there was no election in the state in 2007, this time around, we are sure there is going to be election and Ogboru is the next governor of Delta State”.
At Ogboru’s residence , it was observed that extra-security measures had been taken to fortify the house different from the situation in 2007. The motor-cyclist, who acted as our guide to the residence, however, disclosed that the DPP gubernatorial candidate stayed more in the Beach, a location in Abraka, when he comes to town.
The carnival on that day was, however, at the residence of Ogboru’s elder brother, Chief Julius Ogboru, the Ekugbere of Abraka Kingdom. He is the ‘Field Marshal’ of the Ogboru Campaign Organization and from the Eku, Ika, Sapele, Uvwie, Ndokwa and other parts of the state, DPP chieftains had congregated in Abraka as early as 9 a.m.
The senior Ogboru said he had not slept since Tuesday when the verdict was announced by the court because it had been celebration galore. He described the court judgment as excellent, saying, “This is the first time we are seeing our judiciary strong and upright in matters concerning Delta State”.
He boasted that nobody would vote for Uduaghan in the fresh election, saying his brother was the next governor of the state. A leader of the party from Eku, Chief Wilson Ishegbe, concurred, saying Eku people were happy with the news of Ogboru’s victory in the court.
“When I heard the news, I asked for a bottle of St. Remmy Martins to celebrate with my people. It is God’s work, it is not man’s work. I came from Eku to visit our leader, Chief Julius Ogboru, to rejoice with him. People have been calling me from Warri and other parts of the state, they are happy”, he stated.
Chairman of the DPP in the Ukwuani Local Government Area, Chief Augustine Onah, said, “The people of Obiaruku have been in a jubilation mood since Tuesday night. PDP has not done anything to warrant a re-election. In fact, there was no election in 2007 and we all know that Ogboru is going to win the fresh election”.
Larry Dafiode, who contested the 2007 House of Representatives election for Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency on DPP’s platform, said he was happy with the nullification because there was no election in 2007 in the state, adding, “Some people just took the result sheets and wrote the result “. According to him, the news of Ogboru’s court victory brought spontaneous joy to the people of his constituency.
Another DPP chieftain, Chief Emma Okpu from Aragba-Orogun in the Ughelli North Local Government Area, said, “I am here in Abraka to celebrate the overwhelming victory of a great man, Chief Great Ogboru, who was subdued for many years and now liberated.
“There is no going up and down; he is the next governor of Delta State, from 2015 to the Presidency. He has been victimised in the past by liars and it is now that Nigeria has realized that he has been cheated. The PDP is dead and never to wake anymore in the state”. Okpu stated that the people of Ughelli North were still in celebration when he left for Abraka. DPP chairman in Ika South, Mr. I.G. Orubor, urged Deltans to vote Ogboru in the fresh election, saying he was denied victory in 2007 and commended Ogboru for his single-mindedness in fighting to reclaim his mandate through the judiciary.
Chairman of the DPP Elders’ Forum in Ethiope East, Chief Joseph Ukueku, said Ogboru’s victory in the fresh poll has been committed to God, stressing that the zoning arrangement that was introduced by some people attributed to be Urhobo in 2007 would not stop Ogboru in the re-run poll.
DPP youth leader in Sapele, Evangelist Nixon Ufuoma, agreed that the PDP only manipulated figures in the past to give itself victory. He said God had liberated Deltans with the Ogboru court victory and his thinking was that the judiciary had been monetised until last Tuesday’s verdict.
Sunday Vanguard learned that Clark invited Ogboru for a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday and the Ijaw national leader, who has been based in Abuja, since last year, may soon relocate to Delta State to lead the Ogboru campaign.

Arms seizure: Iran behind shipment – Security agents

Nov 12, 2010
Arms imported for 2011 elections, Importers hiding in Iranian embassy, FG summons Ambassador

ABUJA — THE Nigerian government yesterday fingered its Iranian counterpart as the brains behind last month shipment into Nigeria of 13 containers loaded with weapons such as grenades and rocket which were intercepted at Apapa port by the State Security Service, SSS.
The Associated Press, AP, quoting from what it described as internal documents obtained from diplomatic circles, said Nigerian intelligence officials and diplomats have concluded that the Iranian government was behind a secret shipment of weapons discovered last month in shipping containers.
FG summons Iranian ambassador
The government has, therefore, summoned the Iranian ambassador in Nigeria.
An official at the Foreign Affairs Ministry who refused to be named told Reuters that “the Iranian ambassador has been summoned and he is holding a meeting with the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister. Part of the agenda of the meeting is the issue of the shipment of explosives and the visit of the Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki
An official at the Iranian embassy in Abuja confirmed that the Iranian Foreign Minister was in Nigeria but declined to comment further.
Meeting was productive – Ajumogobia
Nigerian Foreign Minister Odein Ajumogobia said he met his Iranian counterpart in Abuja to discuss the shipment.
“I had a productive meeting with the Iranian foreign minister this evening and he has assured us of his government’s co-operation in our ongoing investigation regarding the arms shipment,” Ajumogobia told Reuters by telephone.
A diplomat with access to intelligence on Iran told Reuters in New York that Mottaki had gone to Abuja to discuss the seized arms and to secure permission from the Nigerians to bring two Iranians linked to the shipment back to Tehran.
The diplomat, who spoke on condition that neither his name nor nationality be identified, said the two Iranians were at the Iranian embassy in Abuja and that Tehran appeared reluctant to have them questioned by Nigerian authorities.
According to agency report, immediately after the arms seizure, Israeli officials accused Iran of trying to sneak the shipment into the Gaza Strip, but Nigeria’s security service now believes the arms were imported by some local politicians to destabilise Nigeria if they lose in the coming general elections.
The cargo that was shipped from an Iranian port was listed as building materials but when the 13 containers were opened at Nigeria’s main port in Lagos, inspectors found 107mm artillery rockets, rifle rounds and arms.
Contacted by phone, Iranian Ambassador Hussein Abdullahi declined to immediately discuss the allegations, telling AP he was meeting with Nigerian officials about the same issues. Previously, Abdullahi said there is no clear evidence linking his government to the weapons.
Nigerian investigators who followed a paper trail learned that Iran’s foreign ministry endorsed a Nigerian visa application for one of the two Iranians who allegedly shipped the weapons, saying he would work at the Iranian Embassy in Abuja.
The Nigerian government reports, seen by an AP reporter, identify Iranians Azimi Agajany and Sayed Akbar Tahmaesebi as the men who organized the shipment through a Tehran_based company called International Trading and General Construction.
Nigerian officials suspect the two men are currently hiding inside the Iranian Embassy in Abuja.
According to the reports, Agajany received a visa to travel to Nigeria after getting an endorsement from Sheikh Ali Abbas Othman, also known as Abbas Jega, a Nigerian who worked for Radio Tehran’s Hausa language service and studied in Iran. Jega has been arrested by the State Security Service, SSS, a Nigerian government official told the AP.
Tahmaesebi received his visa after Nigerian authorities received a letter of recommendation from Iran’s foreign ministry that said he would “provide administrative support” at its Abuja embassy, the reports say. The two Iranians remain at large.
Importers hiding in Iranian embassy
“We strongly believe they are hiding in the embassy but we cannot prove it,” the Nigerian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic sensitivity of the reports. Embassies are considered to be sovereign territory, not subject to searches by the host country.
Displaying a lack of knowledge about Nigeria’s geography, Agajany initially wanted the consignments shipped to Abuja, the documents said. When Agajany was told there is no port in Abuja, which lies hundreds of kilometers from the coast, he came up with Lagos as the destination.
CMA CGM, an international cargo shipper based in France, has said one of its cargo ships picked up the shipping containers from Bandar Abbas, a port in southern Iran. The company said the shipment, which stopped in Mumbai’s port before heading to Lagos, had been labeled as “packages of glass wool and pallets of stone.”
The containers sat at Lagos’ busy Apapa port from July until October 26, when Nigerian security agents carried out a raid and discovered the weapons inside.
Newsmen who went to the port after the raid saw 107mm artillery rockets, rifle rounds and other items labelled in English. The rockets can accurately hit targets more than five miles (8.5 kilometres) away with a 40_foot (12_metre) killing radius.
Insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq have used similar rockets against U.S. troops. China, the United States, and Russia manufacture versions of the rocket, as does Iran.
Immediately after the arms seizure, Israeli officials accused Iran of trying to sneak the shipment into the Hamas_controlled Gaza Strip. Nigerian officials instead believe the weapons were to remain in Nigeria where presidential elections that could be intensely contested are scheduled to be held early next year.

Uduaghan: Falana expresses suprise over court’s failure to invoke section 149 of Electoral Act


Nov 12, 2010
By Samuel Oyadongha
Yenagoa — Lagos Lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, yesterday, expressed dismay over the failure of the court to invoke section 149 of the 2006 Electoral Act on persons found wanting in the conduct of elections in the country.
The human rights lawyer in an interview in Yenagoa against the backdrop of the nullification of the election of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan said the invocation of section 149 of the Electoral Act would have helped check the pervasive electoral fraud in the land.
Specifically, he noted with dismay the position of the Court of Appeal for allowing the sacked governor to take part in the fresh polls to be conducted in the next 90 days.
Falana also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and other concerned citizens of Delta State to head back to the Court of Appeal asking for variation of the order of the court on account of the cost implication on the state in conducting two elections in less than two months.
Citing Section 149 of 2006 of Electoral Act which allows the judiciary or the tribunal to recommend the prosecution of those found wanting in the conduct of the election, he lamented that no court in the country has invoked this all important provision to serve as deterrent to others.
Lamenting the reluctance of the court to invoke the relevant section to punish offenders he said, “Dr. Uduaghan and their collaborators have been allowed to go scot-free. In fact to worsen matters, to complicate illegality, the court has curiously allowed him to take part in another election. What lesson are we teaching?
That it pays to be fraudulent?
“If the argument of the proponent of tenure elongation is to be followed, it then means that if Dr. Uduaghan wins re-run election, he will spend seven and half years in office that could never have been the position of the law.
“The law does not reward fraud or immorality or illegality. As a matter of fact, the law punishes criminality or illegality. Unfortunately, this time around, the law has been silent in that area.”
He said since general election would be held nationwide in 2011, it would have been proper for the court to extend the tenure of the Acting Governor till April next year.
Said he: “Another problem I have with the ruling is that, it is going to be wasteful and too costly to run two governorship elections between now and April next year in that state because if Dr. Uduaghan wins again, his tenure will end in May 2011.”
“In other words, there have to be fresh election in that state next year, like other parts of the country. For this reason one will like to advise INEC and other concerned people in Delta State to head back to the Court of Appeal to ask for variation of the court order, so that the tenure of the Acting Governor, the Speaker can be extended to April to allow one election.”


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/11/uduaghan-falana-expresses-suprise-over-courts-failure-to-invoke-section-149-of-electoral-act/