₦airaland Forum

Former military head of state and presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Maj.-Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday in Kaduna began his campaign, saying he was on a mission to rescue Nigerians from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.



Addressing the huge crowd of supporters that thronged the Murtala Square for the campaign in Hausa, Buhari stressed that the CPC would not tolerate any attempt by any party to rig the April elections. Flanked by his running mate, Pastor Tunde Bakare; the CPC National Chairman, Prince Tony Momoh; and other party chieftains, Buhari called on Nigerians to use the opportunity provided by the elections to bring about a change in the country.



“We are today facing an uncertain future in an uncertain world. It is vital Nigerians make the right choice about who would look after them in the next four years. I’m standing here today as the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change.



“I consider myself to be on a rescue mission. Never before have we seen such bad leadership in our national life. The country’s life is literally falling apart on all fronts on security, in education, on the economy, in the health care system and youth employment. Many critical observers have begun to list Nigeria among the failed states of the 21st century,” Buhari said.



Commenting on the role of the PDP in the nation’s affairs in the past 12 years, Buhari said Nigeria had become internationally recognised for corruption, inefficiency, business uncertainty and infrastructural decay.



He said, “For 12 years, the PDP government has failed to tackle all these problems in spite of the resources at their disposal. We can and we must reverse these trends. The first step is for Nigerians to vote PDP out. They are finished. They have passed their sell-by date.”



Also speaking, Bakare urged supporters of the party to use their votes to chase the PDP out of power, noting that the time for change had come.



In his address, Momoh described the CPC as the fastest growing party in the whole world, stressing that its teeming supporters that attended the occasion were not ‘rented’. However, the expected symbolic presentation of flags to the party’s governorship candidates in some Northern states did not take place, owing to the controversy that has continued to trail its primaries.



Although the claimants to the CPC’s governorship tickets in Katsina, Kano and Bauchi states were present at the rally, none of them was called forward to receive the party’s flag.







http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20110303221340

Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu currently recuperating in a London Hospital is in a `remarkably stable and satisfactory health condition’, and will soon be moved to a rehabilitation centre, APGA Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, has said.



“I am satisfied with the improvement in Ojukwu’s health and he is now very stable in the hospital.



“He will be moved to the rehabilitation centre in the next one week,’’ Umeh told the Europe correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria when he led members of the party on a get-well visit to Ojukwu on Monday in London.



The APGA chieftain thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for his concern for Ojukwu’s health.



“His President Jonathan very warm disposition towards our leader Ojukwu since he took ill is unrivalled.



“He had paid several visits to Ojukwu while in Nigeria and continued to accord him due recognition also here in the UK unlike the previous presidents we have had in Nigeria,’’ Umeh said.



Umeh, who also visited the Nigeria House, commended the officials of the Nigerian High Commission for their support to Ojukwu’s family.



Ojukwu was flown to London in December 2010 after spending three days in the intensive care unit at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, following a stroke.



President Jonathan’s special envoy and Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Dr Aliyu Idi Hong, also visited him in January with a special message.



http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103031322871

The April general elections are set for the storm session if the court accedes to the request of the Peoples Mandate Party to stop the April 9 presidential poll.



The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on Wednesday, reserved judgment in a petition by the PMP and its presidential candidate in the April 14, 2007 presidential election, Dr. Arthur Nwankwo, asking it to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission from conducting the election.



The five justices of the court, led by Justice Muhammed Garba, adjourned the petition for judgment after an agreement by the lawyer to the petitioners, Nnabuike Edechime and lawyers to the respondents, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Kanu Agabi (SAN).



It is barely two months to the commencement of the poll.



The case brings to memory the June 12, 1993 drama.



On the eve of the famous June 12, 1993 presidential election, the infamous Association for Better Nigeria secured a midnight judgment stopping the poll.



The ABN was headed by Arthur Nzeribe, a Senator between 1999 and 2007.



Though the then Chairman of the nation’s electoral body, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, discountenanced the court order and conducted the election, the order was central to the controversies that followed the annulled June 12 exercise.



While the election held in defiance of her judgment, Ikpeme also gave another ruling, halting the announcement of the results midway into the exercise.



The court verdict was cited by the former dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.) in annulling the June 12 poll, won by the late business mogul, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party.



In the current effort to stop the April 2 presidential election, the PMP and its candidate, Nwankwo, are asking the court for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the INEC and the Resident Electoral Commissioners in the 36 states of the Federation and Abuja from conducting any fresh presidential poll in Nigeria in April 2011 or any other date.



They are also asking the court to stop INEC from taking steps or further steps, whatsoever and howsoever, towards the conduct of any such elections for the office of the President of Nigeria until the determination of their petition challenging the 2007 election of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.



Jonathan is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in this year’s presidential poll.



They also want an order of interlocutory injunction restraining Jonathan from presenting himself or allowing himself to be presented to INEC as a candidate in any presidential election to be held in Nigeria on any date pending the determination of the petition.



They asked the court to strike out the name of the late Umaru Yar’Adua from their petition, request that was granted during the proceedings on Wednesday.




http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103032295317

All of us must vote out these visionless PDP.

This writer just like millions of Nigerians is still in a state of shock over the show of shame that heralded the release from prison of a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party who was convicted and sentenced for contract splitting and gross abuse of office to the tune of over N100bn as chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority.



A lot of us were so astounded that we wished it was a nightmare that we would soon get over, but alas, it was a reality happening before our own very eyes just some thousands of miles away from decent climes where the ‘peoples revolution’ has swept away corrupt and despotic regimes in the Arab world and is still likely to consume others. Yet, some characters in our midst brought opprobrium on us as a people in the eyes of the whole world by celebrating corruption and criminality. The question that immediately came to mind was, what is it that makes the Nigerians behave as if they are cut off far from reality and every abnormal thing that is repugnant to human sensibilities seems normal? But a very interesting consolation can be found in the public consternation of this show of perfidy by Nigerians all over the country that makes this case an isolated one of demented characters, to put it mildly.



While one believes that there is nothing wrong for the society to rehabilitate violators of the law who have had the opportunity of going through the rehabilitation process that the prison system offers, however, such rehabilitation calls for soberness unlike the show of shame by Bode George and his conspiratorial political clique.



On this note, I am using this medium to call for a total re-examination and surgical overhaul of our prison system which seems to have failed in carrying out the reasons for its establishment if one takes into cognisance the reckless utterances of Bode George immediately after his release.



To add salt upon injury, the visionless Federal Government had the effrontery to send a delegation at the public expense to the thanksgiving of someone who assaulted and raped the same constitution which the administration swore on oath to protect and also abused the trust of fellow Nigerians. We thought we had seen enough wrong signals with the countless faltering steps of Goodluck Jonathan’s administration but this was the height of absurdity and how low can a government sink in this era when one’s action should be guided with an eye on history. The present Federal Government in Nigeria has repeatedly shown from all intents and purposes that its place is well assured in the black book of history and we wish them all the goodluck. Well, I only hope and pray that Nigerians are taking good note and will do the right thing with their votes at the forthcoming polls.



The consequences of this ignoble celebration of an ex-convict by his band of acolytes, supporters and the Nigerian state minus the patriotic and conscious Nigerian people will linger for a long time and are intended to send a wrong signal to the society by the enemies of the people that abuse of trust and office pays.



But they have failed with the way the Nigerian people have condemned their show of shame. Yet, the Jonathan administration will come out ‘tomorrow’ and tell us that it is fighting corruption. Well, with this latest action, this administration has hit the final nail on its coffin, as the people are now wiser as to the kind of characters occupying government at the centre.



To the patriotic judiciary and law enforcement agents whom the politicians are trying to intimidate and subject to ridicule with their sacks of money and support for corruption via this show of shame and other corrupt acts that it is trying to cover, we say to them, he who has the people behind him needs fear no fall. On this issue of corruption, the Nigerian people demand your commitment to your oath and conscience for they are ready to hang garland on your neck in the determined battle against this cankerworm that has consumed the fabric of our society and will not relent until it is wiped out.



To all patriotic and morally upright Nigerians who have expressed their disgust with this show of shame by some minority conscienceless characters in our midst, we will not give up until we have a Nigeria of our dreams and we say, aluta continua, victoria acertra.







http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103030415923

Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo has described his leadership role in the team as one with great responsibility, requiring a good sense of judgment.



Yobo was the assistant captain of the team until Nwankwo Kanu retired from international football after the 2010 World Cup. He told mtnfootball.com that even though he contributed to the coordination of the team Kanu had the final say.



“As a captain you call the final shots when it comes to the players. As an assistant to Kanu, we shared ideas but he had to finally call the shot,” he said.



“As the Eagles skipper you just have to stand up to things. You just have to be strong. You have to have the character and the personality. There are certain things that are going to be changed and certain decisions that are going to be made and as captain you have to be responsible for these.”



The Fenerbahce of Turkey defender said he shared in coach Samson Siasia’s philosophy of rebuilding the team, adding that the new players would need time to blend.



He said, “He (Siasia) is a good coach. The only thing is that the time is short for everybody to see what he can do and the changes he wants to make. That is why people have to be patient for results to come. I spoke with him when he came to see me in Turkey to share his views and philosophy.



“I like the idea of seeing some players coming in the team. It is always good and I am a big fan of giving others their opportunities as well as integrating them slowly. But it is not that easy changing everything. It is a gradual process before we get there.



“The new players did well. against Sierra Leone Ahmed Musa, Joel Obi and Emmanuel Emenike showed they have got talent and with time they will gradually blend with the team.



“The Nigeria-based players too have the talent to be in the team, but they need more time to integrate with the team. Let’s be patient and we will get there.”



Yobo was optimistic about Nigeria’s qualification for the 2012 Nations Cup, saying, “There are no two ways about it, we must win to have a chance of picking a ticket to the 2012 Nations Cup. I believe we have the players to do the job.”






http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103031125364

The interenational community should forget about free, fair and credible election in Nigeria as the chairman of INEC is already working for PDP as evident in Delta state rerun election that the presidency instructed Prof, Jega to return Dr. Uduaghan of the PDP back to power.Jega this a big shame on you having attain some prominence in your life, better think of your reputation.

The United States of America and the United Kingdom insisted on Wednesday that Nigeria must conduct free, fair and credible general elections in April, saying it was only by so doing that the country could show seriousness as a continental leader and preparedness to become a world leader.



To assist in ensuring the smooth conduct of the elections, therefore, both the US and UK said they had jointly earmarked $35m (N5.4bn) to provide vehicles for transporting electoral materials, purchase of machines and other technical aids.



US Under Secretary, Maria Otero, disclosed this in Minna, Niger State, on Wednesday while leading members of the Bi-National Commission to interact with the Niger State Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, and other stakeholders on achieving free and fair general elections.



Otero said the team had met with the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to appraise the Commission’s arrangement for the polls.



She said the two countries would also conduct widespread sensitisation of voters in the country and educate them on their rights and obligations in the electoral process.



Otero said, “Nigeria is moving forward as it prepares to hold its elections in April. We consider that the Nigerian people are looking forward and enthusiastic about having an open, free and fair and transparent election in which every citizen of the country can participate as the president has said ‘one man one vote.’



“We believe that this election is one opportunity for Nigeria to demonstrate its leadership for the region and to be able to show that it can be, not only a regional leader, but also a global leader. The whole world is watching as Nigeria utilises the means and the ways in which every election at the national and local level is done in an open (manner) and in a way that uses no fraud, uses no violence and create a more democratic way of operating.



“The world is watching not only the national election but also the local election. We know that there are challenges. We know that it is not very easy to be able to move forward with a commitment to a democratic process. But we know that that is an effort that will be very important as Nigeria looks at its future. So, we look to its leadership to be able to make statements that are able to do away with any action that could prevent credible elections from taking place.”



Apart from the fund, the US official disclosed that both the US and UK would also engage electoral experts to assist the Independent National Electoral Commission in all the processes of the election.



Mario who was in company with the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Terrence McCulley, and his Nigerian counterpart, Prof. Ade Adefuleye, said the US placed high priority on the Nigerian elections.



She explained that the Bi-National Commission was established to create opportunities of friendship and partnership in pursuing areas of interests affecting Nigeria and the USA, adding that one of the areas of focus was guaranteeing the conduct of credible elections.



She, however, expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the voter registration exercise conducted by INEC, disclosing that her team had met with the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to appraise the arrangement put in place for the elections.



Otero, whose team was also received by all the traditional rulers in the state, including the Etsu of Nupe, Dr. Abubakar Yahaya, acknowledged the challenges facing INEC, but insisted that the electoral process must be devoid of fraud.



Essentially she reiterated that the future of the country depended largely on the forthcoming elections and charged leaders in the country to make statements and undertake actions that would ensure credible elections.



Aliyu in his welcome address said that the Nigeria Governors’ Forum was committed to credible elections in April.



The governor who is also the Chairman of the Northern Governor’s Forum regretted that as a giant of Africa, Nigeria had in many instances “do things differently from what a giant can do”.



He said that he had in one of his dissertations concluded that Nigeria had made more noise than embarking on real actions.



He lamented illiteracy, geographical nature of the state and logistics as part of the challenges besetting local elections.





http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103032415189

Why are all these illegalities going unchecked in Nigeria? General Buhari and other Presidential candidates must have unfiltered access to any venue or commercial media for campaign across the country. I read of a governor denying candidates of other parties from buying time for political campaign on state owned radio and TV . Where are the lawyers in the parties as in the old UPN and NPN? They should be in courts by now over all these illegalities. Court must be on 24hrs duty this period.

Uncertainty still surrounds the campaign of the Congress for Progressive Change presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in Niger State today (Thursday), as the party disagrees with the state government over the venue of the campaign, MIKE ODIEGWU writes







Political observers are worried over the crisis that is brewing between the Congress for Progressive Change and the Peoples Democratic Party-led government in Niger State ahead of the April elections. They are disturbed that the presidential candidate of the CPC, Gen. Muhammed Buhari (retd.), is at the centre of the looming controversy.



Perhaps, the disagreement which started subtlely on Sunday developed into a hot political issue because it bears on the principle of equal political opportunity, which is one of the sustaining pillars of true democracy. Coming from a state where the Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, had on several occasions spoken as a believer in and democracy, observers believe that the issue should not be swept under the carpet.



On Sunday, the CPC stirred the hornet’s nest when it raised the alarm that Niger had perfected a plot to deny Buhari the use of the only suitable public facility in the state for his zonal presidential campaign inauguration. The disputed facility is the Trade Fair Complex in Minna, the state capital, where President Goodluck Jonathan and Aliyu, inaugurated their campaigns.



The state Chairman of the party, Mr. Shuaibu Umar, had lamented that the development had created uncertainty in the party over the possibility of holding the event scheduled for March 3. Umar said it was unfair for the government to continuously deny opposition parties equal political space in a democratic system.



He said the selected venue was the only suitable place to hold such a political gathering in view of the huge crowd of party supporters expected to attend the event. Specifically, he said the occasion would attract all members of the party from the North Central Zone adding that all governorship candidates of the party were expected to receive their flags from Buhari at the rally.



He quickly recalled that the same treatment was meted to the party by the government when it denied it the use of a public facility in the state to hold its congress. He noted that the party in the state had cooperated with the government to host the presidential rally of Jonathan at the same venue noting that it was only responsible for the government to accord the party similar cooperation.



He called on the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Michael Zuokomor, to intervene in the matter recalling that the commissioner had appealed to opposition parties to work together with the police to make Jonathan’s campaign peaceful.



Umar said, “We made an application to use the place, but unfortunately we were told that we could not use the place because there is an organisation that applied to use the place from February 28 to March 3. But we have checked the place to discover that there is no activity going on there.



“That is why we believe that the government is deliberately denying us the use of that place. We feel bad because just last week, President Goodluck Jonathan used the place for his rally. But now they are denying us the same place. We feel that there should be a level playing ground. We are law abiding and we remain law abiding.



“The same state government refused us venue for our party congress. Why are all these happening in Niger state? They should remember it is a public facility and we insist upon using it.”



He urged Zuokomor to prevail on the government to allow the CPC secure the venue for the sake of the personality of its presidential candidate insisting that Buhari as a presidential candidate should be treated equally with Jonathan. He said he suspected that the government was determined to frustrate the rally because it was afraid of the crowd that its presidential candidate would attract to the state.



“We consider the action of the state government as dictatorial and in a democracy it is not acceptable. We are going to insist on using the facility even if it means coming out to the streets to state our displeasure.



“We were earlier told by the state commissioner of police to cooperate during President Jonathan’s visit, which we did; if anything happens we should not be blamed because we are law abiding people and we shall remain so,” he added.



Following the development, the leadership of the party, the State Security Service and the police held a closed-door meeting in Minna, the Niger State capital on Monday to resolve the controversy. The meeting, which was held in the office of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Michael Zuokomor, had in attendance the state Director of SSS, Dr. Larry Obiagwu. Umar was full of hopes when he emerged from the meeting and declared that the security agents promised to advise the government to allow the party access to the facility.



But that hope was dashed immediately after the meeting as the government on the same day disassociated itself from the travails of the party. The Secretary to the Niger State Government, Mohammed Kuta, said the government had no control over the management of the complex. He disclosed that the complex was under the supervision of the state Chamber of Commerce, arguing that the chamber had an established procedure of allowing members of the public to use the facility. He argued that the party might have found it difficult to use the facility because it failed to follow the required due process.



He said the governor of the state should not be dragged into the matter as if the government had a calculated attempt to dishonour Buhari. He posited that the state leadership of the CPC should be blamed for not doing its homework well to receive its presidential candidate. He further alleged that the Buhari’s visit had not been formally communicated to the government.



“The government has not been officially communicated about the visit of the CPC presidential candidate and the security apparatus in the state has not communicated to the government. The governor after several years of sojourn in the civil service has a lot of respect for the personality of Buhari, which is not in doubt.



“It is not true and it cannot happen because of the existing understanding that he is a man of honour as a former head of state,” he said.



Similarly, the management of the complex declared that it would not allow the CPC access because it failed to apply for the facility on time. The President of the Chambers of Commerce and Manager of the complex, Mr. Abdullahi Suleiman, said the party was supposed to have sent its request a month before the event.



He said the management only received a request from the party on February 25th for a campaign inauguration that was supposed to take place on March 3. He explained that the CPC should not blame its travails on government adding that the management of the facility was not in control of the government.



He disclosed that the PDP gave the complex about three months notice before it could use the facility to host the state campaign of President Goodluck Jonathan. He, however, asked the party to seek alternative venue for its rally as the facility had been planned to host other ceremonies.



For instance, he said Zone A supporters of the PDP would converge on the complex on March 3, the same day the CPC had proposed to use the venue, before departing to Suleja for their campaign.



“CPC cannot use the complex to host Buhari because it has been booked for other events”, he noted, insisting that the facility was occupied.



With this development, few months after opposition parties including the Action Congress of Nigeria complained that the PDP-led government denied them the use of public facilities to hold their party congresses, political pundits advise that the issue should be resolved to avoid heating up the polity.







http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20110303164734

God has continued to answer the prayers of Ndigbo over Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State has said at the bedside of Ojukwu who is recuperating in a London hospital.

During the visit, Ojukwu’s wife, Bianca introduced the team of doctors, led by Dr Thomas, attending to him to Obi.
Bianca told the doctors that Governor Obi was the person who made the trip to London possible and that he had not relented in his determination to see that the Ezeigbo get the best of treatment available.

Replying, the governor, who expressed happiness that Ojukwu was in high spirits, said everything was made possible, first and foremost, by God. He also thanked President Goodluck Jonathan and the South-east governors for their love and concerns.

Also at the hospital was the former minister of Health, Dr. Tim Menakaya, Senator Ben Obi, Ambassador Dozie Nwanna of the Nigerian High Commission in the UK, as well as Dr. Emeka Nwankwu and Mr. Patty Ubajaka. Dr. Menakaya said he was quite impressed with Ojukwu’s progressive recovery. Exchanging medical views during the visit with Dr. Tim Menakaya, Dr. Thomas, who calls Ojukwu ‘the General’ said he doubted his recovery when he was brought into the UK in December, adding that the rate of his recovery was a miracle to him.

Describing Dim as a very strong man, he said he rarely saw anybody in such condition in his many years of medical practice who recovered as quickly as Ojukwu was doing. Governor Obi who was on his third visit to ensure that everything was ok with Ojukwu urged Ndigbo to continue to pray for him.
Ojukwu, who was in one of the most exclusive hospitals in London, was yesterday taken to another hospital for the last stage in his treatment, after which he would resume full physiotherapy, preparatory to his being discharged.

On the message from Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu to Ndigbo, Obi said he asked him to thank Ndigbo in partucular for him and Nigerians in general.



http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2011/mar/03/newsbreak-03-03-2011-001.htm

Organised labour yesterday drew the battle line with the Federal Government and threatened to mobilise against the conduct of the April general election except the new wage bill is signed into law.

The unionists vowed that no governorship election would hold in any state except the governors showed commitment to paying the new wage awaiting passage at the House of Representatives after the Senate had passed it last week.

The labour leaders went into a marathon session yesterday to deliberate on the minimum wage against the background of the claim by their erstwhile leader and now Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, that they were going to have problems with the state governors because the most of the governors were against the new wage.

Oshiomhole had advised the labour to prevail on the Federal Government to review the revenue allocation formula to favour the states and local governments so that they could have more money to meet their obligations, adding that most of the governors would like to pay but didn’t have the means. However, labour leaders discountenanced the advice that they should plead with the Federal Government to review the revenue allocation formula but would tackle the federal and state governments headlong because the issue touched on law and not sentiment.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), President Abdulwaheed Omar, quickly dismissed the position of Oshiomhole as a mere distraction, warning that it would be a total showdown with government should the National Assembly fail to pass the bill before the end of its tenure, adding that congress would not allow itself to be arm twisted.

Omar said: “That would be a distraction and we have come a long way in the battle. Therefore, all the parties agreed we are not going to listen to any further excuses. It would be uncharitable for them to be giving us conditions after the whole agreement has been sealed and the law was already being processed.”
The delegates to the 10th quadrennial conference of the NLC, holding in Abuja, then resolved at their session yesterday that there would be no elections in the states without payment of the new wage noting that the workers patience had been tested enough by the state governments.

They expressed their frustration with the state governments over the matter and took a position not to allow elections in those states if the governors failed to pay because it would amount to disobeying the law.
The congress president insisted that “the ultimatum we are giving to the government is that the new minimum wage bill must be assented to by the president before the dissolution of the present National Assembly. Failure of both the executive and the National Assembly to collaborate and ensure implementation of the wage bill would put the April elections in jeopardy as workers would ensure the elections do not hold.”

Oshiomhole had explained that the Federal Government allocated to itself 47. 3 per cent of the total federal revenue, leaving the states and local governments with only 43.7 per cent and in the process the Federal Government had more money to throw into projects that had no value to the people rather than giving it to states and local governments, which has responsibility to the people at the grass root.

It was on the basis of this that he called on labour to rise up to the challenge and engage the Federal Government on the revenue allocation formula.




http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/mar/03/national-03-03-2011-001.htm

We are fighting corruption,i agree but tell me when a serving judge knows he will not get his entitlements when he retires what will he do to secure his future,refuse bribe or be willing to give sound and unbiased judgement?The Nigerian political class remains the virus that is killing Nigeria and the people of Nigeria but i am happy that no one is being spared and that calls for everybody to join hands to say no to bad governance,the judiciary especially by calling a spade a spade.

Ten retired judges in Oyo State have dragged the state Governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, to court over the failure of the state government to pay their severance packages, months after retirement.



They joined the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Ladi AbdulSalam, as co-defendants to the suit.



The claimants include three Chief Judges, two acting Chief Judges and six other retired judges, who served in the state’s judiciary before retirement.



Others are Justices N.O. Adekola, M.O. Adio, R. G. Oyetunde, A. Adeniran, J.O. Ige, K. Jimoh, L.O. Arasi, A. Sanda, Atilade Ojo, S.O. Akintola and T.O. Adeniran (deceased).



They accused Alao-Akala and the commissioner of denying them the right to their lawful entitlements in contravention of provisions of the 1999 constitution, “Certain Political Public and Judicial Office Holder (Salaries and Allowances) Act 2002 and the amended Act 2008.



Their originating summons was filed on their behalf by their lawyer, Mr. Lasun Sanusi (SAN), at the state High Court in Ibadan on Wednesday.



The retired jurists want the court to determine whether the state government is not bound by the provisions of the law on the payment of the entitlement; whether, following their retirements, they are not entitled to the pay; whether having completed their services in the state’s judicial service, it is not wrong for the state to deny them their severance entitlement; and whether the denial should be compensated with interest on the payable sums.



They are seeking reliefs that include, “Declaration that each of the 1st to 10th claimants, including the late Hon Justice T.O. Adeniran (retd.), is entitled to be paid severance gratuity to be based on 300 per cent of each claimant’s annual basic salary while in service.



“Declaration that the claimants are entitled to be paid interest on their respective unpaid severance gratuity from the date of their respective successful completion of their tenure of office till date of judgement and until the judgement is fully satisfied.



“Order restraining the defendants to pay the 1st to 10th claimants and the estate of late Honourable Justice T.A. Adeniran (11th claimant) forthwith their severance gratuities based on 300 per cent annual basic salary of each of the claimants.



“Order directing the defendants to pay each of the claimants an estate of Late Honourable Justice T.A. Adeniran 21 per cent interest per annum on the severance gratuity from the date of their respective retirement till delivery of judgement and 10 per cent interest from the date of judgement till the judgement is fully satisfied.



“Any such order or further order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance of this case.”



No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.







http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103031261196

Mr. Jega, at your age, what are you afraid of that you can not name those highly placed Nigerians that registered twice? If you can’t simply name those high profile Nigerians that registered twice, how are we sure you won’t be scarred to name potential politicians that rigged the election when you finally conduct the elections?

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, on Wednesday said some unnamed influential Nigerians were involved in double registration during the recent voter listing.



Jega, who also vowed that the commission would soon commence their prosecution, said these at the National Summit on Free and Fair Elections organised by The Nation newspapers in collaboration with INEC in Abuja. However, the INEC Chairman did not name the high profile registrants. But he revealed that the double registration of voters was recorded in all the 36 states of the federation, including Abuja, adding that the commission’s AFIS software helped to detect such cases.



“Many people did not believe us, some of the politicians in fact thought INEC had no capacity to check double registration. I must tell you that we even caught some high profile double registrants, and we will be able to start with them in the area of prosecution.



“We have done all the collation, we have done all (with) the software we were using. Many people who didn’t think we had the capacity, but like I said, we’ve got the best software for checking double registration.



“This software checks duplication of names, duplication of photographs and the duplication of fingerprints. So, it caught any of these or all of these where they occurred. Where you have double photographs and double fingerprints, then you know that that is a 100 per cent case of wilful double registration,” he said.



Jega, however, assured that cases of double registration were ‘statistically’ insignificant in relation to the 67.7 million registered voters. The INEC boss, who said the number was not up to one per cent of the number of registered voters, also noted that the commission was aware of similarities in the names of people in different parts of the country.



He stated that INEC was being cautious not to disenfranchise eligible voters. He also assured that unlike in the past, governors and ministers would not be allowed to move around with security aides during elections beyond the polling unit where they cast their vote.



On security, he said the commission had reached an agreement with all security agencies on the role to be assigned to each of them. The INEC boss also decried the growing number of court orders served on it by candidates.



He said, “There are, as I speak with you now, over 200 cases that we are confronted with. Over 70 of them were exparte orders given to us.



“Really, some of them defy logic or reason, but we have pleaded with the appropriate authorities. We all know (that), we have a history, we want to get it right and we are doing our best. But we know in 1993 how these kinds of judgments created problems and in fact obstructed the process. It is absolutely necessary that we begin to address some of these things.”



He enjoined government, political parties, politicians and other stakeholders to muster the political will to respect electoral laws. Jega also decried the ‘do-or-die’ mentality of some politicians, adding that a zero sum attitude to elections would not help in deepening democracy.



Jega recalled that in November 2010, he had written to President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the National Assembly on the need to adopt the recommendations of the Justice Mohammadu Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee, especially on the possibility of establishing an Election Offences Tribunal.



He added, “It is a very unfortunate mindset.



Politicians ought to have enlightened self-interest. The associated problem is impunity because they feel confident that they will get away with whatever they do.



“But for the first time, we are saying that if you violate the law, we will have the capacity to apprehend and prosecute you. It is very difficult for us as INEC, that as we are doing our best with the issues revolving around the management of elections, to also be dealing with issues of offences and their prosecution.



“We are doing our best now. Ultimately, I believe that we will have to back to the recommendations of the Uwais Committee on Electoral Reform about the need to establish an Election Offences Tribunal. It is very important that we have such a tribunal, hopefully, with people of impeccable integrity who can handle such matters.



“Luckily, the Nigerian Bar Association has established a partnership with INEC and they have good teams of lawyers who are willing to offer their services free or at minimal cost to facilitate the job of INEC in the task of prosecuting electoral offenders.”


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103032381095

I know so many people will read meaning to this,

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole; and Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, on Wednesday escaped death when a helicopter in which they were travelling from the Ondo State capital, Akure, to Abeokuta, Ogun State crashlanded.



THE PUNCH learnt that the helicopter developed engine problems mid-air and lost contact with the control tower at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. The situation forced the pilot of the chartered helicopter to land in a primary school a few kilometres from Abeokuta.



The loss of contact with the control tower was said to have caused apprehension at the airport. The helicopter had been expected to return to Lagos, from where it began the journey on Wednesday morning.



It was learnt that apart from both personalities and the pilot, there were two security aides aboard the helicopter. A source said the craft landed in Abule-Odo, Obafe in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, adding that they were rescued by a passing motorist.



When contacted, Bankole’s Special Adviser on Communications, Chief Kayode Odunaro, confirmed the incident, but said both men were not hurt in the crash.



Odunaro, who spoke with one of our correspondents at 10.34pm, said they were rescued by their aides, who rushed in a convoy to the location of the crash.



He said, “Apparently, there was an incident. The Speaker and the governor were on board the helicopter. It was a helicopter incident and they landed in a village five minutes’ drive from Abeokuta along Ajebo Road.



“We thank God that both of them are safe. The Speaker has been holding a meeting with a youth group since 8pm.”


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103032221025

Happy Birthday, Wish you all the best as you add a year today. You are too much !

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday fixed Thursday for its judgment in a suit by Maj.-Gen. Adetunji Olurin (retd.) and four others said to be loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.



The plaintiffs had also named the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission and Mr. Joju Fadairo-led PDP faction that is loyal to Governor Gbenga Daniel.



Justice Abdul Kafarati had fixed the date following the conclusion of argument by the lawyers to the parties.



At the resumed hearing of the matter on Tuesday, lawyers had argued on the originating summons and preliminary objection to the substantive suit filed by Olurin, his running mate, Tunde Oladunjoye, Babatunde Fadun, Dave Salako and Seun Adesanya.



Lawyer to the PDP, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), told the court that the Joju Fadairo-led executive was the authentic PDP faction saddled with the responsibility of conducting primary elections.



He backed his argument with a judgment of an Ogun State High Court.



But the lawyer to the plaintiffs, Prof. Olagoke Fakunle (SAN), urged the court to discountenance Fagbemi’s submissions and argued that PDP could not deal with an executive council they had dissolved.



He said, “As far as this case is concerned, PDP has taken those steps and cannot in the circumstances deal with an executive they have dissolved. The documents emanating from the PDP which they have not denied are ample proof of the steps they have taken to dissolve Joju Fadairo’s group and harmonise the executive in Ogun State.”



The court had at the last sitting, struck out an application by Daniel’s faction of the PDP seeking to vacate an interlocutory order against it.



Justice Abdul Kafarati struck out the application following its withdrawal by the Defence lawyer, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).



The court had on January 26 restrained the INEC and the PDP from accepting the list of candidates sent by the Fadairo’s faction.



The candidates affected by the restraining order are the factional leader, Governor Daniel; the faction’s governorship candidate, Mr. Gboyega Isiaka and Mrs. Lola Abiola-Edewor.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103023121415

The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Mohammed Bello stirred the hornet’s nest yesterday, accusing Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola and his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of corruption.
Speaking at the party’s presidential campaign rally at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, Bello accused the duo of misapplying the state’s revenue.

The PDP Acting National Chairman who spoke in the presence of President Jonathan, his vice, Namadi Sambo, ex-president Obasanjo among others said Tinubu and Fashola lack administrative credentials to lead a state like Lagos.
Bello accused them of being traitors and businessmen on the corridors of power.

Bello also came down heavily on the tax regime of the state government, saying it was killing businesses and promoting unemployment.
Specifically, he said many business concerns were either dead or moving out of the state to other areas.
Consequently, he called on the people of the state to vote the party’s governorship candidate, Dr. Ade Dosunmu whom he described as having the experience to run the state.

In his speech, President Goodluck Jonathan described Lagos as very strategic to national development.
He therefore, said the Federal Government was urgently looking into how to address the infrastructure decay in the state.
According to him, he felt sad each time he used the International Airport Road, saying its state was saddening.
That, he said, was the reason why the Federal Government was taking a holistic look at the infrastructure in order to upgrade them.
Jonathan said the effort would involve the private sector and the state government to achieve desired effect.

In a similar vein, ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo said the PDP would no longer tolerate a situation where the party was robbed of victory.
The former president who said that through a Yoruba song to the admiration of party members was apparently contesting ACN’s victory in the state.
Congratulating Jonathan in advance, he said he was convinced that the president would win the coming elections, as ex-presid
the state in terms of growth and development.
Other diginitaries at the event included Speaker Dimeji Bankole, Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Bode George, South-West PDP Chairman, Taju Oladipo, Govs Bukola Saraki(Kwara) Gbenga Daniel(Ogun), Ikedi Ohakim(Imo), Christopher Alao-Akala(Oyo) Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Amb. Musiliu Obanikoro, Jimoh Ibrahim etc.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/mar/02/national-2-03-2011-04.htm

The electioneering campaign of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new dimension in Lagos State, yesterday as the two parties held counter rallies in the nation’s commercial capital. While President Goodluck Jonathan led PDP members to Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos to flag off his presidential campaign, the ACN held its rally in four strategic locations in Lagos.

The ACN rally was held almost simultaneously on Volks Ground along Lagos Badagry Expressway, Agege, Gbagada and Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere. The state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), who is seeking re-election on the platform of the ACN, addressed party supporters at the locations.

Fashola kicked off the rally at Agege before he moved to Gbagada, Surulere and Ojo. He thrilled ACN supporters at Volks Ground in Ojo Local Government Area when he flew into the venue in a helicopter at about 3:15p.m. Local government chairmen, scores of the ACN candidates, party loyalists, market women, youth associations and top government officials who attended the events hailed the governor.
Some ACN chieftains explained that the governor had to use helicopter so that he would be able to touch all the four locations because of traffic congestion in many parts of the state yesterday.

In his address, the governor urged members of the party to use their brooms symbolically to sweep away the footprints of members of the PDP who also held a rally at another location in Lagos.
His words; “You know the most important reason why we cannot trust PDP again. This country is going to make a lot of money in the next few months. You know why? There is crisis in the Middle East - there is crisis in Libya, which is an oil producing state. There is a problem rearing its head in Saudi Arabia. If that problem continues, the price of oil will soar as high as $200 per barrel.

“Now, we have done a budget in this country at $65 per barrel. Oil is already selling above $100 per barrel. It means we are already making excess money of at least $40 million per day. We are selling about two million barrels multiply by $40 per day. Now, if you leave them with that money, they are going to squander it again. For 12 years, they sold $500 billion worth of crude oil. Where is the money?”
Fashola thanked the Lagosians for trooping out in large numbers to participate in the just-concluded voters’ registration exercise, urging them to deliver their over six million votes for the ACN in this year’s general elections.
He declared that he has “no personal grudge against anybody in the opposition party, but I have every dislike, every disagreement with the way they have mismanaged my life and your own life.

“I do not accept that it is impossible for this country to have electricity, I do not accept that. The people who are producing electricity in their countries, they studied the same physics, the same chemistry, and the same mathematics that we studied. They have the same blood flowing in their veins.
“If you have led a country for 12 years, you are promising us more power, but what we are getting is less power. You are promising us bigger economy, but what we are getting is a shrinking economy. You are promising us that you want to resuscitate automobile industry, somebody trying to do that wants to be importing automobile.

“Our party is a party of ideas. I have asked them if they have superior ideas, let them bring it to the market place, let us exchange the ideas. The people of Nigeria are no longer concerned about whether you zone or you do not zone. Your zone will not bring electricity, that is not what the people are concerned about. Your zone will not make the price of kerosene cheaper and that is what is giving them pain. Your zone will not give them better job, that is what is giving me concern.”
Fashola asserted that it was disheartening that importers and exporters could not clear their goods within 24 hours at the port and the port doesn’t work at night, saying ACN was set to bring a turn-around transformation if residents of Lagos could use their six million votes, people of south west could use their 15 million votes and Nigerians at large could vote massively for the party.

He made reference to some of completed roads and those that are under construction in different parts of the former federal capital of the country as well as Iju/Adiyan Water Works as a tip of the ice berg on the dividends of democracy that the ACN-led government would deliver to Nigerians.





http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2011/mar/02/newsbreak-02-03-2011-001.htm

The United States Mission in Nigeria has introduced a new visa appointment system for non-immigrant visa interview appointments, with effect from March 1, 2011.



A statement issued on Tuesday by the Embassy said, “Applicants in Abuja and Lagos who wish to schedule a non-immigrant visa appointment should now do so via the new website http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ng - or through the assistance of a new call centre at 09-460-1748.”



While pointing out that the new visa appointment system replaced the former online appointment system managed by VFS Global, the statement said, “Previously, non-immigrant visa applicants in Nigeria paid both a $140 Machine Readable Visa fee and a VFS processing fee of 5800 Naira prior to their interviews. Now, all costs for using the appointment system, including scheduling and passport pickup, will be covered under the MRV fee, currently $140 for business and tourist visas and $150 for work visas.”



It further stated that all persons scheduling appointments under the new system after March 1 would need to pay the applicable visa fees at a branch of Guaranty Trust Bank first in order to book an appointment.



“Many applicants have already booked appointments in March and April 2011 through the VFS online appointment system at http://www.usa-vfsglobal-ng.com. The US Embassy and the US Consulate-General will continue to honour these appointments. Applicants, who already have a US visa appointment scheduled after March 1 through the current website should still appear for their interviews. At the time of their interviews, they will need to provide a visa fee receipt from either the United Bank for Africa or from GT Bank,” it said.



From March 1 to April 30, 2011, applicants who had already paid the MRV fee at UBA but had not yet scheduled an appointment, according to the statement, might still use valid UBA receipts to schedule appointments at the US Embassy. It said that after April 30, all applicants would require a GT Bank receipt to seek an appointment and apply for a US visa.



“Under the new system, passport pass-back will continue at VFS locations in Abuja and Lagos. In Lagos, there will be a new passport collection location in Ikeja for US Consulate-General Lagos applicants in addition to the Lekki location,” the statement added.






http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103023162817

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, has described as shameful the recent pomp and pageantry with which the former Vice Chairman of PDP, Chief Olabode George, was greeted on his release from Kirikiri Maximum prison.



George was released on Saturday after serving a two and half year jail term. He was convicted on charges of embezzling public funds while serving as the Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority.



In a press release made available to THE PUNCH, Cardinal Okogie condemned the reception, calling it a moral and psychological blow to the fight against corruption. “What are they celebrating? What message are they passing across to the people, especially the youth? Are they saying it is okay to steal huge funds, serve a few months in jail and return triumphantly to enjoy the loot?” the cleric asked.



Accusing the Federal Government and the ruling party of treating corruption with kid gloves, Cardinal Okogie added, “This singular action reveals the hypocrisy of the ruling party on the fight against corruption. Otherwise, why would people wear aso-ebi and make all that noise on national TV to celebrate someone who looted public funds?



“Unless those in leadership positions caution themselves from insulting the sensitivity of Nigerians, the people may soon be provoked to revolt” Cardinal Okogie warned, drawing the attention of all involved in reception to the current spate of revolutions in the Middle East.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103023234031

An Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on Tuesday fixed March 30 for the hearing of an application for an interlocutory injunction stopping the execution of the Will of the late chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State, Chief Lamidi Adedibu.



Justice Akintunde Boade adjourned the case instituted by the Chief Executive Officer, Pelly Foam Limited, Mr. Dapo Davies, against Adedibu and others over the 2006 attacks on the premises of his company.



The judge had adjourned to allow parties in the case to comply with the new rule of the court.



Davies is seeking an interlocutory injunction “restraining the Executors/Administrators of late Adedibu from distributing his entire estate either through his Will or any testamentary document and/or intestacy to the Fifth to Seventh defendants or any other children or beneficiaries pending the determination of the substantive suit.”






http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103023125735

The Minister of Defence, Mr. Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN), in this interview with journalists in Akure, insists that President Goodluck Jonathan is the candidate to beat in the forthcoming presidential poll among other issues. SUNDAY ABORISADE was there. Excerpts: What are the chances of President Goodluck Jonathan in the forthcoming election in the South-West especially with the Action Congress of Nigeria making significant incursion into the zone?



Let us put the presidential election coming up in April in perspective. It is going to be based on personality not on party politics as such. From our study and understanding, it is individuals that would be the key factors in the election. For instance, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), would be assessed and judged by the electorate as Buhari, not based on his party. The success or failure of the contestants will be based on the people’s assessment of them, their antecedents and what they had achieved in public office.



Are you saying that party politics will have little or no impact in the forthcoming presidential election?



Party politics will be a vehicle to deliver the candidates but don’t forget that the vehicle is not the same thing as the destination. You use the vehicle to move to your destination. So ultimately, Goodluck is the destination for this country and I have no doubt in my mind that the presidential election will be based on the basis of President Jonathan versus other candidates. He has been recognised and promoted. It is obvious that South-West will vote en-masse for Jonathan and they would hope for a good government from him and I have no doubt in my mind that he will deliver for the South-West. He knows what the South-West wants. He knows our pedigree in education, industry, and leadership and this is what we need to focus on. There are many things that need to be done in the South-West. New roads that would open up the zone to other areas in the country are being planned by the Jonathan government while the existing ones are now being rehabilitated. The rail system that will pass through the South-West is also being carried out. The rail from Lagos en-route Ibadan to Osogbo towards Jebba is being rehabilitated. On power, just about two weeks ago, the Olorunsogo Power Plant was handed over to the operators, the phase II of the Omotoso Power Plant is being completed. Recently, a federal university was established in Ekiti State and five other states. If the people of Ekiti and Ondo states don’t vote for Jonathan, who will they vote for? Will they vote for Buhari? What has Buhari done for them? Will they vote for Nuhu Ribadu? They don’t even know him. Though Ribadu is our friend, the truth is that he is completely out of his league in this election. Talk of Ibrahim Shekarau, we know him as a good governor but he is also out of his league. These people are like fish out of water in this very ocean that we are now. The real voyage, the king of the ocean right now is Jonathan.



Jonathan was a Vice President, Acting President and he has been President of this country for some time now, do you think he has achieved much to qualify him for the election?



Who will you pick as the alternative? Is it Buhari who has not done anything in the last 20 years? Or is it Nuhu Ribadu, who we know, has no experience in public service and we can tell him to his face what he has done at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission? Or is it Shekarau that nobody even knows around here? Or who else? There are only three candidates contesting this election with Jonathan. Others just wanted their names mentioned in the newspapers. Jonathan as Vice-President, Acting President and even as President, can boast of ensuring that the constitution of Nigeria is working. He did that. The circumstances that moved him from the Vice-President to Acting President and then, President, followed the constitutional means. He did not hijack power. We need to understand the depth of the constitutional challenges that we had last year when our late president (Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua) was ill and he did not hand over power to Jonathan. But then he, as the Vice-President, did not rush to hijack power. This would have caused a big constitutional crisis but he took it calmly. He made sure that the law was followed and there was a smooth transition when the late president eventually died. That was the first and most critical test of the validity and efficacy of our constitution. He did what he had to do to keep the country together to ensure stability of the polity because every developmental strategy of any government is hinged on the stability in the country. That is a monumental achievement. Look at what is happening in Egypt today, Look at Libya, and Tunisia now. If there is no political stability, you cannot start talking about roads, foods, and electricity because there would be chaos and everybody will be looking for a way of escape to safer areas. On education, he discovered that some states had two federal institutions, some had one while others don’t even have at all.



Is it true that the PDP has voted N2.9bn to ‘capture’ the South-West in the forthcoming election?



That is absolute lie. It is a mere campaign of calumny against the President. The Action Congress of Nigeria leaders have been launching verbal attacks on the President at various fora, making unfounded insinuations. the PDP did not vote any amount for the purpose of capturing any section of the country. The PDP will defeat every party fair and square. The issue of ‘capture’ does not arise. The idea of insulting the President by the leaders of the ACN is alien to the Yoruba tradition and it is totally uncalled for. It has nothing to do with age. This is the number one person in the country; he deserves all the respect even from the oldest person in the country. It is a matter of the position he is occupying. I am looking forward to the ACN leaders, especially Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to withdraw the abusive words credited to him in the media against the President and apologise on behalf of his party. I know the President will not take issues with him. The President spoke in Ibadan at one of his rallies and extolled the qualities of the Yoruba sons and daughters in the areas of education, industry, agriculture among others and commended them for keeping alive the dreams and visions of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo alive. He appealed to them to get the states back from the opposition to the mainstream politics so that they could consolidate their leadership position from the centre. The plan of Awolowo was to make the Yoruba nation great within Nigeria by providing leadership. He never wanted Yoruba to be in the opposition. If he had wanted that, why did he go to the federal parliament? His political framework was to make Yoruba great within Nigeria. That was what the President was saying. He never described our leaders in Yoruba as ‘rascals.’



The figures announced by the INEC showed that more voters registered in the North-West and South-West, where the opposition seemed to be having an upper hand, is this not a threat to Jonathan’s presidential bid?



I agree with you that the two geo-political zones recorded the highest numbers of voters. The zones will no doubt, be the political hot zones for the presidential election but going by the breakdown, one will discover that people of the South-West has no option. They will vote for Jonathan, that one is sure. I believe that Tinubu will separate Lagos politics from national politics because, even Awolowo did it. There is no other candidate in the other parties other than Jonathan, unless you want to axe the Yoruba race from the federation. Who is it that can push development for us in education, services, infrastructure and help us to regain our leadership position in industry? Who can help us to develop Lagos and put the federal might behind it? Only Jonathan can do it out of the candidates. In spite of the political difference now, the federal and Lagos state governments have a standing committee on how to move Lagos forward. We need to strengthen that and work on it to make sure that the Federal Government continues to give support to Lagos. Alhaji Lateef Jakande, as the governor of Lagos, worked closely with the then President Shehu Shagari to develop Lagos. For the North-West, there will be serious political problems but we have our own advantages too. The fact that Buhari is from the North-West and Shekarau is also from the zone is a problem. However, Jonathan has had an extensive campaign there. There was massive turn out of people on each occasion. He is well loved there. When there was flooding in Sokoto recently, he flew there, and directed the army to provide a temporary bridge there and this was done with military despatch. This action restored normalcy there. That is what the people wanted. They needed somebody who could impact positively on their lives. I also know that Buhari is from Katsina State but the love that the people there have for the Yar’Adua dynasty is being transferred to Jonathan now because he did not betray their late son, Umaru, when he was President, when he was sick or even when he died. Jonathan treated the late Yar’Adua with dignity and kindness. This is very uncommon.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103022245431

President Goodluck Jonathan will not visit Ogun State in his nationwide campaign until the crisis between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor Gbenga Daniel is resolved, THE PUNCH learnt on Tuesday.



Our correspondent gathered that the crisis forced the President and members of his campaign team to postpone the planned visit to state on Tuesday (yesterday) after its rally in Lagos State. The Director of Publicity of the Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Abah Dabo, confirmed the decision in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday.



He said the campaign train had decided to stay away from the state from the list until all the resolution of issues in contention.



Dabo said, “Yes, I can confirm to you that the campaign would not be in the state until all the issues in the state are resolved. That was the reason he was not in the state today.”



The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party had on Sunday said it had received a court order restraining it from accepting candidates from the primaries conducted by a faction loyal to Daniel. The crisis between Obasanjo and Daniel led to the conduct of separate primaries by the rival factions.



While the pro-Daniel faction held its primary election at the M.K.O Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, the rival group loyal to Obassanjo conducted its own poll at the Obasanjo Presidential Library, also in the state capital. The Daniel faction’s poll produced Alhaji Gboyega Isiaka as its governorship candidate while the Obasanjo group elected Maj.-Gen. Adetunji Olurin (retd.).



The battle over the authentic governorship candidate has shifted to a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which is expected to deliver judgment on Thursday (tomorrow).



Meanwhile, the President on Tuesday said he would win the first round of voting in the April elections. He said the speculation by opposition parties that the election might lead to a run-off was not based on political realities.



Dabo, who spoke on behalf of the President on Tuesday, advised members of the opposition to work harder instead of expecting a run-off.



The leadership of the Action Congress of Nigeria, All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Congress for Progressive Change had met in Abuja a few days ago on modalities for forging a common front against Jonathan’s ambition. But Dabo said advised all the political parties that fielded presidential candidates to campaign well instead of planning a conspiracy against a particular candidate.



He said, “There will be no need for any rerun because the President is going to win convincingly. He will win after the first round of voting.



“We have gone round the country telling people what we are capable of doing. The presidential aspirants of some of these political parties are still busy doing newspaper campaigns. Tell them that we are winning with the first round of balloting. Nigerians know the kind of leader they want and that is why they are going to vote for Jonathan.”



He said the interactions between Jonathan and members of the Northern Political Leaders Forum led by Mallam Adamu Ciroma had further shown that the President was interested in the unity of the country and his party. Asked if the meeting had not been abandoned since the two parties ought to have met to finalise their agreement, he said the President’s busy schedule was responsible for the seeming short progress being experienced.



“It is wrong to assume that the meeting was deadlocked. No, we are meeting and we are progressing. The fact that the President agreed to meet with aggrieved members of the party shows that he wants a united party and a united Nigeria,” he added.



Dabo refused to disclose the actual amount budgeted for the President’s campaign, noting that it was not close to the sum of N178bn being rumoured by some opposition parties. He said the campaign would not go beyond the N1bn stipulated by the Electoral Act.


Link;http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20110302313320

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday dissociated himself from a statement made by his Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba-Aji, on the Freedom of Information Bill.



The President reacted on the heels of the barrage of criticisms the statement attracted.



Abba-Aji had on Monday in Maiduguri, Borno State, said he was disappointed in the House of Representatives which passed the bill last week and expressed the hope that the Senate would throw out the bill.



He threatened that in case the Senate passed the bill he would ensure that Jonathan did not give its assent to turn the bill into a law. He also boasted that he worked against the bill when he was a Senator.



But the House of Representatives and the Nigeria Union of Journalists on Tuesday questioned the motive of Abba-Aji in opposing the bill with the House saying that any opposition to the bill at this stage was an opposition to its legislative oversight.



The spokesman of the House, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh, told THE PUNCH that any opposition to the bill was “therefore an opposition to our legislative oversight.”



Eyiboh noted that though there were “some professional issues to be addressed,” it was wrong for people to continue to tag the bill “a media bill” just to paint it black.



“We passed the bill out of the conviction that it will enhance governance and transparency in the conduct of public business. The man (Abba-Aji) may just be expressing a personal opinion, which the House cannot deny him. But, we were convinced that Nigeria needed the bill; hence we passed it,” he said.



The National President of the NUJ, Mohammed Garba, condemned what he described as the “negative pronouncement” of the presidential special adviser noting that whoever was opposed to the passage of the must be a corrupt person.



Garba spoke on Tuesday when he visited PUNCH PLACE, head office of the Punch Nigeria Limited.



“It is quite unfortunate and unbelievable. It is an indication that Abba-Aji is most likely ignorant of the importance of the bill and he needs to be properly enlightened about that. Anybody that is against the freedom of information bill must be a corrupt politician and he must have something that he is hiding,” Garba said.



A member of the House of Representatives and one of the key sponsors of the bill, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, asked Jonathan to immediately kick out Abba-Ajji and denounce his statement, else his words on the FOI bill would be taken to be the mind of the presidency.



“The president should either sack Abba-Aji or denounce his statement or do both,” the lawmaker said in a statement.



Dabiri-Erewa said she had been vindicated that forces working against the passage of the bill were outside of the National Assembly. She described the stand of the presidential aide as “retrogressive, undemocratic, and an insult to Nigerians whom President Jonathan seeks to lead for another four years with bad advisers like Abba-Aji who himself needs an adviser.”



Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mr. Ima Niboro, told journalists at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday that Abba-Aji lacked the capacity to speak for the president.



He said, “Abba-Aji was speaking as an individual and not for the Federal Government. I speak for the President; information minister speaks for the government; and in the matter of law, the Attorney General, who is the chief law officer, can speak for the government.



“So, since this statement did not come from the any of us, he (Aba-Aji) is purely speaking for himself and I want it reflected that way.”



The FOI Bill commenced its journey 11 years ago. While it was passed by both chambers of the National Assembly in the last legislative session, former President Olusegun Obasanjo refused to sign it into law thus forcing it to start the journey afresh in 2007.



The House of Representatives, almost after four years and agitation by stakeholders, last week passed the 34-clause piece of legislation. The Senate is expected to also pass it this week.



While the bill seeks to confer access to public information by all citizens, many had wrongly expressed the fear that it was essentially a media bill.



Abba-Aji queried the support for the bill, stressing that no government or organisation would offer its official secret to members of the public or the press.



The former senator insisted that all public institutions had information that must be closely guided for the benefit of peace, progress and development of the society.



He said Nigerians should be wary of opening the nation’s secret to the rest of the world “through this unpatriotic FOI Bill.”



Abba-Aji who claimed that the Nigerian press remained the freest, said there were classified information even in the United States of America.



On the constitutionality of the bill, he argued that every public officer, including the president, was under oath of secrecy.



“That is in the constitution and this is what this new bill is trying to oust,” he said.


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A former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, has said she will expose all the details of the financial benefits of senators if she becomes one of them.



Akunyili stated this on Tuesday at Oba, Idemili South Local Government when she visited the Eze Okpoko Oba, Igwe Peter Ezenwa.



Akunyili is the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance for Anambra Central Senatorial election in April.



“There are too many things that are too much in secrecy, which I will open up.



“People are concerned about how much constituency allowance is. I will tell you how much it is.



“I will announce how much I earn as a senator. I will tell you how much I will take for myself and how much I will commit to my constituents,” Akunyili declared.



She also made APGA’s House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates from the zone promise to publish what they will earn as legislators, other wise, she would expose them.



The former minister threatened to resign if within one year of her stay in the Senate, her people were not happy with her representation.



She said, “If I spend one year in the Senate and people are not happy that they sent me, I will resign,” she declared.



Igwe Ezenwa, who offered his blessings to Akunyili, praised the former minister for the great job she did as the director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and Information Minister.



He said the senatorial candidate’s goodwill has gone ahead of her to win votes for her.



Akunyili, who also visited Awka Etiti and Nkpor, urged the people to come out to vote and resist people that will attempt to rig.


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Popular Yoruba comedian, Mr. James Omiyinka, popularly called Baba Ijesa, who was involved in an accident on Sunday, has been moved out of Ijaiye General Hospital, Abeokuta, Ogun State, at the request of his family members.



The auto crash claimed the life of a 23-year-old lady, identified as Surat Shonekan. While the remains of the deceased was deposited at the Ijaiye General Hospital mortuary, the comedian was rushed to the hospital for treatment and later released to the family on Monday.



Baba Ijesa, an employee of the Lagos State Television (LTV) Ikeja, was travelling from Lagos to Abeokuta, when the tragic incident occurred.



The late Shonekan was said to have crossed the road, oblivious of the approaching Toyota Camry car and it rammed into her. She died instantly.



According to an eye witness, Hammed Ogunbiyi, who spoke to our correspondent, the woman was distracted by a phone call she was making while crossing the road.



Ogunbiyi said, “The woman was so distracted by the phone call she was receiving that she didn’t see the car coming at a speed and Omiyinka too did not see her in time. Attempts made to avoid hitting her was not successful as he not only hit her, but the vehicle swerved into a nearby bush.”



The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Isaq Salako and a Yoruba actor, Bolaji Amusan, popularly known as Baba Latin, were among the early callers at Ijaiye General Hospital to sympathise with Omiyinka.



Omiyinka’s car, with Lagos State registration number: FA 376 EKY, driven to the Ogun State Motor Traffic Division at Ibara in Abeokuta immediately after the accident.



Investigations by our correspondent at the Ijaiye general hospital on Tuesday revealed that relations of the comedian took him away to an undisclosed hospital in Lagos for convenience.



“He was on admission in the hospital for an incomplete spinal chord injury at the level of the neck. At the time of admission, he had weaklings in all his limbs and with good treatment we believe he will recover. He was quite stable and in good spirit before he was taken away from us as his relations took him to Lagos for their own convenience,” said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity.



The Police Public Relations Officer for Ogun State Command, Mr. Muyiwa Adebajo, who spoke with our correspondent in Abeokuta on Tuesday, said the accident happened on February 27 around 1.30pm at Kobape Village along Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway in Ogun State.



According to the PPRO, “The comedian was driving on speed as the pedestrian, one Shonekan Surat, a female of Ijaiye in Abeokuta, crossed the road without proper observation. The woman died instantly on the spot.”



He disclosed that while the remains of the deceased were deposited at the hospital mortuary for proper examination, the Toyota Camry had been taken to Ibara Police Station for custody.






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The ‘do-or-die’ electoral philosophy espoused by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the build-up to the 2007 elections resonated on Tuesday as the former president again said in Lagos that he would never allow the Peoples Democratic Party to lose the April elections.



Though he did not clarify how he would do it this time around, Obasanjo, at the party’s presidential rally at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, sang in Yoruba, “Lau erebe, erebe lau; Obasanjo oni gba kadibo kama wole o, lau erebe, erebe lau.”



Literally translated, the song means, “Bravo is the song of the day, Obasanjo cannot condone, Obasanjo would resist if we vote and we dont win.”



In Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on February 10, 2007 during a meeting of the PDP members and stakeholders, Obasanjo had reportedly said that the elections were a do-or-die affair for his party.



Obasanjo had said then, “It is left to you to ensure that we elect credible and committed leaders. I commend those of you in the PDP for your efforts so far. I will campaign. This election is a do-or-die affair for me and the PDP. This coming election is a matter of life and death for PDP and Nigeria.”



Though, he clarified later that the election would only be a do-or-die affair to prevent those who might drag the nation backward from coming to power, the opposition said the statement was behind the massive rigging that hallmarked the 2007 poll which both local and international observers condemned as falling short of acceptable democratic standards.



The late President Umaru Yar’Adua at his inauguration on May 29, 2007, admitted that the election that brought him to power was faulty.



Till date, judicial contests over the election that held almost four years ago are still raging while the results of the poll in several states have been upturned by the courts.



The courts, for instance, had sacked the PDP governors enthroned in Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Edo states, while the victory of many erstwhile members of national and state assemblies had been equally upturned.



At the Tafawa Balewa Square on Tuesday, Obasanjo assured President Goodluck Jonathan that he would win the April 9 presidential poll.



He told the president, “I know that you have flagged off your zonal campaign in the South-West, but this is the first time you are beginning the state by state campaign in this region and you are beginning with Lagos. You have given the state the pride of place which it deserves.



“Mr. President, people normally say they do not want history to repeat itself; it is bad history that must never repeat itself. When the history is good, we should pray that it repeats itself. In this TBS venue, your predecessor, late President Umaru Yar’Adua, campaigned here about four years ago and won the presidential election, that is good history. Having been on this platform this time around, all that you need from me is to congratulate you. Let us congratulate ourselves for this victory.”



However, Jonathan, in another variant of the Ibadan declaration, said Lagos was too important to be left in the hands of politicians, noting that the country’s economic strength was dependent on some buoyancy of commercial activities in the state.



The president had reportedly said during the flag-off of his campaign in the South-West that the geo-political zone was too important to be left in the hands of rascals.



He promised to partner with Lagos State for its continuous growth and economic buoyancy. He explained that for the country to realise its 2020 vision, it could not afford to neglect the state.



Jonathan said, “We have taken this period to study what we are going to do and by your mandate in May 29, we will hit the ground running. Lagos is a very important state that no politician will play with it. You would have realised that on resumption of office as President, I have visited Lagos more than any other state. I brought some of my programme to Lagos because I know that for you to fix the economy of Nigeria; you must know what is happening in Lagos State and you must work with the people.



“Lagos is unique for three reasons: population, which is not the key thing; it is the most cosmopolitan state in Nigeria- in every one kilometre square you will see tribes from different parts of the country staying there. So, it is a state that the government must take serious. But more importantly, if our ambition to play big by the year 2020 must be realised, then of course we must stimulate commerce and industry and you cannot do that without Lagos. From bank deposits and loans, Lagos State controls more than 50 per cent of the economy of the country.



“So, you cannot play with such a segment of our population. That is why we have shown interest in Lagos and we will continue to do that because we want to change things and move the state and the country forward. One thing we must do is to stimulate industries in Lagos; we want all the factories to pick up again. We will work with all the relevant agencies to get that done.”



Jonathan also noted the South-West had produced the likes of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Ladoke Akintola, Chief MKO Abiola, among others, saying it was the spirit with which those great leaders had worked that his administration would adopt.






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