₦airaland Forum

Former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, on Monday said that the Action Congress of Nigeria would “clean up” Ogun and Oyo states in the general elections of 2011.



Tinubu, who spoke to journalists at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, said the ACN was already strategising towards achieving the goal.



“We are cleaning up Ogun and Oyo in 2011. This is the time our party is strategising to enlarge its scope. Akala (Governor Adebayo Alao Akala) does not understand the politics of Oyo State,” he said.



Tinubu, who was in company with the National Chairman of the ACN, Chief Bisi Akande; former Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adesina,; former Governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba; and other party stalwarts, said that Oyo had not experienced significant development since Peoples Democratic Party took over in the state.



He said, “The infrastructure, the environment and the serenity around Ibadan those days was one of the best in our country.



“Ever since the Akala type of politics came in, the entire Oyo State has been regressing, that is the truth. They have brought wanton destruction to the spirit of our people, they have never, never had a focus. If you look at since 1999, the foundation laid by Lam Adesina, it was a progressive foundation.”










http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201012143525715

Former Lagos State governor, Bola-Ahmed Tinubu on Monday replied the Governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala on the battle for Oyo State governorship seat in 2011, urging him to shun amala politics and embrace developmental politics.
Fielding questions from Aviation Correspondents at the presidential lounge of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Tinubu said the Akala-led administration had only succeeded in taking the state several years backward. He stressed that the Action Congress of Nigeria was ready to sweep the votes and occupy all elected positions both in Oyo and Ogun states in 2011.

Tinubu stated that infrastructural and economic development in the state have visibly halted in the state since the inception of Akala’s administration.

He stated that the ACN had used Lagos to demonstrate its willingness and capacity to deliver the dividends of democracy to the citizenry
“We are using ACN to really show our capacity and commitment in terms of economic and political development to the various states including Oyo, Ogun and many other states across the country. Ever since the Akala-type of politics came in, the entire Oyo State had been retrogressing, that is the truth. They had brought wanton destruction to the spirit of our people, they had never never had a focus.”

Continuing, he said: “everything that we experienced since my childhood is the fact that Oyo had come up with the first in everything like the Liberty Stadium, it was the first in Africa then, Western Nigerian Television Service (WNTVS), was the first in Yorubaland and in Africa at that particular time, the University of Ibadan was internationally accredited and was a luxury to the University of Ife. The infrastructure, the environment and the serenity around Ibadan then, was one of the best in our country.”

He said Akala’s administration had eroded the progressive foundations laid down by Lam Adesina and other founding fathers of the state adding “ If you look at it since 1999, the foundation laid by Lam Adesina, it was a progressive foundation. Then look at it since year 2003, are you not happy coming to Lagos? Are you happy getting to Ibadan? Tinubu asked.
And see how filthy, how dirty and how unkempt the state of infrastructure there is in complete disintegration. Can you keep that government any longer? Not even pipe borne water, not even the hospital is developed. We are talking about developmental programme in politics, we are not talking amala politics of Akala.”




http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/dec/14/national-14-12-2010-01.htm

It will not be unusual, if Terry is denied an entry to England. We have a lot of problems now, we do not need an intolerant people coming to our shore, with their shallow minded views. Britain is full, no room for Terry.

An American Christian preacher who rose from obscurity to cause global uproar this year by threatening to burn the Quran says he plans to visit Britain to speak at an event hosted by a far-right anti-Islamist group.



Anti-extremist groups have urged the British government to ban entry to Florida Pastor Terry Jones, whose threat to burn Islam’s holy book on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks provoked widespread condemnation.



Britain’s Home Secretary (interior minister), Theresa May said on Sunday she would be looking into the case.



On his website, Jones said he been invited to a rally held by a group called the English Defense League in the town of Luton, north of London, in February.



“During the protest, Dr Terry Jones will speak against the evils and destructiveness of Islam in support of the continued fight against the Islamification (sic) of England and Europe,” the website said.



Jones, who heads a tiny church called the Dove World Outreach Center, dropped his Koran-burning plan after it provoked outrage across the Muslim world and a warning from United States President, Barack Obama that the action would have helped al Qaeda.



The EDL has staged protests in towns and cities across Britain against Islamic extremism since its formation last year and many of its demonstrations have led to violent confrontations with opponents and police.



Eleven people were arrested at a demonstration by the group in Peterborough in central England on Saturday, and the head of one regional counter-terrorism unit has said the EDL marches had actually helped radicalize some Muslims.



Just under three percent of Britain’s population of around 62 million describe their religion as Muslim.



Protests by Islamist extremists rarely attract more than a few dozen people, whereas the EDL marches tend to draw from a few hundred to a couple of thousand.



The Hope Not Hate organization said it had written to May calling on her to prevent Jones from entering the country, saying it would be “incendiary and highly dangerous.”



“The EDL emerged in Luton in May 2009 and its first demonstration ended with 250 people going on the rampage through a predominantly Asian area of the town,” said the letter, published on the group’s website.



“Since then it has become a national organization and is the single biggest threat to social cohesion in this country today.”



May can ban visitors from Britain on the ground that their presence would not be conducive to the public good, though not simply because of the views they hold. Radical Islamist preachers have been banned in the past.



“Pastor Terry Jones has been on my radar for a few months now. If it is now clear that he’s definitely coming to the UK then of course this is a case I will be actively looking at,” May told Sky News.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201012130125978

Nigerian-born Karabukspor of Turkey striker Emmanuel Emenike says he is ready for discussion with Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia on his international future.



The 23-year-old striker is the highest goal scorer with 12 goals in the Turkish topflight and has been in terrific form since joining Karabukspor from South Africa‘s Cape Town FC in 2009.



Siasia, who is expected to travel to Europe to meet with Nigerian players, hopes to visit Emenike in Turkey to convince him to play for Nigeria.



”Obviously I am aware of the coach‘s planned visit to Turkey and I look forward to meeting him.



“He (Siasia) has been in touch about the meeting but what was discussed stays between us,” he told BBC Sport on Saturday.



Emenike is unhappy with the Nigerian Football Federation alleging the NFF almost scuttled his transfer from South Africa to Turkey last year.



His form has reportedly attracted Turkey Football Federation officials, who have approached the strong forward to represent the European country at senior levels.



However, FIFA’s rules states that a player must have continuous residence in the country he wants to switch allegiance to for five years, which means Emenike will not be eligible to represent Turkey until three years time.



The player alleged the NFF held back his International Transfer Certificate clearance for six months. Fifa came to his rescue.



”It was when I was with Mpumalanga Black Aces in South Africa, the club reached out to the NFF but for six months they left my career at a crossroad.



”My life and career was left hanging but Fifa gave me a clearance when the club almost gave up on me and thank God a loan to FC Cape Town led to my transfer to Turkey.



”Playing for Nigeria has not crossed my mind after what I went through in the hands of the NFF,” Emenike added.



On the Turkish football federation‘s approach, Emenike added, ”A few months ago the owner of Karabükspor came to me and asked if I would like to play for Turkey because the TFF wants me to. It was an offer too good to refuse because such things only happen once in a lifetime.”



http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201012130555353

There has been palpable tension in the camp of Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, in the last one week over the true position of his health, Sunday Sun can authoritatively reveal.
He has already been flown abroad for medical treatment.

Although it was not the first time he was travelling abroad for an undisclosed purpose since he became governor about six months ago, this latest trip, which he embarked on about 12 days ago, appears to be causing ripples in Kaduna, with some of his supporters alleging that the governor may be suffering from food poisoning.

However, Sunday Sun learnt that the governor may be suffering from prostate cancer, an ailment he was diagnosed with before he became Kaduna governor.

An impeccable source in the state government confided in Sunday Sun that “the sickness did not start today. I will not reveal where he has gone abroad for security reasons, but contrary to what you are saying and what people are saying, the man was never poisoned by anybody.
“The man is suffering from prostate cancer, and this thing is not new. He has been having it and he has been managing it well, but a lot of people did not know. So please do not bring up any political issue here. It will not affect his governorship ambition.

“I agree with you, he is a public officer. But I think the man deserves some privacy. It is not for you to be prying into his private affair, because I see all these as part of his private affair,” the source volunteered.
However, one of the governor’s senior aides, who also spoke in confidence, queried when Sunday Sun sought his clarification: “Who told you that? It is not true. You know we just finished our local government tour, and because of the stress, the man just decided to travel abroad to have some rest. It has nothing to do with any ill-health, I can assure you,” the aide insisted.

By last Wednesday, it was exactly one week since Yakowa, 62, jetted out of the country. According to one of his aides, he was expected back last Thursday. But as at the time of filing this report, the governor was yet to return. Another text was sent to another aide of the governor to ascertain when he was returning to the country, but the aide did not respond up till the time of filing this report.

A, B, C OF PROSTATE CANCER
Prostate cancer, according Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia on the Internet, is a form of cancer that develops in the male reproductive system. It is a type of cancer that grows slowly but could spread from the reproductive system to other parts of the body, particularly the bones and lymph nodes.

It further reveals that prostate cancers could cause pain, difficulty in urinating and problems during sexual intercourse, adding that other symptoms could potentially develop during the later stages of the diseases.
Rates of detection of these cancers vary across the world, but they tend to develop in men over the age of 50, adding that, “although it is one of the most prevalent types of cancer in men, many never have symptoms, undergo no therapy, and eventually die of other causes.

This is because cancer of the prostate is, in most cases, slow-growing, symptom-free, and since men with the condition are older they often die of causes unrelated to the prostate cancer, such as heart/circulatory disease, pneumonia, other unconnected cancers, or old age. About 2/3 of cases are slow growing, the other third more aggressive and fast developing.”

Although many factors have been identified as causes of prostate cancer, Sunday Sun learnt that the most common of them all is genetics and diet.



http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2010/dec/12/newsbreak-12-12-2010-001.htm

The Peoples Democratic Party’s political territory in the South West has shrunken to two states, Oyo and Ogun. Senator Bola Tinubu says these too will go to the Action Congress of Nigeria in 2011.

What have you to say to this?
Tinubu is not a citizen of Oyo State. If you don’t know, Hameed Sangodele, also known as Bola Tinubu, is not a native of Oyo State and as such cannot direct the political affairs of Oyo. I think he has the right to do whatever he likes in Osun because I believe he is from Osun. He can also do that in Ekiti because I learnt he has some relatives too in Ekiti. But, here in Oyo, we don’t know him and he has no political structure here.

Don’t you think that has been the attitude of the other two state governors who have lost their seats, that is, underrating Tinubu? It seems he knows what he is doing and how to get his way.
(Cuts in): And I also know what I’m doing. If he knows what he is doing, I know what I am doing and I know what I’m saying. Oyo is a no-go area for him. Please, when you want to talk about Tinubu, in relation to ACN, let us talk about ACN and not about Tinubu because (he) has nobody here in Oyo.

What gives you that optimism?
That what?

That PDP cannot lose Oyo
To who?

To ACN
Because I know the mentality of the electorate in Oyo. They want PDP and they will stick to PDP. A devil known is better than an angel they don’t know. They know me and they have tested me. They know what I can do and they are the ones clamouring for a second term for me. I know PDP is here in Oyo to stay. They (ACN) have been given opportunity to rule before but they failed woefully. We have all been tested and the electorate know what they want.

But the PDP in Oyo is divided
(Cuts in) I don’t know what you mean. PDP in Oyo is not divided.

ACN might not be strong in Oyo but the opposition within the PDP…
(Cuts in) I don’t have any opposition…Let me correct that impression. There is no way I will agree there is any division in PDP in Oyo. We are very intact, and that is the truth. Those people that are talking just want to distract us. We are much focused; don’t mind what they are saying. I have said it before; I don’t need them. If I need them, I will go for them. They are spoilers and I cannot allow them to spoil things for me. I am not trying to be over-confident, but if they want to be spoilers, you have to avoid them, prevent them from coming to you, because whatever things you have arranged perfectly they would just come to disorganise. As far as I’m concerned, PDP is one in Oyo and we are ready to welcome anybody. But not those that will distract us from what we are doing.

They all insist that they belong to PDP - Ladoja, Balogun, Teslim Folarin
(Cuts in) Teslim is in PDP, Senator Balogun is in PDP, but Ladoja is not in PDP.

Where does he belong?
I don’t know where he is

He is a member of the party’s Board of Trustees
(Cuts in) Who told you that? We have only one member of the Board of Trustees in Oyo and that is Baba Kolapo Ishola. I nominate who becomes what.

If there is no division, what is the Ike Nwachukwu reconciliation committee all about?
Don’t mind them. That one has died a natural death. Don’t let us revive it. The committee sent a report to me (and) sent another (different) report to the national body. How can you do that type of thing? But I don’t want to discuss it because it is now past tense. It didn’t see the light of the day.

About two weeks ago, the President was in Lagos and he met with the factional leaders…
(Cuts in) He met with whom? Not without me. If I didn’t permit that meeting, it wouldn’t have happened. I was there and told Mr President to leave me with Oyo, if he believes in me; that I can identify people who can stay here with me to talk, who are really members of PDP. If we have problem I can solve it. I identified them in front of the President. I identified Balogun, Oyelese, Teslim, Hon. Adeseun and Hon. Abu. The five of them are members of this party.

If they have grievances against the leadership of PDP in Oyo, of which by the grace of God I am the leader, they should please tell me, so that I will know how to solve their problems. But others like Adeojo, Ladoja, who were there with them, I told them I don’t have to talk with them because I cannot at this critical point deal with anybody that is not good. This is the 11th hour in politics, so you don’t do that. They will just take advantage of you. How am I sure that they are not coming to disorganise us, I mean those who are not happy that I’m even on the seat? So, I have to be very careful. Let me deal with the people I have. Politics is a game of number.

But Lekan Baolgun is the arrowhead of this opposition group
Lekan Balogun is with them. Unfortunately, he cannot stand alone. It is just because he is the eldest among them. Politically, he is not the strongest. You see, what some have used to identify people as great is just their names. If Balogun is mentioned somewhere, people will say hey, Senator Balogun, blah, blah, blah. It is just the name. We are talking of those who can combine both electoral and political values together, who have respect in their constituencies, who can call people out to vote and they will vote.

The five people you identified at the meeting with the President, are you saying…?
(Cuts in) Lekan Balogun is one of them. He is just a member of the party. He has not moved out of the party since he joined; since he defected from AD (Alliance for Democracy) to PDP. I must give that to him, but not that I need him very much to win election. Honestly, I don’t need him to win.

The remaining four?
Teslim is a distinguished member of the Senate. I would not say I don’t need him, but where he is coming from a candidate has also come out of that place. And that is in the person of Jumoke Akinjide. He is coming from Ona-Ara Local Government and that is where Jumoke Akinjide is from. So, I don’t know what is going to happen there.

You mean you cannot guarantee his ticket?
I’m not talking about ticket now. Are you asking me about ticket? You didn’t ask me anything about ticket.

We just veered into the issue of ticket
Do you know that in the electoral process, there must be primaries; everybody will go for primaries. So primaries determine who gets ticket. I, Adebayo Alao-Akala, I’m also looking for ticket.
Talking about game of numbers, we heard that even in Ogbomoso where you are expected to get bloc vote, the party is also divided

(Cuts in) Who divided it? You see, when you want to talk about people, you look at their antecedents. How did they come to power? Who are they? Fatai Buhari has got his own share of what it is to be loyal to the source that he used to rise, because he thought he could use it in 2007. He wanted to contest under Labour Party as a Senator and failed woefully. I don’t want to go into that. But God used me for him to go into the National Assembly. The same thing with Adeseun. Everybody knew I brought them up.

What was the source of conflict between you and Adeseun? We understand you were good friends.
We are still good friends. We just have political differences.

Why would people you helped to move up the ladder suddenly want to pull the ladder off?
Because they felt they have arrived and as such want to rubbish me.

There is a jinx in Oyo that a governor must use only one term. Do we see Alao-Akala breaking the jinx?
You see, my own project is God’s project and I don’t boast. I leave everything in the hands of God. When the time comes, we shall all talk about it. But I know as things are now, I think the people of Oyo want me and they have told me clearly. I have listened and said here I am, send me.

But, the Ibadan people don’t want to send you
Don’t forget that my deputy is an Ibadan man. He was once a local government chairman, a two-term local government chairman in the heart of Ibadan, that is Ibadan South East. I’m talking about His Excellency Taofeek Arapaja. Again, he went to the House of Representatives and he is an Ibadan man. So, who are the Ibadan people that are saying so? Wouldn’t he like to retain his position as the number two citizen of the state? When you talk of Ibadan, it belongs to everybody. Ibadan is the political headquarters of all the Yoruba people. There is nothing like Ibadan people.

We heard the President advised you to pick a senatorial nomination form as sacrifice for the unity of the party in the state. How true is this and how acceptable?
The person who said that must be very mischievous, because I know the President didn’t say such thing. For God’s sake, why would he say that? Does he know Oyo more than me? If he wants to do anything in Oyo, he would call me; I’m the first person that he would call. I am the symbol of PDP in Oyo. Even somebody is looking for a senatorial ticket from me now, why would somebody say I should come and pick a senatorial ticket? Why are they trying to be mischievous? Why can’t such paper, which reported it, ask questions? To leave the governorship for who?

For a neutral person to emerge
Ladoja is not my match politically. He was my boss because we had to choose the governorship candidate from Ibadan . He is not my match politically. When you talk of politics, it is not all about you having been the governor before me, or things like that. Because of political calculation, some people are just in position not because they are powerful to be there. We knew what we did in 2003 before we came to power and we repeated it in 2007. By the grace of God we are more now in that camp and we are going to increase by 2011. Politics is all about structure.

Gbolarumi Azeem, your fellow Adedibu mate, has left you
Azeem has not left the party. He may not be with me now, but he is with the party. When the time comes he will be with me. He knows he cannot do it alone. He is not with anybody, not even Lekan Balogun.

He is seeking to be governor too?
Yes, that is the beauty of democracy

This doesn’t worry you?
Why would it worry me?

Don’t you feel you are fighting a lot of battles at the same time - the royal fathers, NURTW, NUT, G-8 lawmakers?
How do you identify a person that is tough politically, if you don’t have these things?
They say when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. That is exactly what is happening now. I don’t see it as a battle. I see it as what will strengthen me. When the road seems very smooth, you will not appreciate it. It was tougher than this in 2007. Ibi to ba le, la ba omo okunrin. 2007 was much tougher than this. In 2007, I didn’t even have the clout like this to take care of myself.

Then I was a miserable deputy governor. And yet, I defeated the coalition of ANPP, Labour Party and so on. They came together and formed a coalition against this poor Bayo Alao-Akala and I defeated them. My office was under the bridge then, remember? Now that I’m the first citizen of Oyo and I have a lot of votes that I’m looking forward to, from people that I have helped, whose lives I have touched, people that are happy in their areas now, because of development projects I brought to them; people that are wondering if there had ever been governors before me.

Some people in this state said they felt the impact of government last when (David) Jemibewon was governor of the then Oyo State. When I’m going on campaign, I will just point to what I have done and ask, “what do you need again and I will do it for you.” There is no place that they will say they have not felt the impact of my government. There is no electoral promise I made in 2007 that I have not fulfilled. I can say it with all confidence.

So, why do we have so many people saying you have not done anything?
It is because they are jealous of my achievements. Oyo is a state that has about 8000sq km of landmass. To move from Ibadan to Kisi, it will take you five hours. So, it is not a small place. Saki to Ibadan is three hours. So, it is not what I do here alone that gives me confidence. There is no governor that has done the type of development projects we have put in place.

Here in Ibadan, I dualized almost all the important roads. There is no place you go that you won’t see street light in Ibadan. Everywhere in the night, you just go and see, you will find street light powered by me o and not the PHCN. Not only that, there had never been traffic light in Ibadan. I brought in traffic light to ensure people move freely. Beautification is part of it; Ibadan was not like this when I came in. We embarked on massive environmental beautification and renewal. We have made sure we clean Ibadan. People that are talking are just my opponents. They need to say something that will make them have a way, which they will not get.

What is your relationship with the royal fathers, particularly Alaafin, Olubadan and Soun?
I have cordial relationship with all of them. The impression they give you people is that all is not well between us. Because Balogun is a High Chief of Olubadan, Ladoja is a High Chief of Olubadan, they are just using that to play politics. I don’t know what type of Olubadan they will become when their time comes. They are using their closeness to the palace to bring the office of Olubadan into politics. I don’t have any problem with Olubadan. Why do we have to quarrel? We are parallel lines. Where can we meet that will make conflicts to arise at all? The same thing with Alaafin.

How about the new royal father you installed in Oyo, the Alagoja of Agoja?
The man is there because he is supposed to be there. He is not the Alaafin of Oyo. He is Alagoja of Agoja.

Doesn’t that whittle down the powers of the Alaafin?
No, Alagoja is not all that powerful. He is a Baale. You see, we have three paramount rulers in Oyo State. The Alaafin, the Olubadan and the Soun of Ogbomoso, and the three of them are given equal treatment by the government.

So, any other chiefs…well. I don’t have anything to do with anybody, although we have to also protect the small ones too. We should not allow the big ones to oppress the smaller Obas. So, I have cordial relationship with all the Obas, but if any Oba is fighting me, it is one-sided because it takes two to tango. I am not fighting anybody.

The impression out there is that you are sharing governance of the state with the National Union of Road Transport Workers. Why is it that the situation in the state is becoming so embarrassing?
There is nothing embarrassing there. It is Senator Balogun that is now a member of NURTW.

How?
He is the one fighting their cause. I think he wants to be elected as chairman of the NURTW in Oyo. I’m very serious about it because the way he is taking the matter appears to be so. I am not a member of NURTW. I’m the state chief security officer. If anybody is trying to misbehave, I know how to deal with such a fellow.

Is the proscription of the NURTW effective?
Yes, it is.

It is alleged that you are backing the Elewe Omo faction, because his men were re-employed as park managers by the local governments you assigned to manage the motor parks.
They must have applied and found worthy of such employment. The council chairmen must have found them worthy to be employed. All motor parks belong to the local governments. After the ban, we didn’t want the commuters to suffer. We needed to monitor the garages, so we asked them to appoint park managers. People applied for the jobs and they were asked their experience to qualify for the job. When they find you suitable and worthy of employment, they will employ you. Anybody can apply. If Elewe Omo people applied, maybe Tokyo people didn’t apply. They should have, because they are all from Oyo and are qualified to apply.

You are one of the earliest promoters of Dr Goodluck Jonathan for 2011. What informed your support for the President?
I have the unity of Nigeria at heart. The only thing that can unite us is to have Jonathan in 2011, if we don’t want to break this country. Simple. God, in his infinite mercy, has put Jonathan there after the death of our leader, former President Umaru Yar’Adua. When we have seen what happened, why don’t we allow him to finish what he started? Simple calculation.
If we say this man should leave, we all know where he comes from; the Niger Delta. We know what is happening in Niger Delta. Why can’t we face the reality of life? Opportunity has made him President and not his making and he is qualified to be whatever he wants to become. I believe that our party should have supported the idea and stop the debate on zoning or no zoning. That is the way I see it.

People also talk of federal character. Now, if a President emerges, we then share other positions to other places, which is zoning too. So, we will continue to zone things. The President is from the South, the Vice President is from the North. When the time comes; by the grace of God when Mr President would have been sworn-in, we will take SGF (Secretary to Government of the Federation) from one place, the Speaker from another place and so on.

That is zoning, that is federal character, to show that we are one Nigeria.
I felt this is pay back time for the people of Niger Delta, for them to keep quiet. In fact, it will be a way of telling them to keep quiet. If your man is there, he should be able to help you get whatever thing you want and to stop disturbing us. Let us have free flow of our oil.

But people say you are supporting him so he could help you get the ticket for 2011?
Did he assist me in 2007? How can he help me? He will want me to help him not him helping me, because his own constituency is not part of mine and my own is part of his constituency. He needs me more than I need him.

Perhaps to get the party’s NWC to sit on the Ike Nwachukwu…
(Cuts in) Ike Nwachukwu’s report has no constitutional backing, and anything that has no backing should not be discussed.

Part of that panel’s recommendation is that a fresh congress should be conducted to replace the present state executive of the PDP.
I am not afraid of fresh congress. But, that was not the recommendation of the Nwachukwu committee, because at the beginning I told you the report had died a natural death. Did it sit on only Oyo State issue? Oyo is just part of the report submitted. They are just using it to shore up the situation to their advantage, that is my so-called people, Generals without troops - former Senator, former governor, former minister, former this and that. We know those of them that have expired that need NAFDAC number.

Do you think we should not be talking about zoning issue? The North doesn’t seem to be on the same page with you.
Must nine people decide for about 150 million people? What they think they have done, can it unite us? Can we be talking about North and South publicly?

But the South South and South East also came out to adopt the President as their candidate?
That is zone by zone. Nobody said South has adopted a person. We are adopting zone by zone. That is better than nine people adopting. What criteria did they use in getting those nine people? Number two, their action. Do you think it will help in uniting this country? Well, let us wait till the primaries. We will all support whoever emerges the flag bearer of the party.

With the new government in Osun, how far have you gone in resolving the issue of LAUTECH ownership?
On October 23, I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and that university is now owned solely by Oyo State. The only thing we are doing now is to share the assets and liabilities. We have agreed on what to do. The admission policy will still be as before and a number of things as well.

The noise was coming mostly from Osun government officials because they told us point blank that they don’t want to go and we said we wanted to go. When they went to court, we told them they were just wasting time, because no court will force a union. No judge will ask a husband to be with his wife by force. What we are just doing now is that we cannot forget our relationship. There are lots of things we will have to keep. We will not send the indigenes of Osun that are working there packing simply because it now belongs to us. My brother that just came did not study the paper very well, and so made one statement. But he must have seen the correct situation now.

After four years, what do you think you have not done that you want to do when you get a second mandate?
We thank God that he has given us a chance to start a good job. What we will just do is to ensure we consolidate on those things, the foundation we have laid in the last four years. By 2015, by the grace of God, nobody coming to rule Oyo will just play on the intelligence of the electorate, because the foundation we are going to lay will show immediately if you are not doing a good job.

We want to leave Oyo in a condition that nobody will be able to deceive the electorate, but that whoever gets there governs them well. Then they will be able to differentiate. Let me give you an example. Jerry Rawlings was able to rule Ghana for a very long time. He laid a good foundation for Ghana, he worked on it and that had taken Ghana to a greater height. He must have given a yardstick in governance. He must have set an example that people will have to work hard to be able to beat. So, that is what we are trying to do before we leave office in 2015 by the grace of God. And that is going to be my pledge on May 29, 2011 when I’m being sworn in.




http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/dec/12/national-12-12-2010-001.htm

Daboh needs not encourage IBB to support Ebele. Babangida is a tribalistic General that represents everything bad, sad and gloom,in our nation. Ebele can win the race without his support.

The Chairman and Board of trustees of the Move Nigeria Project, Dr. Godwin Daboh, has advised former head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), to resist supporting the consensus aspirant of the Northern Political Leaders Forum, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.



Daboh advised Babangida to give his support to President Goodluck Jonathan and drop his ambition to rule Nigeria in 2011.



Daboh’s comments were contained in a November 30, 2010 letter titled ‘Why you must not support Alhaji Atiku Abubakar but openly support President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to emerge as Nigeria’s next democratically elected president by May 29, 2011.’



He wrote, “My dear brother, you and I have been friends for the last 49 years and from all I have seen and after making an objective analysis of the political development in the country, I know you cannot defeat President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in any fair political contest because his rise to the highest peak of power in the country defies explanations.



http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101213314296

We need to ask the INEC that!

Since the larger society whose mandate, supposedly, you hol have become your footstood, may we then plead that you pardon us and remove your hands from our jugular vein. If you could grant your erring members express pardon, teeming populace you are fleecing deserve some respite, haba! Jumbo pay, insensitive,oppressive, antipublic legislations, sim card budget allocation deal, unprecedented legislative rascality,and many more,have been forced down the troats of helpless Nigerians. Pls, pardon!

The House of Representatives on Thursday lifted the suspension of two more members as it considered the report of its Committee on Ethics and Privileges on their case.



Mr. Austin Nwachukwu, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party from Imo State, and Mr. Gbenga Oduwaiye, also of the PDP from Ogun State, were readmitted to the House on Thursday.



Both legislators were directed to return to the House on Tuesday next week and “attend plenary as if nothing happened.”



The two were among the 11 lawmakers suspended on June 22, following a free-for-all on the floor of the House.



Nwachukwu and five others, including Mr. Dino Melaye, had initially gone to court to challenge the suspension.



He, however, later withdrew his case from court, preferring to defer to a directive of the House to apologise for his role in the fighting.



Having withdrawn the case and tendered an apology, Nwachukwu approached the ethics committee to state his case and ask for pardon.



He later claimed that he was under pressure from his constituency to withdraw the suit and seek reinstatement.



Oduwaiye did not go to court but filed a petition before the committee complaining of ‘wrongful suspension.’



He had told the panel that though he attended the session of the House on the fateful day, he did not take part in the fracas.



Oduwaiye also disowned the ‘Progressive-Minded Legislators,’ a group which had spearheaded a campaign to bring the leadership to account.



The group had accused the leadership of allegedly misusing N9bn of House funds.



It had demanded the resignation of the Speaker, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, and also petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.



Disagreements between members of the group and the majority of lawmakers backing the leadership led to a free-for-all on June 22.



Although the committee, which is headed by Mr. Sani Saleh-Minjibir, had recommended that Oduwaiye should tender an apology to the House, it was overruled.



The session presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Usman Nafada, ruled that an apology by Oduwaiye was not necessary since it had been established that he neither fought nor was forcibly ejected from the chamber on June 22.



Two others, Mr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa and Mr. Gbenga Onigbogi, who also took their case to the committee, had already been granted pardon by the House.



There were speculations on Thursday that the House might have lifted the suspension of Nwachukwu and Oduwaiye to increase the ranks of those seeking for forgiveness, to spite Melaye and other lawmakers who were reinstated by the court.



A Federal High Court in Abuja had on December 2 declared the suspension illegal and asked the House to re-admit Melaye, Independence Ogunewe, Solomon Awhinawhin, Anas Adamu and Bitrus Kaze. The court on Thursday also ordered the reinstatement of another suspended member, Ms. Doris Uboh, and the payment of the allowances of the affected lawmakers.



Armed with the court judgment, Melaye and four of his affected colleagues had tried to resume work on Tuesday but were prevented by security operatives.



The spokesman of the House, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh, had defended the action of the security operatives, saying that an appeal and stay of execution had been filed against the judgment.



However, on Wednesday, Melaye and Awhinawhin beat the security network at the National Assembly and attended the plenary with their colleagues.



“A stay of execution is not a judgment; we have a judgment,” Melaye told reporters, promising to return on Thursday (yesterday).



The five stayed away on Thursday, apparently due to the enhanced security at the National Assembly to prevent them from entering the chamber.



Security operatives searched vehicles entering the National Assembly on Thursday, looking for the lawmakers.



THE PUNCH learnt that the breaching of the security network at the National Assembly by Melaye and Awhinawhin on Wednesday had reportedly embarrassed the leadership.



Incidentally, Nafada, who presided over Wednesday’s session, acknowledged the fact that the five lawmakers had won their suit against the House.


Link;http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201012104194814

The Direct Data Capturing computers belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stolen at the cargo section of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos on Tuesday night have been recovered by security operatives at the Shasha area of Lagos yesterday morning.

A source close to the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Aviance (NAHCoAviance, the company that handled the freighter aircraft, which flew in the consignment imported by Zinox Technologies, said insider abuse of security arrangement made it possible for the thieves to have moved six cartons of the DDC machines out of the tarmac undetected.

He, however. said the stolen items, flown aboard Saudi Arabian Cargo had no political undertone as countless cargoes had either been stolen outright or pilfered on the tarmac. The recovery operation, it was learnt, comprised NAHCO Aviance officials, Aviation Security personnel, the SSS and the Nigerian Air Force officials.

He said the perpetrators usually exploited the poor security apparatus in the airport to carry out their nefarious activities. As a result of the incident which has become a national embarrassment, the Presidency summoned Aviation Minister, Mrs Fidelia Njeze and the Managing Director of FAAN, Richard Aisuebeogun to explain how the sensitive and important cargo could be stolen from the airport despite the increased security at the airport, especially the international terminals.

News of the summoning of the duo filtered in at the Radio House yesterday morning where the aviation minister was supposed to hold an international press briefing to unfold her “achievements” and plans for 2011. The venue was filled to capacity with chief executives and directors of aviation parastatals, members of the national assembly, the media and aviation stakeholders in general. As everyone awaited the aviation minister’s arrival, news of the summon and shift in time of press briefing from 11.00am to 2.30pm was announced.

An industry source said a high-level investigation had since commenced with the aim of apprehending the culprits and perhaps ascertain why such a sensitive material of national and international interest did not have adequate security to ensure that it was not tampered with.

“The investigation is a serious one. It is even beyond aviation because the DDC machine is for next year’s elections and the government is trying to see things go as planned and that credible and transparent elections are conducted by INEC. This incident now raises doubts and fears. Our airports are still porous and it’s unfortunate,” he said.
FAAN is yet to officially respond to the matter, while the outcome of the meeting at the Presidency was unclear as at press time.

Daily Sun learnt that the internal wrangling which disrupted cargo activities at the airport might have been responsible for the abandonment of the INEC’s cargo on the tarmac as clearance was delayed giving room for the theft.
Meanwhile, the Police Commissioner, Airport Police Command, Mr Moses Onireti, revealed that the police had invited officials of Agent Services Solution, a clearing agent to Zinox Technologies.

He said FAAN wrote the command on the matter on Wednesday intimating it about the missing items, adding that investigations into the matter were on.




http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/dec/10/national-10-12-2010-002.htm

Who as the one that was stolen than? is it for Atiku or IBB?

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the stolen Direct Data Capture Machines (DDC) did not belong to it.
Director of Public Affairs, Emmanuel Umenger explained that though the reported theft of the machines was surprising but that the DDC machines were not INEC’s since they were yet to be formally delivered to the commission. Therefore, they could not be said to be INEC’s.

Umenger, while reacing to the development said, “we are yet to receive any DDC machine and if there is any machine missing, it is the responsibility of the company that brought the machines to speak on it and not that of INEC.”

However, the National Coordinator of the Northern Patriotic Front, Alhaji Ali Abacha has condemned the theft, stating that it exposed security lapses in the country. Abacha said, “it is because of the security lapses in the country and the unpatriotic nature of some Nigerians. The Police should properly stand up to its functions.”
On the implications of the stolen machines for the 2011 general elections, Abacha said the stolen machines should not affect the elections and INEC should not see it as an obstacle.

An indigenous information technology company, Zinox Technologies Limited, had brought in 14,000 units of the DDC machines from China and Dubai on Sunday. The quantity is part of the 80,000 units of the electronic equipment the company was awarded contract to supply. Two other companies - Haier Electrical Appliances Corporation of China and Avante of United States also won contracts to supply 30,000 and 22,000 units respectively.

Also the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu in a press statement reacting to the theft and the implications it had on the voters’ registration said, “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) hereby reassures all Nigerians that the voters registration exercise scheduled for 15th to 29th January, 2011 remains firmly on course.

“This reassurance is necessary against the backdrop of the theft of some Direct Data Capture machines at the Lagos airport. “A consignment of 20 machines was stolen on Tuesday, out of a total of 6,000 brought into the country by Zinox Technologies Ltd., the contractor. Sixteen of these have been recovered by Thursday afternoon, and security agents are working assiduously to recover the four outstanding and apprehend the culprits. Besides, there are adequate safety features to forestall any nefarious use of the stolen items; as such, the integrity of the electoral processes would not be compromised.

“Furthermore, INEC has been assured of intensified safeguards against further breaches.
“The Commission uses this opportunity to urge all eligible Nigerians to turn out for the planned voter registration in January, and to work with INEC for the attainment of free, fair and credible elections in 2011.”




http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/dec/10/national-10-12-2010-001.htm

Widely travelled Nigerian footballer Henry Makinwa has revealed that a number of Nigerian footballers are stranded in Europe.



Makinwa‘s career has seen him play in 10 countries namely Spain, Portugal, Scotland, Romania, China, Israel, Malta, Egypt, Cyprus and Indonesia.



He told our correspondent on the telephone from Spain on Thursday, ”I made some investigation and found out that we have almost 2000 Nigerian footballers in Europe without clubs and are afraid to go back home because of the poor situation.



These players are too young to waste away like that.



”In Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Holland these players are wasting away. Some of them get jobs outside football while some play in the lowest divisions without resident permits; they remain illegal immigrants. When I was in Holland, Lisbon, Madrid, Brussels and Oslo, it was the same thing.”



Makinwa, who played under ex-Tottenham Hotspurs manager Juande Ramos at Rayo Valecano and was once a signing target for Jose Mourinho when he was at Vitoria Setubal, said a viable domestic league would solve the problem.



He said, ”Something has to be done and I think the solution is back home. Why can‘t we organise a standard professional league at home?



“I have my facts and I will hand them over to the government if they will listen to me. It is on how to solve this problem and how to make practical changes in one month. If government is interested, then I will come home to present it.



”We must organise our league so that these boys can go back home to play. It‘s alarming; they play football on Sundays and hope to get a breakthrough but it‘s impossible. I tell them to go back home but they always say ‘what are going to do when we get back home?‘ They prefer to remain illegal immigrants.



”Brazilians go home to play when they are not wanted in Europe; a big player like Ronaldo did it. Why is Kanu not back home to play the last years of his football? It‘s because we don‘t have a good league in Nigeria, no sponsorship and money.”



The player said most of the players were tricked into travelling to Europe and did not pass through the right process.



”They were not signed. Some came in through youth programes in Sweden, Portugal, Spain and other countries. Some others spent a lot of money coming; thinking when they come in, it will be easy to get a club. Some were lured by dubious agents,” the 33-year-old striker, who holds an EU passport, said.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201012100364198

The Presidency on Thursday summoned the Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze, over the theft of some Direct Data Capture machines at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos on Wednesday.



Also summoned were the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Richard Aisuebeogun; the Director of Airport Security Services, Mr. Emeka Ogunedo; and Head of Security Department, Mr. Nat Onoigboria.



As a result of Njeze’s invitation, the 2010 press briefing by the ministry scheduled to begin at 11am had to be put off till 2.30pm. The meeting could not start until about 3.30pm when she came back in company with the Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili.



Njeze did not make a direct statement on her invitation but she admitted that the Federal Government still had a lot to do to address the porous security situation at the nation’s airports.



The minister spoke shortly before the Independent National Electoral Commission put the number of the stolen DDC machines at 20. Sixteen of them, said Mr. Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had been recovered on Thursday afternoon by security operatives.



Ministry officials, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity confirmed, that the minister was summoned to the Presidential Villa.



“The minister was invited to the villa and that is why the briefing was shifted,” one of them said.



But answering questions during the briefing, Njeze said the Federal Government still had a lot to do in the area of security at the nation’s airports.



According to her, the airports lacked Close Circuit Television sets to monitor “incursions.” But she said that in 2011, the airports would be fenced and CCTV sets installed in them.



“We have done a lot to enhance security at the airports but we still have a lot to do in the area of security. There are no CCTVs to monitor all sorts of incursions at the airports,” the minister said.



According to her, the lack of fencing had denied most of the airports in the country certification by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.



INEC had in a statement by Idowu, said that “16 of the DDC machines have been recovered by Thursday afternoon.” It added that security agents were “working assiduously to recover the four outstanding and apprehend the culprits.”



The commission, however, assured that “adequate safety features to forestall any nefarious use of the stolen items had been taken and, as such, the integrity of the electoral processes would not be compromised.”



“The Commission uses this opportunity to urge all eligible Nigerians to turn out for the planned voter registration in January, and to work with INEC for the attainment of free, fair and credible elections in 2011,” the statement added.



The commission’s Director in charge of Information, Mr. Emmanuel Umenger, had earlier on Thursday told one of our correspondents that the theft of the equipment would not affect the planned voter registration.



“The units coming in are not yet programmed. We will only do the programming when we have taken delivery of the equipment. And I want to assure Nigerians that there is no cause for alarm because nobody has access to our in-house-software,’’ he said in Abuja.



The Nigeria Police Force, through its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Sola Amore, said those whole stole the electronic equipment accessed the cargo terminal of the MMIA through an overgrown bush.



Before Umenger, Idowu and Amore spoke, empty containers of the DDC machines were found in a bush at the airside of the MMIA by a team comprising the heads of the State Security Service, Military Airport Command, Directorate of Military Intelligence, and Nigerian Customs Service.



The Spokesman of the Airport Command of the Nigerian Police Force, Mr. Benedict Ifeanyi, who confirmed the finding of the empty containers, said that investigation was on going.















“Investigation is going on. Our men from the Criminal Investigation Department have been deployed to the tarmac and airside. They are examining the sites where those things were found; they are yet to come up with their report. As soon as they do that, we will give the details,” Ifeanyi said.



Another top security source had told one of our correspondents that the empty containers with INEC inscriptions, were in the custody of the police.



He said, “We have found the containers of the DDC machines but the real machines had been carted away. We found the white colour aluminium containers with INEC inscriptions on them inside a bush at the airside of MMIA; the real machines which looks like what telcos use for SIM card registration were not there.



“They had been carted away . You know behind those bushy area of the airport is Shasha Akowonjo. We don’t know if they probably went away with the real machines though there.”



It was learnt that some aviation security officials of FAAN who were on duty at the Cargo Terminal on Monday night when the theft took place were now in SSS custody in Shangisha.



Also security officials of Medview Airlines, the carrier representing Saudi Arabia Airlines in Nigeria, have been invited by the SSS for questioning.



The Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, Mr. Moses Onireti, had earlier on Thursday, told journalists that FAAN had made an official report on the theft to the Police.



Onireti, who was in the team that found the empty containers, also disclosed that Zinox Technologies Limited had written to the police, requesting their men to be on the ground at the Cargo Terminal and on the tarmac of the MMIA for the arrival of the remaining units 66,000 units of the DDC machines.



The stolen DDC machines were among the 14, 000 brought in from China and the United Arabs Emirate by Zinox, one of the three companies that won the contracts to supply 120, 000 units of the equipment.



The Police commissioner said FAAN, through one of its security officials , Ogbonna E.B. also wrote to the police on Wednesday, informing them “that they discovered some pallets of INEC materials were missing.”



He said, “The plane that brought some of the equipment landed mid night Monday and the incident happened between early hours of Tuesday around that 2am. Then, FAAN wrote to us yesterday (Wednesday). It was their security officer, one Ogbonna E.B, who signed the letter,



“In the letter, they categorically stated that pallets containing INEC materials got missing, you know INEC hired Zinox Technologies Limited to bringing the DDC machines and Zinox contacted Service Solution, a clearing agent. So FAAN cannot deny anything. I have the letter with me.



“They did not indicate how many machines or consignment of INEC materials that have arrived so far, they only informed us that some materials were missing.



“FAAN did not state how and where the items got missing but they only said that they discovered and the ground handling companies have been invited to assist the police in our investigation.



“The matter has been referred to the Criminal Investigation Department of police and I have told my ADC CID to hasten the investigation because of national importance of those missing items.



“ Zinox has officially written to the police be at the ramp for subsequent arrivals of INEC materials before we are not allowed into the tarmac but with the experience now we have been allowed to cover the area and be around meaning that Zinox Solutions confirmed missing of the materials because the wrote to us yesterday (Wednesday). They even gave us details of dates and days of when subsequent consignment will be arriving Nigeria.”



The House of Representatives had at its Thursday’s plenary directed the Nigeria Police Force, the SSS and Nigerian Customs Service to investigate the theft of the DDC machines.



The House also mandated its joint committees on aviation, electoral matters and customs to investigate the circumstances which led to the theft and report to the House within one week.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201012103595860

The Presidency on Thursday picked holes in accounts about an alleged confidential meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and former United States Ambassador, Ms. Robin Sanders, published by online whistleblower, WikiLeaks.



The disputed portion relates to a discussion between Jonathan, when he held office as Acting President, and Sanders over the implications of then President Umaru Yar’Adua’s health condition for Nigeria. The meeting took place on February 26, 2010 at the the vice-president’s official residence in the Presidential Villa known as Akinola Aguda House.



Jonathan resided in Akinola Aguda House until he assumed the office of president, following Yar’Adua’s death on May 6.



According to the leaked cable, Jonathan and Sanders met “to review the current political situation, following the return earlier this week of ailing President Yar’Adua.”



Excerpts from the cable suggested that Jonathan told Sanders that he (Jonathan) lacked ‘political and administrative experience.’



He was quoted as saying, “I was not chosen to be Vice-President because I had good political experience. I did not. There were a lot more qualified people around to be Vice-President, but that does not mean I am not my own man.”



“I am not a politician and had very limited experience as an administrator; I will not tolerate a brawl.”



The account also said Jonathan blamed some influential persons for the political crisis in the country at the time.



“This terrible situation in the country today has been created by four people: Turai Yar’Adua (the ailing President’s wife), his Chief Security Officer (CSO) (Yusuf Mohammed Tilde), his Aide-de-Camp (ADC)(Col. Mustapha Onoyiveta) and Professor Tanimu Yakubu (Yar’Adua’s Chief Economic Advisor).”



However, the Presidency, in response to the publication, said the website’s accounts of the discussion was ‘a souped up version,’ aimed at portraying the President in a bad light.



In a statement titled, ‘On Wikileaks and all that,’ the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communication, Mr. Ima Niboro, said Jonathan, with all his experience in public office before becoming vice-president to the late Yar’Adua, could not have told Sanders that he lacked political and leadership experience.



The statement reads, “WikiLeaks is the new travesty that international diplomacy has to deal with. Nigeria is no exception. The point to be made is that the accounts of meetings between President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and US diplomats are essentially third party narratives, and are largely inaccurate.



“The President, in those tempestuous days during which the nation tottered on the brink, held meetings, and then more meetings, with different groups, the diplomatic community inclusive. The President met with different diplomats and special envoys, who offered different suggestions on a way out of the impasse that our late leader’s health had imposed on the nation.



“We note that this account is largely silent on these suggestions. Instead, what is served up is an unfair account severely impacted by selective perception and individual expectations. For instance, how can it be said that a man who had been a Deputy Governor, an Acting Governor, a Governor, a Vice-President, and then Acting President could have described himself as lacking in administrative experience?”



“That the President holds a Ph.D, was a lecturer for 10 years and was an Assistant Director in the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission do not make the statement less rankling. This only goes to show that the report itself is a souped up version of the standard conversation that takes place in such meetings.



“We find this account as wholly unfortunate and we are only employing the best of diplomatic finesse in that statement!


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101210351887

More startling revelations about the way the United States and international oil companies view and treat Nigeria have continued to emerge from some of the US embassy cables released by a whistle-blowing website, WikiLeaks.



One of the cables details discussions at a meeting between the US Assisitant Under Secretary of State, Mr. Johnnie Carson, and some executives of the IOCs in Lagos on February 7, 2010.



During the meeting, which looked at the challenges facing Nigeria and suggested ways of tackling them, Carson warned that “Nigeria had the possibility of becoming the next Pakistan in 25 years.”



Pakistan is generally described as the hotbed of religious crisis and a poor terrorist nation. It’s history has been characterised by political instability and conflicts. It is home to terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed; one of the most active militant islamist terrorist organisations in South Asia.



Another cable mentioned a former Shell Petroleum Development Company Vice-President for Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa, Ms. Ann Pickard, as claiming that some key officials in the administration of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua took huge sums from oil firms as bribes.



At the February meeting, Carson said Washington viewed Nigeria as the most important country in Africa because of its huge population, large hydro-carbon deposit, peace keeping role in ECOWAS, seat in the United Nations Security Council and its financial market strength.



Carson noted that there was no way the US would not be interested in Nigeria given its enoumous potential and large Muslim population (seventh in the world) were capable of eclipsing Egypt by 2015.



He argued that for the US not to have a presence in Northern Nigeria was akin to having no presence in Egypt. For this reason, he added, the US was planning to have a consulate in Kano.



When told that the US was underepresented diplomatically, economically, commercially and militarily in the South-South and South-East, he admitted that Washington must return to Enugu, and Port Harcourt.



Carson, who described Cape Town, South Africa as being 100 times a better living place than Lagos, said, “Some places are more important than others within the Federal System of Nigeria.



“Lagos is one of the one of the most important places. It is bigger and more important than Cape Town even though the latter is 100 times better in terms of livability.”



The cable quoted him as saying, “No presence means no access, which leads to no influence. Without influence, you have nothing.”



Carson reportedly said that when he served in Nigeria from 1969 to 1971, the US had its embassy in Lagos with consulates in Ibadan, Kaduna, and briefly in Port Harcourt. It also had an Information Service post in Kano.



The Under Secretary of State pointed out that when Nigeria had a population at 50 million and did not produce oil, the United States was better and more broadly represented.



He added that with an embassy in Abuja and a consulate in Lagos now, the United States had experienced a huge loss in Nigeria.



The Washington top official added that the US expected a stable, legal, democratic and constitutional government in Nigeria with no military involvement.



He said that it was important for the Nigerian government to do better in the 2011 general elections because in 2007, only 10 per cent of Nigerian voters saw ballot papers.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101210411675

Magic they say !

Unless the Federal Government puts the brakes on its current policy of uncontrolled spending, the nation risks going broke. This was the warning of former vice president and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. According to a statement by the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, the former vice president had severally alerted on the parlous state of the nation’s economy.

Similarly, Managing Director of the World Bank, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and the Brettonwood institutions had also urged urgent interventions to stem the slide of the economy.

But rather than take heed of the alerts, the Jonathan administration, the statement said, had continued to play the ostrich and live in denial of the true state of the Nigerian economy. The PDP presidential aspirant warned yesterday that unless the uncontrolled spending and mismanagement of the economy by the Jonathan administration was checked, the nation risked going broke sooner than later. He noted that the Minister of Finance, Dr. Segun Aganga, and Governor of CBN, Lamido Sanusi Lamido, had acknowledged that, indeed, all was not well with the nation’s economy.

He said with inflation currently at 14% in Nigeria compared to the BRIC countries’ (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) 7-8% and sub-Saharan Africa’s around 7%), Nigeria might not attain the 2020 target of being one of the leading 20 economies in the world by 2020. Atiku noted that the current situation was also being exacerbated by rapid depletion of the external reserves with not much to show for it in terms of infrastructure and economic development.

He dismissed the claim of Aganga that Nigeria was currently one of the top 10 economies of the world as reminiscent of George Orwell’s Animal Farm in which presumed economic growth was only visible from pronouncements of government officials. He said in the first eight months of this year alone, the foreign reserves had gone down by $8 billion with its attendant impact on rising inflation.

The presidential hopeful noted that the CBN’s intervention in raising the MRR (minimum rediscount rate) by 25 basis points had not helped the situation, adding that since rates were raised, another $2.7 billion had gone from the reserves.





http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/dec/09/national-09-12-2010-002.htm

Corruption is the most frequently discussed global problem in Nigeria, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation World Speaks poll.



The poll, conducted by GlobeScan on behalf of BBC World Service, surveyed more than 13,000 people across 26 countries.



The release of the poll came a day ahead of the celebration of the 2010 United Nations Anti-Corruption Day on Thursday (today).



Mentioned by 49 per cent of Nigerians interviewed in the poll, corruption emerged as the most talked about global issue. Unemployment is the second most discussed topic (29 per cent).



Corruption is also considered the most serious global problem in Nigeria, with 43 per cent of Nigerians rating it as very serious.



The rising cost of food and energy is ranked as the second most important global problem, with 38 per cent, considering it very serious. Extreme poverty (37 per cent ) is ranked third with 37 per cent.



BBC Hausa Service is expected to use the findings of the poll to explore the issue of corruption in special programming on Thursday (today)



On Friday the station’s flagship interactive programme, Ra’ayi Riga (Have Your Say) will engage its multimedia audiences in a debate on the topic (corruption), on radio and online on bbchausa.com.



The findings show that more than one in five (21per cent) of those polled said they had discussed corruption and greed with friends and family over the past month; thus making it the most talked about global problem.



Climate change, extreme poverty and hunger, unemployment, and the rising cost of food and energy were next in the ranking.



The poll was commissioned by the BBC to understand the global issues considered most serious. GlobeScan coordinated fieldwork between June and September 2010. In Nigeria, 500 people were interviewed face-to-face nationwide between 14 and 26 July, 2010.



As the world marks this year’s anti-corruption day, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission has said that Nigeria is making progress in its crusade against graft.



The ICPC Chairman, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, said at the inauguration of the commission’s National Anti-Corruption Volunteers Corps in Akure, Ondo State, that a recent survey by a United States- based Anti-corruption watchdog, Global Integrity, rated Nigeria as taking the frontline seat among countries that had been recording improvement in the fight against graft.



Ayoola, who was represented at the event by the agency’s Resident Consultant on Media and Public Matters, said, “The ICPC initiative of anti-corruption and transparency units in the federal ministries, departments and agencies has resulted in the big successes recorded for Nigeria.



“In a recent survey conducted in 57 countries of the world by a Washington DC based anti-corruption watchdog, Global Integrity, it was revealed that Nigeria got a composite of 64 from possible 100 after computing the final score in which more than 300 indicators of accountability, transparency and anti-corruption in governance were assessed.



“Nigeria got plus 10 from its previous performance in 2007 to qualify as one of the countries that made significant progress in the anti-corruption crusade.”



He assured that the ICPC would remain focussed in its support and protection for all members of the corps and other stakeholders as provided in sections 41 (c) of ICPC Act 200 to NAVC members.



Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has restated its plan to foster Nigeria’s stability and development by assisting it in its war against corruption.



It said that UK‘s Department for International Development had between 2004 and 2009, assisted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the recovery of $ 6.2bn.



Hooman Nouruzi of the Press and Public Affairs in the British High Commission, Abuja, said in a statement on Wednesday, that the DFID also helped the EFCC in the return of $ 6.7bn of stolen assets and in the arraignment of 338 people on corruption charges.



He added that the DFID new Justice for All programme would scale up anti-corruption work in Nigeria.






http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101209582420

Any talk about Peter Osaze Odemwingie using West Bromwich Albion as a stepping stone for deals at bigger clubs in the English Premier League might have been put to naught, following a declaration by The Baggies’ coach, Roberto Di Matteo, that none of his players will leave at the end of this season.

With the Super Eagles’ star taking his goals haul for the season to six, after notching a brace in Sunday’s 3-1 spanking of visiting Newcastle United, winning a man-of-the-match vote in the process, Di Matteo is already looking ahead and believes the fiery form of Osaze in his EPL debut season would not be a catapult into a fat deal among the top clubs next summer.

On the contrary, Osaze’s coach insists the key players are loyal to the squad and is optimistic that he can keep his current squad together. Baggies winger Chris Brunt has been linked with a move to Liverpool in recent weeks, while the likes of Youssouf Mulumbu and Osaze have also impressed at the Hawthorns and could attract January transfer offers, but their coach will not have any of it.

Di Matteo is confident he will not lose any of his best players when the window opens in the New Year, although he is also not expected to make any signings in January. “All our players are under contract, so I would not expect anyone to leave. Of course, if they do, well they will attract attention but they are happy to be here at the moment,” Osaze’s coach said.

Di Matteo’s comments came hot on the heels of Osaze’s brace on Sunday, and the attacker is giving words of appreciation to The Baggies’ fans for inspiring him all the way to his current string of heroics. Osaze admitted that he was glad to take his season’s goal tally to six against Newcastle United to wrap up the three points, but says every one of his team-mates deserved to be praised as well. “The fans have been superb this season right from the beginning. They are the 12th man in every game.



http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/sports/2010/dec/09/sports-09-12-2010-003.htm

I believe its the beginning of a new dawn in our country. lets all rise up to support this man. I belive he is still the best amongst all those who have declared to run for the presidency. Ribadu is very passionate for change and has a very clear understanding of what the issues are. We all can make this happen , the thieving elite group in this country are very minute, lets all rise up and support this good candidate.

Former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Audu Ogbeh, will head the Presidential campaign of Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), NEXT has learnt.

A close aide of Mr. Ribadu who confirmed this stated that the choice of Mr. Ogbeh is “because of his demonstrated integrity, vision for Nigeria and ability to garner broad support for the candidacy of Mr. Ribadu.” Mr. Ogbeh joined the Action Congress in 2006 alongside former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. Seen as one of the political leaders in Northern Nigeria, Mr. Ogbeh left the PDP following his fallout with former president, Olusegun Obasanjo.

He was ousted as PDP Chairman in January 2005 following his public criticism of the former President over the latter’s handling of the Anambra saga between the then Governor Chris Ngige, and his estranged ‘godfather’ Chris Uba. Mr Ogbeh, who was Chairman of the PDP from 2001 to 2005, had condemned Mr. Obasanjo for not calling Mr. Uba to order and stopping the carnage and destruction that went on in Anambra state during the crisis.

He was a member of the nine-man committee of the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) which chose Mr. Abubakar as consensus Northern aspirant for the PDP, though he reportedly voted for the Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki.

Ribadu to Kick start Campaign

Indications also emerged that Mr. Ribadu, who has chosen “A New Nigeria is Possible” as his campaign slogan, will commence his full campaign on December 15 when he is expected to hold a formal declaration.

Mr. Ribadu will challenge two other aspirants for the ticket of the Action Congress of Nigeria. They are Usman Bugaje, the national Secretary of the party, and Attahiru Bafarawa, the former governor of Sokoto State.

Should the ongoing discussions between the ACN and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) also come to fruition, Muhammadu Buhari, former military ruler and sole Presidential aspirant of the CPC will also be a contender for the ticket.

Bisi Akande, the outgoing national Chairman of the ACN had earlier confirmed the ongoing negotiations between both parties. While the ACN wants an outright merger of both parties to create a stronger party, the CPC wants an alliance that will see both parties present a single presidential candidate.

Chido Onumah, the director of communication of the Ribadu Campaign Organisation confirmed to NEXT that Mr. Ogbeh would head Mr.

Ribadu’s campaign while stating that other political parties and prominent personalities had also declared support for the aspirant.

“Our campaign is targeted at the average Nigerian, the man and woman on the street. That is why we are accepted not just by the traditional politicians, but by the millions of apolitical Nigerians. However, our ongoing widespread consultations led to the choice Chief Ogbeh who has shown himself as a man of courage who stands by the truth, as the Chairman of our campaign organisation,” Mr. Onumah stated.



http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5651654-147/ogbeh_to_head_ribadus_campaign_.csp

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of Mr. Afam Ezekude as the new director-general, Nigeria Copyright Commission.



He has also approved the appointment of Mr. Femi Ajayi as the new director-general/executive secretary of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.



A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and made available to THE PUNCH said the two appointments are with immediate effect.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101209422570

Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has warned only players who are ambitious, driven and hungry for success will get roles in the national team.



Speaking on SuperSport on Tuesday, the former France-based striker, who put pen to paper for a N5m-a-month two-year deal with the Nigeria Football Federation on December 1, maintained that lackadaisical and half-hearted efforts in matches would not be tolerated.



According to Siasia, who represented Nigeria in three Nations Cups and one World Cup (USA‘94), every player should brace for hard work on the field and play to his instructions.



”If a player is asked to help in defending and fails to do so, we‘ll look for another player who will do that,” the former Lokeren player said.



”It‘s important to have every player fully involved in all aspects of a game. ”



He warned there won‘t be any drastic changes in the squad, saying it would be gradual.



”Changes will take time, they can‘t happen at the same time and they will have to be gradual. The fans will therefore have to be patient with us,” he said.



He firmly shut the door on players who are warming the benches for their colleagues in Europe, saying only those commanding regular playing times would merit places in his squad.



Siasia said, ”There‘s no place in the world where players who don‘t play regularly for their clubs play for their national teams.”



The Senegal‘92 Nations Cup bronze medallist said he would travel to Europe to convince the likes of Victor Moses, Kelvin Etuhu, Sidney Sam, Leon Balogun, Chucks Aneke and Nedum Onuoha to commit their international futures to Nigeria.



http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101209164359

The Director-General of Shekarau Campaign Organisation, Khalieh Bolaji, has said that the rumoured coming of General Ibrahim Babangida’s coming into the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) poses no threat to Shekarau’s presidential ambition.

He told Daily Sun in Kano that Babangida was never a hard nut to crack: “He is not a threat to anybody, though we respect him quite alright. He is a man of honour, but we just believe that we can contain him.” Excerpts:

If Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau becomes president
He has the precedence of what he is just trying to finish up in Kano State, solving the problems of Kano. I believe that he is going to take a clue from there and extend it to Nigeria as a whole. We believe he will be able to change Nigeria for better.

Can Shekarau make it to the presidency?
The first thing is to get the ticket of our great party, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). See what is happening in the PDP. PDP is not the same and can never be same again. There is a very sharp divide among them based on these so-called zoning, consensus, internal wrangling and absence of internal democracy. These are major issues that have negatively affected and scattered the PDP and which will play out in full manifestation as the day goes by. All of these do not exist in the ANPP and do not affect us as a party. These are reasons why we are very, very confident, by the grace of God, that whoever they will produce as their candidate will not match our candidate, praying that Shekarau becomes the ANPP candidate.

Challenges
Our structures are not weak, If you are not in power, it is believed that you don’t have a strong structure, which is not true. The structures are there and what are these structures anyway? At the national, state, local government and ward levels we have structures. When you have all of these, then it means that you have structures. Tell me, how many parties in this country have got the kind of structures that we have? Of course, PDP has got them. Yes! But we too have got them. I can’t see the party that has got the spread to all the states, to all the 774 local government areas in the country like the ANPP, minus PDP. The former leadership of the party stigmatized the ANPP with regards to this kind of perception. But that is a thing of the past. We now have a new executive that is up and doing. The chairman goes everywhere and there is no division within the party.

After the national convention, the party has become one and we were able to get out of that mess because we love the party so much. No one of note has left the party. Rather, the movement is the other way round. People are coming into the train. Of course, you have heard in Ebonyi State where two senators from the PDP moved into the ANPP. More will still come. Party process is something that is very technical. People will look at it and assess it. They will ask: Is this thing real. It is when they see that it is real that the influx will be more, which is what we expect.

Are you afraid of General Ibrahim Babangida coming to ANNP?
Honestly, we are not afraid. He is welcome to our party. Even if all the members of the PDP are coming in with him, honestly, they are welcome. We love contest and we love challenges. We have been nurturing this party and the people, not just the party. When eventually Babangida comes, he will come to support us, not to contest against us. If he comes to contest against us, he is welcome, and we will give him a good fight as well.

IBB, hard nut to crack?
Did that manifest in their PDP? He a former president and the man that emerges in their so-called consensus contest is never a former president. He is not a threat to anybody though we respect him quite alright. He is man of honour, but we just believe that we can contain him.

Consensus choice
People should get it clear. There are other candidates and aspirants that are from the North that are not in the PDP. That is why they are not included in the four people that they were considering. This is because it was purely a PDP affair. Atiku Abubakar cannot be the consensus of the North. He can only be the consensus of some northern members of the PDP. Even at that, it has been contested by the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, by some Jonathan supporters that Atiku does not represent the aspiration and position of all the members of the northern PDP. It is basically a factional affair and honestly we don’t want to dabble into that because it doesn’t concern us.

Challenges from Alhaji Bashir Tofa, another ANPP presidential aspirant, from Kano State.
The more the merrier. They are all welcome. Himself, Dauda Birma, Harry Akande, these are other three contenders. We love challenges. We love contest and before or by January15, 2011, it will be over.

That Tofa can divide Shekarau’s votes
No! We are not the PDP. It is only PDP that strikes such deals. We want everybody to come and contest. Dividing votes does not come in here. This is a delegate election and the simple majority carries the day. Nobody is getting or dividing anybody’s vote. For the fact that he is from Kano, the presidency is not the governorship of Kano State . It is Nigeria. Ten people can come up from one state and it doesn’t make any difference to us.

Shekarau’s running mate
We have what is called internal democracy in our party. The choice of the Vice President to Shekarau is not absolutely his choice. The party and the people must have a say. We are democrats! We are not autocrats like some people in other parties. When we get to that bridge, we will cross it.

Shekarau’s edge
Nigerians know it. They know that there is peace in Kano. Nigerians are asking him to do the same thing at the national level. By the time he becomes president, the ethnic and religious problems in Jos, in Bauchi, the issue of Boko Haram in the North, will all be a thing of the past. He is going to bring to bear the knowledge he acquired in Kano to the benefit of Nigerians and Nigeria. That is why many Nigerians, knowing that we are peace makers, that we love peace, they are saying that they need him to step out and become the president of our dear great country in 2011.





http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/dec/09/national-09-12-2010-009.htm

Nwodo announces automatic ticket for federal lawmakers

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, yesterday revealed the sealed deal between federal lawmakers on the platform of the PDP and the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) as the 2011 power game takes shape.

There had been speculation in the media that the recent nocturnal meetings between the party’s leadership and the lawmakers were to placate the Senators and members of the House of Representatives to support the presidential ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking yesterday at the opening ceremony of the capacity building training for female aspirants of the PDP, Nwodo gave credence to the speculation as he confirmed that the party would give automatic tickets to federal lawmakers, who had distinguished themselves.

“We have said it at the party secretariat and at the National Assembly when we went to meet members of the House of Representatives and the senators; we said that we, as a party, want to grow this democracy and in trying to grow democracy, what we need to do is to have some form of continuity and therefore, we will like as many members of parliament who are performing and who are also acceptable in some extent in their constituencies to come back. Unless we do that, we will continue our learning process. Everyday we are learning; we should stop learning. We have to build and consolidate on the democratic institution.

“So, in doing that, I think the next thing I am going to push for is that in returning as many parliamentarians as possible. And those who are there, who are women, we could, at least, guarantee their seats.’’
Daily Sun also learnt that as part of the incentives to curry the favour of PDP senators and members of the House of Representatives, the PDP NWC has sealed a deal with the party caucus which met on Tuesday night in Abuja to reverse its order of primaries.

In the new arrangement, the primary for candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives would come first to be followed by the presidential primary, while the primary for the party governorship candidates would now come last, unlike the initial timetable arrangement, where the governorship primary was given precedence over the presidential primary.

The Daily Sun source further revealed that the new arrangement had been adopted by the party’s caucus while the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), which was expected to meet and also adopt it for the final ratification of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC), expected to meet next Tuesday.

A contentious bill to confer on members of the National Assembly automatic membership of their parties’ NEC is generating furore in the country as it was alleged that the presidency was behind it to galvanise support of PDP senators and House of Representatives members and stave off the influence of the PDP governors on the party NWC and its NEC when crucial decisions were to be taken.

Already senators on platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) and the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) are members of their parties’ NEC. Speaking further on the occasion, Nwodo appealed to the women to use the opportunity of the forum to articulate their needs, as he assured them that the party would not renege on its pledge to concede 35 per cent of elective posts to women and give financial assistance to all its female candidates seeking elective offices.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/dec/09/national-09-12-2010-001.htm

Two suspended members of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dino Melaye and Mr. Solomon Awhinawhin, on Wednesday resumed sitting in the chamber, in compliance with the judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja.



Melaye rushed into the chamber shortly after the session presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Usman Nafada, began. He wrote his name in the attendance register and collected the Order Paper of the day before proceeding to his seat.



Melaye sat for about 11 minutes before he left the chamber. Awhinawhin also attended the sitting.



Both men were among the 11 lawmakers suspended by the House on June 23, following a free-for-all in the chamber. The 11 were members of a group, ‘Progressive-Minded Legislators,’ who had accused the leadership of the house of allegedly misusing N9bn of its budget.



On Thursday last week, the court had delivered judgment in favour of five of them, who challenged the suspension. They are Melaye, Awhinawhin, Anas Adamu, Independence Ogunewe and Bitrus Kaze.



On Tuesday, policemen and state security operatives had prevented Melaye, Awhinawin, Kaze and Adamu from entering the National Assembly on the grounds that they were acting on ‘directives from above.’ The action of the security agents caused a commotion at the gates of the National Assembly, resulting in a traffic jam.



But the lawmakers protested the action of the security agents, vowing that they would not allow their rights to be trampled upon.



But on Wednesday, Melaye and Awhinawhin drove through the two gates of the National Assembly into the premises, taking the Sergeant-at-Arms, Col. Emeka Okere (retd), by surprise.



As they alighted from their car, Okere reportedly ran after them to stop them but the two lawmakers outpaced him.



Speaking with journalists at the lobby of the house, Melaye described Wednesday as ‘victory day for democracy.’ He said he came to resume work in compliance with the judgment.



Melaye added,”They (House)said the filed an application for stay of execution. Stay of execution does not translate to judgment. The triumph of falsehood over truth is transient and evaporative; today is victory day.”



On his part, Awhinawhin said, “We are in a system of rule of law and we must be seen to be keeping the law.”



Meanwhile, in the chamber, the deputy speaker drew the attention of the House to the fact that a court had delivered judgment in favour of the suspended legislators. Nafada noted that as a law-abiding institution, the House of Representatives would comply with the decision of the court.



He directed that the matter should be referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges for investigation. The committee was given up till Tuesday next week to submit a report.



While the session was still on, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Federal Capital Territory Command, Mr. Haruna John, paid a brief visit to the Speaker, Mr. Dimeji Bankole. John also met with the Director of the State Security Service Unit at the National Assembly, Mr. Mohammed Abdulrahman.



Bankole, Abdulrahman and the Clerk to the House, Mr. Sani Omolori, later walked John to the entrance of the assembly. John’s mission was unclear but a security source claimed that the commissioner came in “connection with recent security issues at the National Assembly.”



In a related development, a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the immediate payment of the allowances of the affected lawmakers.



Delivering judgment in the suit filed by the only suspended female lawmaker in the group, Ms. Doris Uboh (PDP, Ika Federal Constituency), the judge also nullified her suspension on the grounds that the leadership of the House had no power to act in such a manner.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201012094324592

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday in Abuja held a crucial meeting in response to the threat by a former presidential aspirant, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), to leave the party.



Babangida had on Tuesday threatened to quit the fold if the party did not rescind its decision to allow President Goodluck Jonathan contest the 2011 presidential election. THE PUNCH learnt that the party’s National Working Committee was still meeting as at 6.30pm.



Mr. Ike Abonyi, spokesman of the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, confirmed the meeting. He said, “The PDP’s first reaction was to give the letter to the Legal Adviser. As I speak with you, the party’s National Working Committee is meeting to deliberate on Babangida’s letter and to take a decision. After the meeting, the party might decide to reply it or not.”



But the Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation, in a reaction, berated Babangida over his threat contained in a letter to Nwodo and described him as ‘a confused man.’ The group, in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity Committee, Mr. Sully Abu, said that besides being confused, Babangida was on ‘the precipe of political oblivion.’



But in a reaction, Abu recalled that for three months, the Mallam Adamu Ciroma-led Northern Political Leaders Forum searched for a consensus aspirant of northern extraction. He added that those screened were Babangida, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; the immediate past National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau (retd.); and Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki.



Abu said that when Abubakar emerged as the consensus aspirant of the NPLF, the other aspirants accepted the verdict and pledged to give the former vice-president their full support.



Sully said, “The Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation sympathises with IBB’s predicament. Having lost to Atiku in their so-called consensus arrangement, he must have been thrown into confusion and desperation at the prospects of impending political oblivion.



“Clutching at the straw of zoning seems attractive to a drowning man. But regional jingoism is unsuited for a man who once held the highest office in the land.”



http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101209510992

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, on Wednesday, led other prominent Nigerians to condole with the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on the death of his wife, Clara, who died in Abuja late Tuesday after a protracted battle with breast cancer.



They all paid tributes to the late Mrs. Oshiomhole whom they described as a gentle and committed wife who stood by her husband while alive.



A statement by the Secretary to the Edo State Government, Pally Iriase, said Mrs. Oshiomhole, 54, died at exactly 10.53pm on Tuesday.



Jonathan described the deceased woman as a heroine of justice and a strong supporter of the rule of law. He recalled her support for her husband through his days as a frontline labour activist.



The President’s wife bemoaned the demise of Mrs. Oshiomhole, saying it “came as a rude shock and becomes more painful knowing that she answered the glorious call home barely a week to her daughter’s wedding.”



Also on the roll call of sympathisers on Wednesday were former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku; Senate President, David Mark; Speaker, House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; Governors Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Peter Obi (Anambra), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Ihedi Ohakim (Imo), among others.



Obasanjo, according to News Agency of Nigeria reports, described the death of Mrs. Oshiomhole as a “ big loss to the people of Edo State and Nigeria” and prayed that God “grants Governor Oshiomhole the fortitude to bear the loss and that God grants Mrs Oshimhole sweet repose.”



A statement by the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation quoted the former Vice President as saying, “We cannot forget in a hurry how this woman stood as a solid pillar behind her husband, the Governor, through his days as a frontline labour activist and through the struggle to reclaim his mandate freely given to him by the good people of Edo State”



Mark said the late Clara exhibited a high sense of courage and steadfastness in her husband’s struggles to bring development to Edo State.



In his condolence message to Oshimhole, Mark said, “I share in your pains and anguish at this moment. I can only advise that you take heart and accept this bereavement as an act of God. Mrs. Oshiomhole would surely be missed. But we are consoled by the fact that she left a very positive legacy worthy of emulation.”



Bankole expressed shock over the demise of Oshiomhole‘s wife.



He said, ”The incidences of cancer-related deaths in Nigeria have reached an alarming stage,” adding that it had become necessary for stakeholders in the health sector to create more awareness on the need for early detection of cancer, especially for women in the country.



Mimiko described the death of Mrs. Oshiomhole, who he described as “our wife” as a sad loss and condoled with Oshiomhole family and the people of Edo State over the unfortunate incident.



The governor said, “Our hearts go out to our brother and colleague, Comrade Governor Adams Oshiomhole at these dark hours following the demise of his darling wife and soul mate, Mrs. Clara Oshiomhole.



“We also commiserate with the entire people of Edo State, the Oshiomhole family and the children of the late Amason who stood by her husband in his struggle first for the emancipation and betterment of the nation’s workforce and later for the liberation of the people of Edo State from those who foisted themselves on the people by sheer brigandage.”



Daniel described the death of the late Edo State First lady as a huge loss to Edo State and to the entire women folk in Nigeria.



The Ogun State Governor said the death of the woman at this time had robbed Edo State of “an unassuming woman who demonstrated the fine qualities of a good wife and spent the better part of her life working for the good of the women folk.”



Obi said the death of Mrs. Oshiomhole was “a source of grief.” He said he received the news with regret and urged Oshiomhole to accept his sympathies on behalf of the Government and people of Anambra State.



Fayemi greeted Oshiomhole on behalf of the people of Ekiti State, saying he understood the pain of losing one’s better half.



The Delta State Government in its condolence message by the Commissioner of Information, Mr. Oma Djebah described the late woman as “ a pillar of strength and an unassuming lady whose humility will be surely missed by Comrade Governor Oshiomhole.”



The Action Congress of Nigeria said the news of the death hit the party with rude shock and sadness.



In a statement issued in Benin on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party hailed Governor Oshiomhole’s stoicism in the face of his wife’s illness and eventual death, and prayed that God would grant her eternal rest and give the family the fortitude to bear their irreparable loss.



“Despite the pain and the anxiety brought about by the illness, Governor Oshiomhole – true to his credentials – has been devoting so much time to governance and the people, while also taking time to care for his darling wife.



“He could have easily used the illness as a reason to abandon his post or jet abroad at the slightest opportunity, but he was able to strike a fair balance between the demand of his high office and the need to be by his wife at her moment of need.”



Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State, Chief Dan Orbih, also commiserated with Oshiomhole and the entire state over the demise of Clara.



Preparation was already at an advanced stage for the traditional wedding ceremony of the first family’s second child, Jane, on Saturday, before the sad news of Mrs. Oshiomhole.



Also, Action Congress of Nigeria Chairman in the state, Chief John Oyegun, Tony Omoaghe, and Chief David Edebiri, the Esogban of Benin Kingdom were some of the eminent personalities that condoled with the Oshiomholes on Wednesday.



The Governors’ Forum noted with nostalgic the roles played by the deceased in the life of her husband when he was the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the “titanic” battle waged by the governor to reclaim his mandate as governor of Edo State.



In the Forum’s condolence message signed by its Director-General, Mr. Asishana Okauru, Clara was commended for her commitment to her husband. “As First Lady of Edo State, she discharged her duties creditably and was as committed as her husband to the transformation of the State,” the statement said.



http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201012094281646