₦airaland Forum

The fortified security features on naira notes have made it difficult for counterfeiters to successfully clone the currency, the Central Bank of Nigeria, has said.



The clarification by the apex bank follows recent reports of people who had successfully counterfeited the United States’ dollar.



Some foreign nationals had at different times been convicted of smuggling millions of counterfeited dollars into the US. Recently, an American citizen paid a fake $100 bill as his tax.



Speaking with our correspondent, the Head, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mr. Mohammed Abdullahi, said that there were security features on naira notes that would make it difficult for anyone to fake them.



According to him, ”We have measures to protect the naira notes; we have security features on the naira, very serious and fortified securities that counterfeiters cannot succeed in faking it 100 per cent correctly. If they fake it, you will always know that it is a fake note.”



He noted that worldwide, it was difficult to stop counterfeiters from trying to fake currencies.



All over the world, he added, people attempt to print money on their own because the regulators would not always know when they were trying to do so.



So far, Abdullahi said there had not been any report of people counterfeiting the naira notes.



”There is no currency in the world that counterfeiters do not try to fake, even the dollars and pounds, but what is important is that the currency should have enough security features, that once they fake it, you can easily know. They will never be able to deceive the public.”


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20100908024181

This latest accident at Adodo junction, Badagry should be a pointer to Gov Fashola and other stakeholders involved in transportation to make sure that Long Vehicles plying the roads have adequate brakes. Tankers should ply at night hours and should not over load. The Road Safety officers along Badagry/Lagos as well as the custom officers should be removed. They cause accidents when collecting their 20 Naira from overladden lorries from Seme boarder. Gov. Fashola, please see to this.

No fewer than 10 people were feared dead in Lagos State on Tuesday after a fuel tanker truck loaded rammed into other vehicles, causing an inferno. The fire also consumed about 23 vehicles at Adodo junction by Mowo bus stop, Badagry.



The disaster, which is coming two days after a similar one that consumed 17 vehicles and six people in Ibafo, Ogun State, was said to have happened around 4pm on Tuesday.



A version of the cause of the incident revealed that the truck had a break failure and lost control before running into some stationery vehicles parked at a Mechanic Village along the Lagos-Badagri Expressway.



But the Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, said the truck was trying to negotiate into another side of the road when it fell on some stationery vehicles and spilled its content. The impact, according to him, started the fire.



A witness, Olamide Kazeem, told one of our correspondents on the telephone that the fire spread. “Before you know it, the truck had gone up in flames and within a twinkle of an eye it had affected 23 other vehicles. People there were running helter-skelter and drivers were making a U-turn to avoid being caught in the inferno,” she said.



Some of the Adodo villagers said that some people escaped from their vehicles with various degrees of burns, while an unspecified number of people were not as lucky as they were trapped in the fire and feared dead.



It was gathered that a pregnant woman, identified as Mama Egwu, was badly burnt and was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.



“It is still a mad house here; we don’t know how many people died. But I am sure that some people were not able to run for safety. Some people however escaped. But the good thing was that many of the vehicles affected were the ones parked by the Mechanic Village,” Kazeem said.



The villagers claimed that the men of the Lagos State Fire Service did not arrive at the scene of the inferno until almost an hour after the fire had started.



”Policemen and Customs officials arrived there before the fire fighters. They started rescue operation before the fire service men came,” they said.



The Lagos Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Jonas Agwu, who confirmed the incident in an interview with one of our correspondents on the telephone, however, said the fire claimed one life and burnt 23 vehicles parked at the mechanic village.



Agwu said that the driver of the petrol tanker escaped unhurt.



TheLagos State Police spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, gave the registration number of the tanker as XB 142 UMZ.



“We are yet to determine the circumstance of the accident that caused the inferno, but as I am talking to you now, we have picked one charred body. Rescue operation is still on. Citizens are advised to stay calm as we are fully on ground and on top of the situation,” he said. Mba put the number of the burnt vehicles at 22.



The Adodo inferno is the third of such disasters that have caused by trucks within three weeks.



On Sunday, August 15, at the Otedola Millennium Estate end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, no fewer than 40 people lost their lives. About 25 vehicles were damaged in the inferno.



On Sunday, September 5, it was the same story at Ibafo end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20100908473217

I have said it and I will repeat it again, the role of the judiciary is not complimenting effective policing in Nigeria. Some of these judges are perhaps being protected by big time criminals.From the Boko hara in Bauchi to kidnappers in the South east to faceless land speculators in the South West the judiciary seems to be constituting themselves into nuisance and ridiculing the nation.Pls,allow the IG to flush out bad eggs from the NPF and stop harassing the man.

The Abuja High Court has given the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, till Wednesday (today) to produce two policemen arrested for allegedly collaborating with kidnappers in Anambra State.



The policemen – Onyebuchi Eze and Kenneth Chikwe – were arrested along with one Austine Duru on October 7, 2009 by officers of the State Security Services, in Owerri Imo State.



They were subsequently transferred to the Force Headquarters in Abuja where one of them was said to have taken ill and needed surgery.



The case was taken up by the International Human Rights Initiative, because the police allegedly denied Eze medical attention.



Justice Olukayode Adeniyi had granted Eze bail, based on the application by the human rights organisation for an order to direct the police to grant him temporary freedom to enable him to go for the surgery.



But the police authorities failed to comply with the bail order, which led to the issuance of summons on August 20 by Justice Adeniyi, directing Onovo to personally appear before the court to explain why the orders were not respected.



The judge had issued the summons against the IG for allegedly refusing to comply with a court summons over the unlawful detention of Eze and Chikwe on September 1.



The order was sequel to an earlier one by the court that Onovo should appear before it to show cause why he should not be committed to prison for allegedly violating four separate court injunctions.



Justice Adeniyi had also ruling on Tuesday, ordered Onovo to produce the two policemen in court before the hearing of the substantive case.



The judge then said, “This is not the first time the IG has disobeyed orders from this court.



“The first was on August 30 in which I asked that he appears in person or show why he should not be committed to prison for allegedly violating four separate court injunctions served on him on August 9, 12, 18 and 20, with regard to the continued detention of the two accused persons.



“Nobody, no matter how highly placed he is, permitted to hold the court in contempt.



“This should further show the world that law is no respecter of persons, irrespective of position.”



After the ruling, lawyer to Onovo, Mr. Samuel Ogbe, told journalists that the two corporals were in police custody in Awka, Anambra State.



“How can we between today and tomorrow produce the two accused in court in Abuja? My client has absolute and unreserved respect for the judiciary and is willing to obey the court order as a law abiding citizen,‘‘ Ogbe said.



But the lawyer to the accused persons, Mr. Chris Ojeifor, said he would decide on the next legal move if by Wednesday, the IG flouted the court order to produce his clients in person.



The Nigeria Police had, however, on Monday defended Onovo, claiming that he was ready to obey the order directing him to appear before the court.



The police added that the IG had absolute and unreserved respect for the judiciary and was willing to obey court orders as a law-abiding citizen.



It said in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu that at no time was Onovo served with summons to appear before the court in person or in a representative capacity.





The police said that the IG had the statutory mandate to enforce discipline with the officers and rank and file of the force.



Ojukwu said that the two accused persons were in prison custody on the order of the court and not in the custody of the police, pointing out that the police had no power to release them.



He said, “The two accused persons are in the custody of the court as they were being remanded on the order of a Chief Magistrate Court, so it is wrong to say they are in police custody.



“The court was probably misled on this matter. On the issue of contempt, the IG has absolute respect for the judiciary as a law-abiding citizen and I can assure you that he will appear in court if he receives a court order directing him to do so.”

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201009084215979

Yes, that what we are waiting for. Because we tired of these old and corrupt so called northern leaders. They only think of themselves and their family members.

While surprise attack may be a deadly weapon in war situations, politics operate on a long, and often complicated period of maneuvering. Often, while it was almost evident the direction a politician is headed, the main actor would rather feint by keeping mum, or denying the obvious.



That was the case with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the run up to the 1999 elections and beginning of the fourth republic democracy in Nigeria.



In 1998, it was evident that his military and northern allies had perfected the strategy to impose him on the citizens as a returnee president; Obasanjo continued to stress that he did not forget anything that he was returning to retrieve from the presidency. At a point, he asked, ‘How many presidents do Nigerians want to make out of me?‘ At last, he came out and ran and became president again.



Time and situation may differ, the game with the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 presidential race, has the same tone as the 1999 Obasanjo episode.



But, as it is often the case, too, time appears to be up for Jonathan to come out to the open on whether he will run in the next year‘s race or not. While the president had, in the past, successfully hidden behind several excuses not to declare to the nation and his band of campaigners his decision, the last of his veils appeared to have been torn by the release of the election time-table by the Independent National Electoral Commission, on Tuesday. Prior to the release, Jonathan had insisted that he was waiting for the INEC time-table to decide on his ambition. There were also speculations that he wanted the Ramadan to end before he declare.



By the new time-table of elections, the Presidential Elections are scheduled for January 22, 2011. Counting from this morning, Nigerians are left with 137 days to elect a new president, and any serious candidate is obviously counting the time in seconds given the short period to Election Day.



Will Goodluck Jonathan run or not? The president no longer needs a prodding to give the answer in the next few days, if not hours. He may have finally ran out of excuses. His case is also not helped by the fact that Ramadan may end today.



The status of Jonathan in the 2011 race, at the latest, must be known next week. It is no longer the season for aides and amorphous campaign groups which aggregated under the Jonathan Support Group, including the women who threatened to deny their spouses sex if the president fails to declare to run.



It is time for Jonathan to declare whether he would confront the PDP controversial zoning formula; and it is time for Jonathan to declare whether he will run or not. He can decide to answer the call of his supporters and enlist in the race. He can also play the game as canvassed in certain quarters that he should just be an umpire, and not a participant.



But, either way, the countdown to Jonathan‘s has began.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201009084184720

This time around those election riggers will not fine it easy, because nigerians will fight back. Fortunately, they are not finding easy to even scale throught primaries of their political parties, because they are known as corrupt leaders during their hey days.

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday opened the floodgates for political activities as it released the time table for the 2011 general elections.



According to the time table, National Assembly elections will come first on January 15, 2011, to be followed by the presidential election on January 22.



The process will be concluded on January 29, with the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.



The INEC Commissioner in charge of Publicity, Mr. Solomon Soyebi, presented the time table in Abuja.



He explained that the release of the guidelines was in line with the powers conferred on the Commission by the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2010 and all other powers enabling it to perform its functions.



Details of the election schedule shows that primaries of political parties will commence on September 11 and end on October 30, 2010.



Public campaigns by parties will begin from October 17, 2010, while voters registration will begin from November 1 to 14.



The date for the registration of voters is said to be pursuant to Section 9(5) of the Electoral Act 2010, which provides that the exercise be carried out 90 days before polling day.



The clamour for a new register has dominated political discussion in the country in the past three months, following the fraud that characterised 2007 general elections and strange names discovered in the polls register.



Non-Nigerian names like Mike Tyson, Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton were found in the voter register.



The INEC timetable also states the last day for the withdrawal/ substitution of candidates by political parties.



For National Assembly elections, parties have up till November 30, 2010 to substitute candidates.



In the case of the presidential election, December 11, 2010 is the last day, while December 14, 2010 is the last day for the substitution of candidates for governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.



Political parties have up till December 4, 2010 to submit nomination forms for candidates contesting for National Assembly polls.



Further, the timetable stated that parties have up till December 7 to replace presidential candidates, while December 14 is the deadline for the substitution of governorship/ State Houses of Assembly Elections candidates.



Electioneering campaigns are expected to end on January 14, 2011 for National Assembly elections, just as January 21 2011 is the last day for the presidential contest.



Governorship and Houses of Assembly elections have January 28 as campaign last day.



According to Soyebi, “This is in line with the (provisions of) Section 99 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2010 which prohibits advertisements or broadcasts of campaigns 24 hours prior to the day of elections.”



He also announced that the run-off for governorship and presidential elections (if any) would be held within seven days after the announcement of result of the affected elections.



Section 179 (4) and (5) and Section 134 (4) and (5) respectively of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 provide for this.



http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201009083505315

ibb should not contest,he is a bad news

Former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has lambasted Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) for declaring his ambition to contest next year’s presidential election.

Speaking yesterday at a book launch in Lagos, South-West Nigeria, Tinubu said Babangida and others who now claim to be democrats were the ones who annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election and thwarted the struggle by genuine democrats to revalidate it.

He said IBB should respect the aggregate wishes of Nigerians that they do not want him to return to power again.

Tinubu called for resistance against IBB’s ambition if he fails to shelve his quest to contest.

According to Tinubu, who was the Chief Presenter of Diary of a Debacle: Tracking Nigeria’s Failed Democratic Transition (1989-1994), written by Dr. Olatunji Dare, many of those who now claim to be democrats were actually those who frustrated the fight for the revalidation of the annulled 12 June 1993 presidential election which was adjudged the freest and fairest in the nation’s history.

“There are many of them who now preside over some of our democratic institutions including amending the constitution for us while the grandmasters of the annulment are preparing to come and reap where they did not sow.

“Do they say they are democrats and they want to contest the next election and they annulled June 12? We must resist and take control of our future. We must not forget history. We must go back to the basics,” he said.

Tinubu further took a swipe at politicians who are not consistent and who put their interest before those of the people of the country, describing them as “men of yester years who many years after would return to eat their vomit; those who become zoning advocate because of personal ambition.”

Speaking in the same vein, a stalwart of National Democratic Coalition, Chief Ayo Opadokun, called on Nigerians to resist Babangida.

He said the ‘evil genuis’ is toying with the citizens of this country.

Other speakers at the event also spoke against the ambition of the former military head of state. Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, said the annulment of the June 12 election almost tore the country apart.

Ribadu, who said he was still in the police force when the election took place, added that the late Moshood Abiola won it.

He described the period as very important in the history of the nation and that the annulled election could not be treated with levity and the demands of cheap politics.

Denying that the northerners were happy over the annulment of the election, Ribadu said the act was the handiwork of “a tiny elite. The elite was emboldened by the disdain for the beauty and respect that defined the integrity of a social community.”

He said the annulment represented an act of political corruption that robbed 14 million voters of their franchise.

“It also denied our nation a badly needed peace and stability by generating so much conflict and tension in the land like the exile of hundreds of outstanding and bright Nigerians; and the persecution of numerous journalists, civil society and community activists, as well as many patriots.”

He advocated for the immortalization of Abiola.

http://www.nigeriamasterweb.com/paperfrmes.html

The Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Works and Infrastrucure, Engr. Ganiu Johnson, has expressed the state government’s unhappiness over the state of the Egbeda-Isheri Olofin road in Lagos, a project awarded to Bulletin Construction Company.

Subsequently, he announced the sack of the contractor and awarded the project to Plycon Construction Company, which was handling the Isheri Olofin-Ikotun axis road.

Speaking during an inspection tour of the road, the Special Adviser, observed that the contract, awarded about a year ago, has been abandoned by the contractor, while Plycon Construction Company was at the finishing stage of the the road that links Isheri Olofin with Ikotun.

The state government, Alausa Rhythms learnt, may have blacklisted the firm following its shoddy handling of the project that has already earned the state government a bad name.

Engr. Johnson, while announcing the removal of Bulletin Construction Company from the project, said the state government took the step because of the firm’s non-performance.

He also maintained that the action was a warning to other contractors that the government is keen on the interest of its citizens.

Johnson, who appreciated the level of work done by Plycon, added that the road would be one of the Christmas gifts from the government to residents of the area.

The SA, who also visited the Maza Maza bridge construction site, which is an additional bridge to service the Lagos-Badagry Expressway with the 10-lane programme of the state government, expressed joy that the contractor, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, was up to the task and meeting the deadline.

The 170-metre bridge, which is about 80 per cent completed, has a lane for the Bus Rapid Transit scheme.

He also said that the Orile-Iganmu Police Station would be affected by the road construction and plans were on to relocate it. The first phase is from Eric Moore in Surulere to Maza Maza.

“By the end of next year, we should be able to hand this project over, because we are on course,” he said.

Meanwhile, jubilation has greeted the sack of Bulletin Construction Company currently handling the Ipaja junction through Egbeda to Isheri-Olofin. Motorists plying the route were excited when the information reached them that the project has been rewarded to another firm.

Speaking with Alausa Rhythms on the issue, the motorists said they had thought the state government lacked the funds to execute the project and they had resigned to fate as they have had to constantly service their vehicles due to its deplorable condition.

“We constantly pray that it should not rain, because if it does, then we are doomed. We thought the governor should have left the road as it was rather than award the project when he knew he could not complete it.

“We did not know we were just passing through this hell because the contractor refused to do his work,” Adeniyi Musa, a commuter bus driver in the area told Alausa Rhythms.

Another driver, who gave his name as Sunday, said he was happy that the road would be completed by December as promised by Engr. Johnson.

“The other contractor handling the Ikotun road is almost through with his job. If you know you cannot handle a project, then why bid for it?” he asked.

Dotun Ahmed, a driver, who plies the Iyana-Ipaja-Ikotun route, said several times, he had stopped working due to the damage to his bus as a result of the bad road.

“We always make use of alternative routes, which are themselves in bad shape. You can imagine working three days and repairing your bus the remaining days of the week,” he said.

Adebisi Ajayi, a banker who lives in Igando, a suburb of the state said since the road project began last year, she has been leaving home as early as five in the morning as against 6.30a.m. “Yet, I still get to the office late sometimes,” she added.

http://www.nigeriamasterweb.com/paperfrmes.html

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested the President of Aguiyi Ironsi International Trade Centre, Ladipo Market, Mushin, Lagos, Nigeria for alleged involvement in N680 million fraud.


•Jonathan Okoli
The President, Chief Jonathan Okoli was alleged to have defrauded the Lagos State Government, Mushin Local Government and the Traders in the market Enne and was arrested in his office at Ladipo market.

His arrest, P.M.NEWS gathered, followed a petition to EFCC by a Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, to investigate the allegation and bring the president to book.

Okoli has been having a running battle with the traders in the market over the imposition of levies which the traders refused to pay, this resulted into fracas in the market.

The fracas resulted in the arrest of the leaders of the opposition, Okey Imo and Obi Umuzianwa. They were flown to Abuja but later released on bail.

The cause of the latest crises was that some traders revolted against the leadership of Chief Okoli, accusing him of defrauding the traders in his dealing with Mushin Local Government and Lagos State Government.

The aggrieved traders accused Okoli of turning the association into his private business.

According to them, the association generates N5 million monthly as container levy paid on containers entering the market alone, apart from other levies accruing to the union but which are not accounted for.

Trouble started when the leadership asked owners of each shop in the market to pay N11,500. The market has about 2,000 shops. The union president claimed that the levy was for trade permit and auto dealers license approved by the Lagos State government. Also, he was accused of not accounting for the monies realized, adding that it was the money he was using to run the association.

But the traders rejected it and accused the leadership of mismanagement. To substantiate their allegations, the traders went to Mushin Local Government Area and met with officials of Lagos state government and discovered that the earlier N17,500 he collected only a paltry N1 million was paid to Mushin Local Government and N2 million to the Lagos State government.

The aggrieved traders were shocked and they instructed their counsel, Femi Falana, to write to the EFCC to investigate the matter and bring him to the book.

At the time of filing this report, it was not clear whether he has been granted bail. But a source at the EFCC told P.M.NEWS that the allegation was weighty and the commission has commenced investigation.

http://www.nigeriamasterweb.com/paperfrmes.html

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.nigeriamasterweb.com/paperfrmes.html

President Goodluck Jonathan has a rare opportunity to significantly change Nigeria’s political and electoral history if he chose not to contest the 2011 presidential election.

A member of Jonathan’s Presidential Advisory Council, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, made the assertion in an interview with the Daily Trust in London.
He said the president would have the best opportunity to oversee credible, free and fair elections in the country if he decided not to vie for the presidency.

Alhaji Bamanga, a one-time governor of the defunct Gongola state and Minister of Industry, however, lamented that the president “is in a situation where even his own people will not allow him not to contest”.

“They will push him into it. But he didn’t put himself where he is now; God put him there”, he said, and noted that Jonathan’s ascendancy to the presidency in view of Nigeria’s political antecedents was like a political miracle.

President Jonathan is expected to declare for the presidency in less than two week’s time, according to his National Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Alhaji Abba Aji.

Asked if he advised the president against contesting, Alhaji Bamanga said: “I won’t tell you if I advised him to contest or not. But he does not restrict me on what I should advise him”.

“Nigerians are free to offer their advice to him, but it is up to him and his people to decide on whether to contest for the presidency or not”, he stressed.

Alhaji Bamanga, who is also the Executive President of the African Business Roundtable, made a case for Africa to have a veto power at the United Nations so that the continent’s views on world issues would be given due consideration

As things stand out now, Africa has no real voice, he said, pointing out that it was only fair for the continent to have a veto power so it could vote against issues inimical to its interests.

He urged leaders in Africa to use the vast resources the continent was endowed with to improve the living conditions of their people and also not to allow tribal, regional or other primordial differences to stop them from “being good human beings and being fair to humanity”.

http://www.dailytrust.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2334:jonathan-ll-set-record-by-not-contesting-bamanga-tukur&catid=2:lead-stories&Itemid=8

Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olasupo Sasore, has denied reported deals with the Presidency for the release of Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer to late General Sani Abacha and others who have been in detention over an alleged murder attempt on publisher of The Guardian Newspaper, Chief Alex Ibru.


“There is no deal in whatever form with anyone on this issue. Nobody has pleaded on behalf of Al-Mustapha and his colleagues”, he said.


Sasore spoke in a chat with our correspondent at the governor’s office in Alausa, Ikeja after the state security meeting Wednesday. He said as far as he knew, there was no deal of any kind between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Babatunde Fashola on Al-Mustapha’s case.

“There is nothing special about the case. It is a normal prosecution”, he said, adding that due process of law had to be followed.

The Attorney-General stressed that President Goodluck Jonathan had nothing much to contribute to the case, noting that the president was not the prosecutor. “I am not sure that the president or anybody has made any plea on behalf of Al-Mustapha and his colleagues. Nobody is pleading on their behalf and we are not into any deal with anyone,” he said.

Al- Mustapha is standing trial with former Zamfara State Military Administrator, Jibril Bala Yakubu, former Commissioner of Police in Lagos, James Danbaba and others.

In another development, the state government yesterday swore-in seven new state High Court judges to make a total of 56 judges in the state.

Governor Babatunde Fashola described the swearing-in as another milestone in the state’s journey to enhance the quality of life of the people through credible and efficient administration of justice. He said Lagos judges were always tasked by members of the bar because the most sophisticated legal practice in the country takes place in Lagos.

Fashola stressed the need to bring more judges on board the state’s judiciary system saying, “if we are not to slide back to the days of court congestion, the capacity of judges per litigant must be increased even as the state continues to pursue automation and technology to improve efficiency”.

http://www.dailytrust.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2242:no-plan-to-release-al-mustapha-lagos-govt-says&catid=2:lead-stories&Itemid=8

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) says the administration of former military President, retired Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, has the “worst human rights records in the annals of the country’’.



The NBA president, Mr Joseph Daudu, stated this yesterday in Lagos at the presentation of a book entitled: “Fundamental rights enforcement in Nigeria (2nd Edition)”, written by a Lagos lawyer, Mr Femi Falana.


Daudu noted that Babangida rode on the crest of human rights into office and “yet his regime surpassed other regimes in human rights violation”.

He also advised Mr Ogbonna Onovo, the Inspector-General of Police, to submit himself to the law following a contempt of court charge slammed on him recently by a judge.

“Onovo is not above the law. If he thinks that no police officer can arrest him, then he does not know the law. If Tafa Balogun could be arrested by policemen, Onovo should also know that he too can be arrested because no man is greater than the law,” Daudu said.

Mr Osagie Obayuwana, Edo Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, expressed concern over what he called enforcement of civil rights in the country.

He said, corruption and enforcement of fundamental human rights are twin problems facing this country. There is a direct relationship between the enforcement of socio-economic rights and corruption.

The book reviewer, Mr Wahab Shittu, said the book was a true reflection of the current state of the law as heralded by the enactment of the new Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules of 2009. He said the 361-page book would teach Nigerians about their rights and what to do when the rights were violated.(NAN)

http://www.dailytrust.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2412:babangidas-regime-worst-violator-of-human-rights-nba&catid=2:lead-stories&Itemid=8

A former aide to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, construction giant Julius Berger and other suspects are due to appear in court today in Abuja to answer allegations of taking bribes from the American oil construction company Halliburton.


Eighteen individuals and entities will be standing trial in the corruption scandal, in which Nigerian officials allegedly received around $180 million in bribes to facilitate liquefied natural gas contracts for Halliburton in 1995-2005.


The Federal Government will today arraign some of the suspects before the Federal High Court, Abuja, court officials told Daily Trust yesterday.

But the entire trial has been divided into two, where some suspects would be charged at the Federal High Court while others would face the FCT High Court.

Court papers show that those to face criminal charges are Adeyanju Bodunde, a former personal assistant to ex-President Obasanjo, former federal permanent secretary Ibrahim Aliyu, Julius Berger Nigeria, AVM Abdullahi Dominic Bello, Mohammed Gidado Bakare, Urban Shelter Limited, Intercellular Nigeria, Sherwood Petroleum Limited, Tri-Star Investment Limited, TSKJ Nigeria Limited, Technip S.A., Snamprogetti Netherlands, KBR, Japan Gasoline Corporation of Japan, George Mark, Hans George Christ, Heinrich J. Stockhausen and Bilfinger Berger GMBH.

The law firms of J.B. Daudu, G. O. Obla and E. C. Ukala, along with the Director of Public Prosecution, would be prosecuting the case.

The $180million bribery scandal involved Halliburton subsidiary, Kellogg, Brown and Root, in respect of the Bonny LNG projects.

Albert J. Stanley admitted before a Houston court in the US on September 4, 2008 that he funneled $180million in bribes to senior Nigerian government officials.

Stanley alleged that the bribes were channeled through Briton Jeffery Tesler in four installments of $60million, $32.5 million, $51 million and $23 million.

The Federal Government plans to ask the UK Government to extradite Tesler to hasten the trial of the suspects, sources told Daily Trust.

The courts are on a long vacation, but sources told our reporter that the suspects would be arraigned before a vacation judge today.

A source told Daily Trust that the file containing the criminal charges had been sent to Justice David Okorowo, who will preside over the matter.

The charges being preferred against the suspects border on breach of the money laundering laws.

http://www.dailytrust.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2413:halliburtonobasanjos-aide-others-for-court-today&catid=2:lead-stories&Itemid=8

Attahiru Jega, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must be ready to become a miracle worker or magician to deliver all that he has promised Nigerians ahead of the 2011 general elections, Ishola Williams has said.

Speaking at the 11th Mike Okonkwo annual lecture held in Lagos yesterday, the retired military general who spoke on the coming elections while referring to the N87 billion for the commission said, “I do not know why he is asking for that amount of money. He must have some reasons for doing that, therefore, let us see what the outcome will be.

“But like I said when he was taking over the job, he must be a superman or a magician to do all that. Whether we like it or not, we have to vote.”

Forfeited chance

Mr Williams who narrated his experience during the late Sani Abacha-led junta said, “I will not agree with the cancellation of the election (1993 election) and I told them then that if they are going to take over the government, I will go, and then I left. I left with three days notice. I couldn’t agree when Abacha took over and I left because I felt very strongly and I still feel strongly about that election. That was the second greatest mistake after decree number one that Nigeria made.

“That was the best election we ever conducted, and what did we use? Option A4. In fact, when my name was been tipped as the chairman of INEC, I said one of the conditions that can make me take the job is if they allow option A4.”

Nigerians arise

Mr Williams also urged Nigerians not to be disappointed if the Jega-led INEC’s promises were not delivered and things did not turn out as expected, citing the fact that Nigerians have so much relied on the leadership class for change, despite the fact that the abetting and compromise of a teaming percentage of the followers have allowed the leadership to go on unchallenged.

According to him, no matter the integrity of those that the government may be packing into the electoral commission, Nigerians must realise their role in ensuring the success of installing true governance.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5615711-147/jega_must_be_a_superman_to.csp

The major headache of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the conduct of the 2011 general elections is time, its chair, Prof. Attahiru Jega has said.

Jega said: "Time constraint is of concern, although we are doing our best to see that we overcome it. However, as I keep telling all Nigerians at every opportunity that I have, obviously, the more time we have, the better job we can do with this assignment."

Jega spoke yesterday when he received visiting members of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Course 32 in his office. The team, led by Prof. Olu Obafemi, included top government functionaries.

Even as he acknowledged his constraint, Jega said detailed plans of the voters registration programme and the 2011 general elections would be ready this week.

"Our (voters) registration plan now is to acquire direct data capture machines and to deploy one each in 120, 000 polling units across the country. We hope that registration will take place between the third week of October and the first week of November," he stated.

Jega said INEC remained determined to justify the high expectations of millions of Nigerians. "The first election may, at the earliest, hold by January 8, 2011 and if this is to be so, we have to complete voters registration by November 9. These are timelines imposed by the Electoral Act 2010 in particular and also, the constitution itself," he said.

The electoral chief said the commission had been engaged in serious planning since June 30 when the new INEC leadership was inaugurated. He reiterated INEC’s plan to register about 70 million Nigerians within fourteen days.

"We have estimated that it will take between nine to ten minutes to register one person, using the direct data capture machine, with well-trained registration officers. If we are to work for eight hours daily, we expect that we can register up to about 70 million Nigerians in fourteen days. This has taken into consideration even the possibility of unexpected delays.

"So, if there are 70 million Nigerians that are qualified to be registered, we believe that with what we have planned to deploy, by working at the rate of eight hours per day, we should be able to register them all. Other things we are taking into consideration in terms of implementation is that even though we know that a credible voters register is very important for the success of an election, we also know that it is not the election proper; so, we are therefore preparing for both programmes concurrently.

"We have now developed a detailed implementation plan that will be completed this week, in terms of what we are going to do, day by day, both for voters’ registration and the elections.

According to Jega, the major constraint being faced by INEC is the time factor while there are indications that INEC might do better if it could secure additional time.

"This time plan obviously has very tight time frame when you look at it and there are worries that if you do not start by those timelines, you are losing time. We will do our best but if for any reason, we could have additional time, it would make things much easier for us," Jega stated.

"Obviously, preparing for voters registration and the elections is a very formidable task and there were serious time and resource constraints but I want to say that we have overcome many of these, particularly, the resource constraints. We made a case for funding and we received the funding that we requested for.

Reeling out lessons learnt from the past, he acknowledged that the huge logistic procurements and operations were being given paramount attention while the acquisition of direct data capture machines had reached an advanced stage. He said INEC was finalising arrangement with "good companies that can deliver within the time frame".

He said INEC would engage all stakeholders, including government bodies, civil society groups and international development partners.

"We have been discussing with the NYSC and we are developing a plan to recruit the bulk of the 360, 000 registration officers we need from among them, based on the assumption that we will deploy three for each polling unit. Already, mechanisms have been developed to make up for any shortfall through tertiary institutions. We are engaging our own staff, particularly the RECs, in training; in the next two weeks, we will be having a retreat for them where we can discuss thoroughly about the actual implementation of the voters registration exercise and the elections," he added.

On funding, he said, "We have a funding plan with the Federal Ministry of Finance and so far, they have made releases in accordance with the time plan; you will need to get all the money in a timely manner or else, you may still be worried about funding because we are talking about huge amounts. We are confident that the government will deliver on this, as it has so far delivered on what it has promised.

"We in INEC are mindful of the very high expectations of Nigerians, we are also mindful of the huge challenges of the assignment we are undertaking and we are determined to do our best in spite of the constraints of time and other factors imposed by law. We are determined to give Nigerians a far more dependable voters register on which we can build on in the future and we are also determined to have a free, fair and credible election in 2011.

"We are humbled by the extent of goodwill from ordinary Nigerians; that has further inspired us to put in our best," Jega stated.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/12395.html

GOVERNORS of states controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will today meet with President Goodluck Jonathan in a bid to clear the air about foggy issues that could jeopardise the chances of the party in the 2011 general election.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that top on the agenda of the meeting is the need to fashion out a common front between the governors and President Jonathan as regards the thorny issue of zoning arrangement, which seems to have created a chasm between them and the president.

It will be recalled that some of the governors are non-committal, while some have thrown their weight behind the idea of zoning.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that one of the governors in South-South geopolitical zone recently debunked the rumour doing the rounds that he was not in support of Jona-than’s ambition.

On Sunday, some Niger Delta militants presented a five-point agenda to the aides of former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, indicating their intention to support his presidential bid should he agree to their conditions.

This move, however, coupled with the position of governors from Niger Delta, could pose a threat to the president’s bid of retaining his post.

The power sharing formula, to keen watchers of happenings in the party, had been described as an albatross that could make or mar the chances of PDP in 2011 elections.

Some governors, notably from the North-East and North-West geopolitical zones, had indicated their support for zoning, the agreement made in 1999, while other positions were shared among the remaining zones in the country.

Democrats in the country have also condemned the position of the pro-zoning arrangement, saying that it was unfair and could perpetuate the hold of the North on Nigeria.

They believe that if the principles of true federalism were to be adhered to, other zones that had not produced the president of the country should be allowed to do so.

Meanwhile, against reports of the appointment of Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Britain, Dr Sarki Tafida, as the Director General (DG) of the 2011 campaign of President Jona-than, the Special Adviser on Legal Matters to the President, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, had dismissed such claims, even as he maintained that Jonathan was not facing opposition to his ambition to contest the election.

Speaking in Abuja, on Monday, Alhaji Gulak, who is also the national coordinator of the Goodluck Support Group (GSG), a campaign organisation mobi-lising support for Jona-than’s ambition, said nobody had been appointed to head the campaign.

According to the former speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, the story of the appointment of Tafida as DG for Jonathan’s campaign was a rumour and it remained so.

When requested to comment on the appointment of Dr Tafida, he said “it is paper speculation, just like I had told you earlier. It is speculation. Did anybody quote the president specifically saying that he has appointed Tafida to be his campaign Director-General?”

Alhaji Gulak said it was wrong to believe that the president, who is yet to declare his intention over the election, was facing stiff opposition, saying that people were free to express their opinions.

According to him “the constitution allows everybody to aspire to the highest position in the land and the assumed opposition elements are only expressing their desire and they are entitled to it.

“General Babangida, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, these are under the banner of the PDP; Mallam Shekarau, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and General Muhammadu Buhari, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), are entitled to aspire, because they are eligible Nigerians. But I don’t agree when people say they are stiff opposition to Jonathan.

“These people are no opposition to Jonathan. But I believe they are partners in the sense that they are stirring the political water for Jonathan to catch the fish.”

He said there were now about 1, 387 support groups rooting for President Jonathan, adding that “I want you to know that as far as we are concerned, these support groups are doing the same job that we are doing and the more the merrier.”

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/10706-pdp-govs-meet-jonathan-today-zoning-arrangement-tops-agenda

AHEAD of the formal release of the electoral timetable for the 2011 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that it will begin the conduct of the first round of elections on January 8, 2011.
The Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who dropped the hint, however, did not give the details of the election that will hold first.
Jega said that the Commission would soon release the details. However, The Guardian’s findings indicated that the much-awaited timetable would be released latest tomorrow. This is because, going by the Electoral Act, 2010 INEC has only five days to publish the timetable for the election. As a source put it: “Considering the fact that Thursday and Friday are public holidays in Nigeria, I will not be surprised if the timetable is released on Wednesday.”
Receiving participants of the Study Group 1, Course 32 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru, near Jos, Plateau State, who paid him a study visit in his office yesterday, Jega said that going by the provision of the 2010 Electoral Act, the voters’ registration is billed to start from the third week of October and it will end on November, 9, 2010.
The clean copy of the register is due to be made available on December 9, 2010. Jega admitted that given the very tight time constraint, to embark on the preparation of a voter register was a very formidable task, but he added that the Commission was determined to overcome this hurdle. According to him, “the time constraint is still a matter of serious concern to us as a commission. I have always said that the more time we have the better election we can conduct.”
The Course Leader, Air Cmdr. E. K. Jekada, while briefing Jega on their mission, said that the participants were interested in knowing the challenges facing the commission, with a view to making useful inputs and the necessary recommendations to be passed on to the government.
Jekada said that the topic: “Imperative of sustainability for national security for democratic stability”, was chosen given the critical time the nation was going through as it searched for free and fair elections in the country.
Jega said INEC had already begun the process of acquiring the direct data capturing machines (DDCMs), saying that the Commission had selected good companies that would supply the materials. He said all the 120,000 polling units would be covered in 14 days when the exercise begins in October.
According to him, it is estimated that it takes about nine to 10 minutes to register one person, saying that with the deployment of 360,000 ad-hoc workers (three persons per unit) working eight hours, it would take 14 days to complete the process.
He said that contrary to media reports, the Commission ensured that due process was followed in the process of selecting the companies that were adjudged the best to carry out the task of acquiring the machines. He said the Commission had planned a retreat for its workers and other stakeholders, between September 16 and 19, 2010.
Jega said that the Commission was still battling some challenges, including timely release of funds, logistics and voter apathy occasioned by failures in the past. He added that the Commission was not unaware of the expectations of Nigerians and pledged that the new commission would strive hard to meet them.

http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22333:elections-to-begin-jan-8-says-jega&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

The Cross River State government, on Sunday, presented the Super Eagles team that won the 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifying match played against Madagascar in Calabar, a N10 million cheque for good performance.

The match, which was played at the U. J Esuene Stadium in Calabar, was won by the team who thrashed their opponent, Barea of Madagascar, two goals to nil.

The governor, who also bank-rolled the expenses of the African Cup of Nations qualifier against the Islanders, said it was just a token to the boys for a job well done while he enjoined the football house to bring more matches to Calabar where they will always be welcome.

The deputy governor of the state, Efiok Cobham, who made the donation on behalf of the state governor, Liyel Imoke, during a banquet organised for the team at the Peregrino Lodge, Calabar, challenged the new look national team to scale up their performance in order to regain public confidence in them.

Mr. Cobham also challenged the new leadership of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to brace up for a more profound responsibility of improving on the performance of the new team, claiming that the donation was made in recognition of how they have redeemed their image with the 2-0 victory.

Claiming that football was first played in Nigeria in Calabar, the deputy governor expressed regrets that the round leather game was yet to develop professionally and managerially, and implored football administrators to make sure that the senior national football team becomes a force to be reckoned in the world.

Brilliant future

According to him, although the past has been replete with a chequered history and dismal performances, the future was still bright if there is zeal and commitment by all the participants in the success of the most popular sport on earth.

“I see the ability to rise again,” Mr. Cobham said, “and Nigerians expect the re-branded team to bring victory and glory to them in all outings.”

He said that the government is making efforts to ensure that Calabar remains the home of football in Nigeria, as it started years back with some members of the then national team coming from the state.

In his response, the chief coach of the Super Eagles, Austin Eguaveon, said he was overwhelmed by the gesture of the Cross River State government and assured that the team will continue to do the nation proud in subsequent outings.

Lin k:http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5615663-147/cross_river_rewards_super_eagles_with.csp

In spite of uncertainties over his membership status in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday declared that there is no cause for alarm over the waiver that will determine his eligibility for the party’s presidential primaries.

Mr Atiku spoke with the press after an inspection of the party’s secretariat which was damaged by fire last week, and a closed-door meeting with national chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo, which lasted for more than 45 minutes.

Mr Atiku said that the issue of his waiver did not come up during the meeting, saying that their discussions centred on the “state of affairs” of the party.

“The issue of waiver is left for the party leadership,” he said. “You people are always with the party leadership and should find out and let me know their position, which other Nigerians are interested in knowing, too.”


Constitutional obstacles

Mr Atiku left the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to join the PDP in April, but faces a number of restrictions within the party’s constitution before he is eligible to run for office on its platform.

Article 8.9 of the PDP’s constitution specifies that anyone who rejoins the party will be placed on a year-long probation, unless granted a waiver by the party’s executive committee. The party’s constitution also demands that returnees have to be recommended for a waiver by the party’s chapter in their state of origin.

However, the Adamawa State chapter of the PDP has distanced itself from the former vice president. In addition, Mr Atiku was not on the list of those granted waivers at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting last month

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5615750-147/no_cause_for_alarm_says_atiku.csp

What a load of crap! So 9 out of 22 now forms a quorum to make such a decision. If they cannot subject the bond to a public debate, then it should be reversed immediately by the legal speaker. After he finishes his term, the people of Ogun should put him in a corner and stone him to death.

The political crisis in Ogun State c,imaxed yesterday, as nine of the 26-member House of Assembly said it has removed the Speaker, Tunji Egbetokun. He was immediately replaced with Soyemi Coker.

We reliably gathered that the nine lawmakers, who are said to be loyalists of the governor, Gbenga Daniel, slept within the Assembly complex on Sunday night, to enable them carry out the impeachment, which they did as early as 7am.

They were alleged to have made use of the mace belonging to the Abeokuta South Local Government legislative arm, to carry out the operation, having burgled the Assembly’s chambers.

It can’t be

But Mr Egbetokun, in a swift response, described the purported impeachment as illegal and part of a plot to scuttle the proposed debate of the N100 billion controversial bond slated for Wednesday. He reaffirmed his leadership in the House of Assembly.

However, Mr Coker later told journalists that the reign of his predecessor was over and that the House under his leadership has approved the bond requested by the governor.

“After due consultation with our various constituents, traditional rulers and chiefs, labour unions, clubs and associations, prominent Ogun stakeholders, we hereby, approve the House resolution that the state government should proceed to the bond market immediately to source for N100 billion in tranches of N26 billion, N34 billion and N40 billion for various outstanding and developmental projects evenly spread across the three senatorial districts of the state,” he said.

To create a conducive atmosphere for the lawmakers to carry out their plot, a private security official attached to the complex, identified as Nureni, was said to have been held hostage and his mobile phone seized by the lawmakers while the operations lasted.

At 8.30am when we visited the Assembly complex, the lawmakers who claimed to have impeached Mr Egbetokun, were sighted. Also on the premises were Titi Oseni (former Speaker) and Omosanya Solaja who are known supporters of the governor and who had been suspended by the House. Staff of the Assembly were not allowed in by policemen guarding the premises.

The commissioner of police in the state was said not to be aware of the deployment of a new set of police officers to complement efforts of those already assigned to the Assembly before yesterday’s incident.

A Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was sighted at the Assembly questioning the presence of a large number of police officers there. In response, one of them told him that they were deployed there on alert, that there was a plot by some people to bomb the Assembly.

Lingering crisis

The nine lawmakers, in a statement, said their action was necessitated “by the cry of our various constituents to bail out Ogun State from the lingering crisis that has beset us for the past two to three years.”

He equally read out a riot act that all the other factions of the Assembly, known as G-15, have been suspended “for gross misconduct against the institution of the Ogun State Legislature, the government and people of Ogun State”. Mr Soyemi, in addition, said he had reviewed the suspension of Titi Oseni and Omosanya Solaja and found it wholly unnecessary, unjust and overdue, and lifted the suspension with all legislative privileges restored and all losses to be paid in full.

Other resolutions reached by them ,according to him, include: approval of the 2010 supplementary budget of N26 billion, appointment of Yemi Akinwonmi as the new Commissioner of Education, confirmed the nominee of the governor into Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission and dissolution of all existing committees.

He said the principal officers for the House include: Ayo-Odugbesan (Deputy Speaker), Bankole Durotolu Oyebode (majority leader), Musa Maruf (Chief Whip), Abiodun Oluseyi Moses (Deputy Majority Leader) and Adeleke Salmon (Deputy Chief Whip).

Mr Egebtokun, in his reaction said, “They know the debate will open everything. The governor did not know we will go for the debate. Four days ago, he called the clerk of the House to know whether we are serious about the debate, and when the clerk told him that we are going ahead and even armed with documents, he became more apprehensive.”

“The commissioner of finance is on the run, the accountant-general is nowhere to be found. They cannot impeach me. They are just nine and two of them are still under suspension. They are wasting their time. I don’t want to join issues with them. They are acting under some spell. We are on top of the situation.” Meanwhile, there were reports last night that Mr Egbetokun’s house in Akute, Ogun State, was invaded by armed bandits yesterday. He was not at home when they came. The former Speaker said his landlord called him to confirm the incident.

LIST OF THE 9 LAWMAKERS WHO LAUNCHED THE IMPEACHMENT

1. Emmanuel Soyemi Coker

2. Bankole Durotolu

3. Musa Maruf

4. Abiodun Oluseyi Moses

5. Salmon Adeleke

6. Omosanya Solaja

7. Titi Oseni

8. Kojeku David

9. Adegbesan J.F

*Edwards Ayo-Odugbesan and Fasiu Bakenne did not attend the sitting but signed the statement.

Link:
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5615753-146/ogun_speaker_impeached_bond_approved_.csp

The rate at which court orders are being violated in this country tends to be on the increase. What happens to the funds wasted in conducting the annulled elections? I think those responsible for conducting the said election thereby violating the earlier court order should be charged for contempt of court. This may serve as a lesson to those who are in the habit of violating court orders in this country,

A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, yesterday annulled the election into the executive board of the Nigerian Football Association, NFA, (trading under the name and style of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF).

The presiding judge, Okon Abang, declared that the election of officials into the executive board of the NFA, held on August 26, 2010, was gross disregard of the order of the court given on the August 20, 2010, and restated by the court on Tuesday August 24, 2010 following the prayer of the National Association of Nigerian Footballers, NANF (applicant) for an interim injunction restraining the respondents (NFA and others) from holding elections on Saturday August 21, 2010 pending the determination of the substantive originating summon. According to Mr Abang, the question of whether the order of the court was served to the respondents did not arise because on the date the order of the court was issued, counsel to the NFA was in court and heard when the pronouncement was made. The visibly angry judge subsequently denounced the electoral committee of the NFF for going ahead with the election despite a subsisting order of the court putting the election on hold.

Contempt of court

“A court order must be obeyed no matter who is concerned,” said Mr Abang. “Gone are the days when we were ruled by the rule of might.” The judge also declared that the election into the executive board of the NFF is “distasteful, reckless, vindictive, high-handed, a gross abuse of judicial power and gross disregard of the rule of law.” “The election of August 26, 2010 is hereby nullified,” he declared. “I hold this view that there was no election held on the August 26, 2010.”

The court also ordered the Inspector General of Police to remove any person found occupying the position of the executive board of the NFA. Further, the court ordered that the day-to-day running of the NFA should be left to the most senior administrative officer of the NFA.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5615676-146/court_annuls_football_federation_election_.csp

May God be with him & also give your life to God now be4 it's too late.

Even as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to release the time-table and guidelines for the conduct of next year’s general elections, a number of presidential aspirants have already emerged from two of the 57 registered political parties. In the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former military President, Ibrahim Babangida and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar have formally declared their intention to contest the nation’s number one job. The current governor of Kano state, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau has also indicated his interest in the race which he wants to run on the ticket of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP). Political/Features Editor, Tom Chiahemen takes a look at the campaign teams constituted by the three presidential aspirants against the backdrop of the type and quality of campaigns they are likely to mount.

The forthcoming presidential election scheduled for January 2011 will be the 8th in Nigeria since independence in 1960. Of these, the 1979, 1983 and 1993 presidential elections remain most memorable in terms of the type and quality of campaigns executed by the various presidential flag bearers.
A number of names that made the campaign teams of the most successful candidates still come to mind. For instance, in the 1979 and 1983 elections, the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and its presidential candidate, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, followed by the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and its flagbearer, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and his Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP), ran very sleek campaigns. Awolowo’s campaign team, known for its ideological bent, paraded formidable ideologues as Chief Ebenezer Babatope (director of organization) and late Chief MCK Ajuluchukwu (director of research and publicity). Shagari’s campaign team had Dr. Umaru Dikko (director-general), Adamu Augie, Suleiman Takama and Chuba Okadigbo, among others.
In the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, the names of Dr. Jonathan Zwingina and Dr. Doyin Okupe easily come to mind as those who propelled the campaign teams of late Chief MKO Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC), respectively. The eleven years of uninterrupted democracy (1999 to date) have not however witnessed any remarkable campaigns leading to the presidential elections conducted in 1999, 2003 and 2007.

Babangida’s team
His campaign directorate was swift in debunking a statement credited to Vice-President Namadi Sambo early this week to the effect that Babangida was selfish in his pursuit of zoning of the presidency to the north. Babangida’s contribution to national development, unity and stability of the polity, according to his campaign team, cannot be quantified. “More than any president before and after, IBB’s records cannot be equaled.”
It noted that his desire to stage a comeback “is borne out of altruistic and patriotic commitment to sustaining the nation despite all our diverse cultures and multiplicity of interests. “It is therefore an unfair statement for anyone to see this elder statesman from the prism of personal interest. We take strong exception to that.”
Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of Daar Communications Plc, owners of African Independent Television (AIT) and Ray Power FM, is the Director- General of Babangida’s campaign team. Dokpsei, 59, from Edo State was General Manager of the defunct African Airlines Limited and Chief of Staff to Alhaji Bamanga Tukur when Tukur was Governor of the old Gongola state in 1983. He pioneered private broadcasting in 1994 with Ray Power.
Senator Kanti Bello, a one-time Managing Director of the Katsina Steel Rolling Mills and currently the Chief Whip of the Senate is the deputy Director-General of the campaign. Kanti Bello, 65, Babangida’s campaign Deputy Director General is Chief Whip of the Senate from Katsina state. He read Engineering at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and made national headline earlier in the year when he accused the Minister of Information, Prof. Dora Akunyili of “cooking” for the former First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua during the illness of late President Umar Yar’adua. It was his response to the minister frontline antagonism to Yar’Ardua’s continued stay in office despite his prolonged sickness.
Prof. Sam Oyovbaire is Director, Policy and Strategy. Oyovbaire, 65, was Minister of Information in 1992 while Adedoyin was Minister of State for Health in 2003. Oyovbaire read Political Science and was lecturer in universities of Ibadan and Benin.
Prof. A. B. C. Nwosu,former Minister of Health is Director, Research and Planning. Prof. A B C Nwosu, 64, from Anambra State is the Director of Research in the Babangida Campaign. Nwosu was Minister for Health under the Obasanjo regime between 1999 and 2003. He is a First Class medical doctor who lectured at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He was PDP gubernatorial aspirant in Anambra state in 1999.
Chief (Mrs) Oluremi Adiukwu, former gubernatorial candidate in Lagos state is Director of Women Affairs. Mr. Musa Elayo, a former Minister of State for Justice, is Director, Legal Service.
Alhaji Farouk Bibi-Farouk is the Director, Youth Affairs. Bibi-Farouk, a former Youth leader of the PDP, was educated at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria and lectured at the University of Abuja. He has worked extensively as a politician engaged in youth mobilisation.
Prince Kassim Sule Afegbua, who served as Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomole, hails from Edo State has served Babangida as spokesperson. He attended the Obafemi Awolowo University, the Nigerian Institute of Journalism and the Les Aspin Centre for Government, Marquette University, U.S.A. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and post graduate diplomas in Public Relations and Journalism amongst others.





Atiku’s campaign team
Ahead of his formal declaration of intent on Sunday, August 15, 2010 in Abuja, the Atiku campaign office told Peoples Daily Weekend that the former vice president would be throwing a big challenge to other contenders as his ambition to rule Nigeria was policy-based and not on account of his being from the North, Niger Delta or elsewhere.
At the well attended event, Atiku re-visited the blueprint he prepared in 2007 as encapsulated in his policy document titled “from Reform to Prosperity,” which contains the broad and sectoral Policy Thrust of the Atiku Abubakar Presidency of Nigeria.
It is based on the premise that the Federal Government would be most effective by concentrating on a few priority areas of the economy. It believes that ultimately, Government must be remembered for some tangible achievements, and that for an Atiku government, this would be targeting initiatives that aimed at unleashing the potentials inherent in the Nigerian economy.
The 83-page document focuses on five key areas where the Federal Government can have significant and long-lasting impact on the lives of Nigerians and the areas identified as “National Emergencies (requiring immediate interventions) are Employment Generation and Wealth creation; Security/War against Corruption/Democracy and Good Governance; Energy and Infrastructural Development; Education and; the Niger Delta.
In addition, the Atiku campaign team had identified some key priorities, which it believed, would feed into and engage the resolution of national emergencies. These include Reforming the Reforms (Macro-Economic Stability and Consolidation), Agriculture/Food Security, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and, Housing.
Early this week, the Atiku campaign organization reacted sharply to the view by Vice-President Namadi Sambo that the aspirant was insisting on zoning of the presidency to the north for selfish reasons. “Atiku has established over the years that his politics is not determined by personal ambition but national interest,” said the campaign organization.
It further said, “In 1999, he stepped down for the late Chief MKO Abiola at the Jos Convention of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). That could not have been out of personal interest;
“In 1999, when he mobilized elected governors to support the candidature of former President Olusegun Obsasanjo and ensured the realization of power shift to the South to assuage the feelings of marginalization in the Southern parts of the country, it was not borne out of personal ambition;
“In 2003, when almost all the PDP governors urged him to contest the presidential race against Obasanjo, he resisted the pressure on the grounds of power shift to the South, it was not out of personal interest.
“Where were these new found patriots when Atiku made all these sacrifices for national unity and democracy in the country.”
Chris Mammah, the Publisher of TheWeek Magazine and former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), is the Director-General of the Atiku campaign organization. Mammah, 50, was President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in 1982, Deputy Editor of Punch Newspapers where he detained for his coverage of the Gideon Orkar coup in 1990.
He ventured into political strategy and communication consultancy after leaving Punch. He was Strategy Adviser to late Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua as SDP presidential aspirant, Communication Strategy Adviser to Chief M.K.O. Abiola as SDP candidate, Adviser to Atiku Abubakar as gubernatorial as gubernatorial candidate in Adamawa state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as Senatorial Candidate in the SDP and Senator Iyorcha Ayu as Senate President, among many others. Mammah, described as self effusive and a silent operator if from Delta State in the South- South Geo-political Zone like Dokpesi.



Mallam Bashir Yussuf is Deputy Director General Operations. Bashir Yussuf, one of Kanti Bello’s equivalents in the Atiku Campaign Organisation, is 49 from Kano State. He was educated in Nigeria and overseas and has extensive exposure to campaign management training in the United States and Great Britain. He has a career spanning journalism, management, oil and gas business and politics. He was Editor of The Nation Newspaper and served as Special Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2003 and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from 2003 to 2007.
Dr. Andy Okoh is Deputy Director General, Administration and Finance. His counterpart, Dr. Andy Okoli from Imo state is 50 years old. He made a first class degree in Sociology at the University of Jos, and hold a doctorate degree from the University of Toronto, Canada. He lectured at the University of Toronto and Columbia University, United States.
Mr. Bode Ojomu is the head of the Youth department. A former President of the Student Union Government of the University of Ibadan, he was Deputy Publicity Secretary of the PDP. Ojomu, 51, is from Kwara state. Ojomu read Language and Communication Arts and holds a masters in International Law and Diplomacy. He was Director of Media in the Bukola Saraki Campaign Organisation in 2003 before becoming the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP in 2005.
Garba Shehu is Director, Media and Publicity. Garba Shehu from Kano State read Mass Communication at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He worked in the NTA and Triumph Newspaper rising rapidly to become the Managing Director of the newspaper. He was President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.

Dr. Onukaba Ojo is the Director, Special Duties.
Dr. Adeolu Akandeis Director, Research and Planning. Adeolu Akande, Atiku Campaign’s Director of Research is 45 and hails from Oyo State. He read Political Science at the University of Ibadan where he also lectured after bagging his doctorate in Political Science. He worked as a journalist with the Nigerian Tribune and Punch Newspapers before returning to the University of Ibadan to teach Political Science. He served as a Special Assistant (Research and Strategy) to Atiku Abubakar as Vice President.
Princess Funk Adedoyin is director of strategy. Adedoyin, who read Business Administration in the United Kingdom, was Director in Doyin Investments and Alumni of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru (NIPSS).
Timi Frank is Director, Niger Delta Affairs.

Gov. Shekarau’s campaign team:
It is difficult to talk about Shekarau’s presidential campaign team because of the instability in the organization. Only a few days ago, Alhaji Bolaji Kalil who had been the Director-General of the team, was removed. A new Director-General was being awaited at the time of this report.
Other members of the campaign team include Bala Mohammed (Director of Media), Chief Nnamdi Olabara, Director of Strategy and Mallam Sule Ya’u Sule, Deputy Director of Media.

Postcript:
The two campaigns apparently picked their helmsmen from the South-South to underscore the fact that the zone is not entirely with President Jonathan Goodluck.
Babangida has brought his old associates who worked with him when he was military president. The same goes for Atiku who has picked many of those who worked with him as Vice President.
The two campaign teams parade men with solid academic backgrounds and requisite experience. But while Babangida seems to be more at home with old politicians and government appointees.
Atiku parades more young men and technocrats. Babangida’s team is mostly in their sixties with the exception of Kassim Afegbua and Bibi Forouk while Atiku’s men are mostly in their mid-forties and early fifties. This will most certainly affect how the campaigns handle the rising issue of generational shift. Atiku has reinforced his track record of promoting fresh, young faces. Under Obasanjo, he took credit for bringing young technocrats like Nasir el-Rufai, Nuhu Ribadu, Prof Charles Soludo, Funke Adedoyin and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Babangida, on the other hand, has reinforced the popular perception that if he returns to power , it will be with his horde of ex-this and ex-that.
Atiku has a Director for the Niger Delta in the person of Timi Frank from Bayelsa state while Babangida has none. Atiku builds on his proposal 2007 proposal to create a Ministry of Niger Delta. Babangida does not have a Director for the Niger Delta, which perhaps highlights the premium he places on the issue of the area.

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