₦airaland Forum

In what may throw spanners in the preparations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2011 elections, 22 of the 62 registered political parties are heading for the law court to challenge the newly signed Electoral Act over perceived undue advantage conferred on the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by certain provisions in the Act.
Preparatory to the filing of the action, the parties will meet today (Tuesday) in Abuja to strategize on how to go about it. Already, the parties have contracted a team of lawyers headed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Some of the parties on queue for the court action are, National Conscience Party (NCP), Labour Party, All Progressive Grand Alliance (a faction of APGA), Progressive Action Alliance (PAC), All Peoples Liberation Party (APLP) , National Action Council (NAC), and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) among others.

Specifically, the parties, Daily Sun gathered, will challenge in court, the order of elections as provided for the Act. In the new Act, elections have been re-ordered such that the National Assembly polls will hold first in the 109 senatorial districts and 360 federal constituencies across the nation.

The Presidential election follows suite while the governorship and state assembly elections come last as opposed to former order which runs from the least and peak at Presidential level. Some of the aggrieved chairmen who confided in Daily Sun revealed that another sore point which the parties would be confronting in court is the Section 78 (7) of the Act, which empowers the INEC to deregister any of the political parties that fails to win any elective post in 2011 elections.

Of the 62 registered parties only seven of the parties won various offices after the 2007 elections. They are Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Alliance for Democracy, (AD), Action Congress, (ACN), All Progress Grand Alliance (APGA), Progressive Peoples Party (PPA), and Accord Part (AP). The only Senator elected on the platform of AP is Sen Osakwe (Delta State) and he has since decamped to PDP.

National Chairman of Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwayanwu, whose party is among those spearheading the action confirmed to Daily Sun that the move is in the interest of strengthening the democracy in Nigeria saying any deliberate plan to stifle other parties is unacceptable.
According to him, the National Assembly members used their majority might in conjunction with the Executive to plant provisions that will further the interest of the PDP at the expense of other parties.

On the implication of such action coming months before the January elections, Barrister Nwayanwu argued that the planned court action was not targeted at INEC “it’s just that there is no way the INEC will not be affected because we are going to seek injunction from court stopping the INEC from using the Act pending the determination of our substantive suit.

“It leaves much to be desired that the lawmakers will deliberately insert clauses that will help their parties at election. Why did they change the former other of election and arrange it in a way that will give the PDP as the ruling party advantage over others”, he stated.
Nwayanwu pointed out further that the parties that are coming together to fight the offensive provisions in the new Act because of their belief that allowing it will mean turning Nigeria to a one party state. “Because once the President is elected, it will propel a bandwagon effect in which every other person will want to belong to the president’s party to get elected.”

Also, the Labour Party boss explained that nothing could be far more glaring as a move to kill other parties for PDP than the power conferred on INEC to deregister political parties that fail to win a seat at the state or national level. That a party deos not win in an election is not an indication that it has no supporters, people must be free to choose and join which party they like, de-registering political parties means you are limiting their choice and forcing them to belong to parties other than choice.

Chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and National Chairman of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa also condemned the provisions noting that they are undemocratic and should not be allowed.
He promised to support any move that will bring about further deepening the democracy rather than destroy it.
Alhaji Musa enjoined Nigerians to support INEC to ensure the coming elections are not only free and fair but meet the aspirations of Nigerians.



http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/aug/24/national-24-08-2010-001.htm

No way for Atiku and IBB

Hamid O:
Thunder fire all those tryin to draw Naija back, IBB won't get there. Isn't he meant to knw dat death is real nw dat his Late wife is gone, WAKE UP OLD FOOL, i said so

Amen.

Our DUMB Reps are at it again! These waivers were granted when it seemed that absolutely nobody wanted to invest in Nigeria (or Nigerian telecoms) and when even the most optimistic projections were guestimates for a market of anywhere between 5m and 25m subscribers. Now, after the frontier investors had assumed the risk (only the Southern African foreign investors showed enough interest to pay the $285m fee that seemed ambitiously absurd a that time) and worked hard to make a success of things in a greater with virtually no relevant infrastructure and no security, these corrupt politician start to babble in HINDSIGHT! This is why few rational people would ever invest in Nigeria.

The House of Representatives has accused the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) of helping to arrange dubious tax waivers for telecommunication companies.

The House Public Accounts Committee, which reviewed the federal Auditor-General’s reports between 2003 and 2005, said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should investigate how the commission misled the government into granting tax exemptions to the telecom companies for two years, despite the fact that the companies began making profits quite early.

A breach of rules

Although tax freedom is usually given to companies with patented inventions in critical sectors of the economy, the telecommunication companies, with early turnover of huge profits, do not qualify for the waivers they got from 2003 and 2005 when it was apparent that the business is a cash cow.

The committee, headed by Adamu Mohammed, noted that the communications commission, which was at the centre of a recent phone Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card registration controversy, had reportedly encouraged the government to grant “ill-advised and wrong” waivers to the companies which began “making profits from day one of their operations in Nigeria”.

“The management of Nigerian Communications Commission and all those that contributed in advising the government in that direction did not appear to have acted in the best interest of the country,” the committee said, in the report which is awaiting the final approval of the House.

The committee recommended that the EFCC should investigate how the decision to exempt the telecommunications firms from paying tax was arrived at, and if any illegality is proven, efforts should be made to recover the money lost in taxes in those two years.

However, this cannot happen without the approval of the whole House and for months the committee has tried with little avail to get the report discussed in plenary. There are however indications that the report will be tabled when the House resumes from vacation.

At least 134 ministries, departments and agencies owed varied sums in tax which should normally be deducted during allocation transfers, according to the report which however declined to state the specific amounts involved as tax waivers. It called for the quick establishment of special tax courts or tribunals which will rapidly dispose of tax liability cases and recover any amount involved.

The communication commission was recently in the eye of the storm when it asked that N6 billion be allocated for the registration of SIM cards across the country. This was turned down by the House which said the business of SIM registration should be that of the telecommunications companies and not that of the commission which is a regulatory agency.

A commission’s finances

Ita Enang, chairman, House committee on Business and Rules, who joined in opposing the request for N6 billion had said, “There is nowhere in the world that a government regulatory agency would spend money on registration of SIM cards.” Another member Leo Ogor noted that “NCC is a revenue generating body, and it has not been remitting what it generated to the government, yet there is always huge amount for capital projects in its budget.

There is need for us to look at those details this time around.”

The telecommunication companies have been accused of offering freebies to government officials, civil servants and members of the national assembly in order to allow them operate in the country without strict monitoring. For instance, during the recently concluded World Cup tournament in South Africa, one of the companies was said to have hired an aircraft which flew senior government officials and lawmakers to the tournament to watch Nigeria play. Their lodgings and allowances were said to have been settled by the company. Critics say it is such bribes that make it possible for government officials to make decisions in their favour, to the detriment of the nation.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5610081-146/reps_want_efcc_to_probe_tax.csp

Its a shame Atiku and Babangida want to go back to ASO rock after what they have done to this country,i will advice them to seek the face of God maybe their sins will be forgiven.pls allow people with better ideas to come and play their own part so that this country will move forward.

I personally have been trying to swallow this facebook madness of the president for sometime now, but I guess it is time to speak out. If this man spends so much time on facebook, pray , when does he get down to the task of governing? Why must a president reach out to his subjects on a social network site ,least of all one hosted and owned by a foreign interest? If he is so desirous of reaching out to the youth segment of the Nigerian populace especially given that they are tech- savvy, then why not on nairaland.com,naijapals.com or even nigerianvillagesquare, saharareporters,elendureports,ukpakareports,gamji.com. These sites are owned and administered by Nigerians. If for nothing else, at least let the promoters benefit from the huge traffic that will attract. Let us grow this country for goodness sake!

President Goodluck Jonathan may have cut down the seven point agenda to three; and his Facebook fans were the first to know. The president’s fans on Facebook, a popular social network website, were greeted with the news on Thursday morning, when the president confirmed on his page that the focus of his administration is on electrical power, Niger Delta issues and electoral reforms.

“The greatest challenges facing this administration are to ensure electoral reform and a credible free and fair election in 2011, restore and maintain peace in the Niger Delta and most importantly make progress in the Power Sector,” the president posted on his official Facebook page on Thursday.

The president made no further official statement on this issue but his position on Facebook stands correct as the policy direction of the government.

Over the past few months, the government has spent more funds in these three sectors than other sectors in the seven point agenda.

The seven point agenda is a set of goals developed by the Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007. They included: Sustainable growth in the real sector of the economy, Physical Infrastructure: Power, Energy & Transportation, Agriculture, Human Capital Development: Education & Health, Security, Law and Order Combating Corruption, and, Niger Delta Development.

The agenda outlined the main spending focus of the government as at the time.

Although Mr. Jonathan had, on several occasions after he took over office, claimed his government was carrying on with the agenda, he is spending more on the three sectors he has mentioned.

“Over the last few weeks, I have taken the time to keep you abreast with the progress in these sectors, i.e. the appointments of Prof. Jega [Atahiru Jega, Chairman on Independent National Electoral Commission - INEC] and his team at INEC, and Prof. Nnaji and his team on power, as well as the budgetary provisions made for them etc,” the president said.

In all, the current supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan on Facebook, with real identities at the last count, stand at 167 368 . All the over one thousand fans that commented on the post, four hours after he posted it, seemed to appreciate the move. Over a thousand others simply clicked the ‘like’ bottom to show their solidarity with the move indicating a level of acceptance for the adjustment which many have been anticipated.

Lai Mohammed, the spokesman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) commended the move, saying his party had earlier approached the president to focus on those three areas in addition to fight against corruption.

“He should add the fight against corruption to it.” Mr. Mohammed said. “The fight against corruption is central to all this.” He, however, said the electricity situation is yet to improve and that the president did not totally adopt the recommendations of the Justice Muhammad Uwais led electoral Reform Committee.

“Frankly speaking, he needs to give us something concrete on this issue of electoral reform. If he is very sincere, he can actually give Nigeria a good election,” he said.

Since making his Facebook debut in July this year, the president has revealed policy directions in similar posts on his official Facebook Fan page.

Feedback

Beyond updating his fans about his intention and policies, the president also called for input from them.

“Now that both teams are up and going and the former militants are turning their swords into ploughshares, I need your feedback. Please assess what we have done with these teams so far and let me know what you think we have done wrong and where we could make improvements. I will be spending time daily scrutinising your comments and I will be taking them into account with a view to incorporating them in the new Road-map For the Power Sector which is to be launched on August 26th.

“I will also ask my advisers to summarise your feedback on Electoral Reform as well as the Niger Delta peace process so we can make better decisions on these key areas. Please note that government does not have a monopoly of wisdom and it is only when we pool our intellect into a master mind that we will make lasting progress,” the president said.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5609380-147/jonathan_may_adopt_three_point_agenda.csp

Yoruba:
When IBB's media assistant releases a statement;inversely, IBB is the one who did.

Who told you that? That is what he is been payed for mind you

My guy carry go

tru talk my guy

The arguments that Presidential assent is not required in the amendment of the Nigerian Constitution is erroneous, specious, and without sound basis in law. There is no case law or statutory provision that backs these assertions. We don’t need the United States law or other country’s law as a precedent when our own laws are clear on the issue.

The Nigerian Constitution is very clear on this issue and any statutory or case law that is inconsistent to the provision of the Constitution is to the extent of its inconsistencies void.

Section 9 of the Nigerian Constitution provided for the amendment of the constitution as follows:

(1) The National Assembly may, subject to the provisions of this section, alter any of the provisions of this Constitution;

(2) Any act of the National Assembly for the alteration of this constitution, not being an Act to which section 8 of this constitution applies, shall not be passed in either House of the National Assembly unless the proposal is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds majority of all the members of that House and approved by resolution of the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the States;

(3) An Act of the National assembly for the purpose of altering the provisions of this section, section 8m and Chapter IV of this constitution shall not be passed by either House of the National Assembly unless the proposal is approved by the votes of not less than four fifths majority of all the members of each House and also approved by resolution of the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the states

Although this power of the National Assembly is quite distinct from its ordinary law making power, the procedure is almost the same as in the case of ordinary bill. An amendment of the constitution involves the National Assembly, State House of Assembly and the President. Most commentators are interpreting section 9 in isolation and ignoring sections 58(1), (5) of the Constitution, and section 2 of the Interpretation Acts that mandated presidential assent to all bills or act.

Section 58 of the constitution stated above provides as follows:

(1) the power of the National Assembly to make laws shall be exercised by bills passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives and, except as otherwise provided by subsection (5) of this section, assented to by the President.

(2) A bill may originate in either the Senate or the House of Representatives and shall not become law unless it has been passed and, except as otherwise provided by this section and section 59 of this Constitution, assented to in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(3) Where a bill has been passed by the House in which it originated, it shall be sent to the other House, and it shall be presented to the President for assent when it has been passed by that other House and agreement has been reached between the two Houses on any amendment made on it.

(4) Where a bill is presented to the President for assent, he shall within thirty days thereof signify that he assents or that he withholds assent.


(5) Where the President withholds his assent and the bill is again passed by each House by two-thirds majority, the bill shall become law and the assent of the President shall not be required."

Also, Section 2 of the Interpretation Act Cap 123, Laws of the federation of Nigeria provides that “an act is passed when the President assents to the bill or the act, whether or not the act then comes into force”.

As stated above the only departure from presidential assent is when a President exercises veto and refuses to assent, to sign a bill into law, then members of the National Assembly can pass the bill all over again by two thirds majority.

There is no other way in which a law, including a law for the amendment of the Constitution, can be made, except it is passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President as stated above. Furthermore, there is no provision which, either expressly or impliedly, take away from section 58, a bill for an Act to amend any of the provisions of the Constitution.

Section 9(2) does not take away the power of the president in the amendment process, what it does was to strengthen the amendment process and increase the people’s participation in the process. This process is in no way in variance to the provisions of section 58 of the constitution.

It is interesting to note that Article 5 of the United States Constitution which provides for the amendment of its constitution at no point referred to the proposal of Congress or State government to amend the constitution as an “Act”. The intention of the framers of the constitution is clear of the role of the US President in the amendment process as was affirmed by the Supreme Court in Hollingsworth v Virginia (3 US 378 [1798]). The US Supreme Court held that the US President have no role in the amendment process.

It should be noted that unlike the Nigeria Constitution the amendment of the US constitution can emanate from either Congress or the States to call for a new Constitutional Convention to make the amendments. Also the states have two ways of ratifying an amendment. Either ¾ of the state legislature may approve an amendment; or each state can have a convention to approve the amendment. 27 amendments have been ratified and become part of the United States Constitution. All but one of the proposals became an amendment by passing State Legislature.The amendment provisions of both constitutions are different and should not be interpreted as same.

Suffice to state that the intentions of the drafters of the Nigerian constitution are not in doubt when they refer to the proposed amendment as an Act. An Act of the National Assembly can only become law after presidential assent as clearly stated in our laws. The language of Section 9(2) does not in any way obviate the President from the amendment process.


http://www.saharareporters.com/article/presidential-assent-required-amendment-nigerian-constitution

Was this yacht hotel got with Lagos state fund or diamond bank. But which ever it is diamond bank should be extensively investigated with regards to this hotel. learnt the transaction was very crooked with depositors money stashed away as kick back.

The Sunborn Yacht Hotel was delivered from the UK in November 2008. Despite claims that it would be put to immediate use upon arrival, two years later it remains unused and derelict. The Sunborn Yacht Hotel (appropriately named Lagos Floating White Elephant) is Lagos State's biggest face of corruption.

http://www.saharareporters.com/photo/foc-sunborn-yacht-hotel-lagos-floating-white-elephant

Of more the than 28 presidents and dignitaries invited for Gabon’s 50th independence anniversary, none pulled the type of crowd and caused pandemonium like that of the arrival of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The moment the crowd saw the VIP vehicles lined up at the Presidential Wing of the Leon Mba International Airport to receive Jonathan, the crowd surged in, beating the stern-looking Gabonese security personnel effort to keep them behind the demarcated line.

Nigeria has over 150,000 of its citizens, which is about one-tenth of Gabon’s 1.7 million population living in that country. They are mostly Igbo, Urhobo, Yoruba and Ijaw, dominating Gabon’s commerce, and its fishing industry scattered in the provinces of Lambarene, Oyem, Port-Gentil, Franceville, Bitam and the capital Libreville.

The colourful traditional Igbo dancers caused a stir, leading to traffic congestion. The colourful display was so captivating that it was difficult to believe the claims that the Nigerian community in Gabon has been sharply divided for the past three years. President of the Nigerian National Union, Tunde Yekini, was alleged not to be the choice of the people having failed the interview organized to choose their leader from the Yoruba group whose turn it was to produce the president.

The crowed had initially mistaken the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Odien Ajumogobia, for the President since he had the Niger Delta cap on. He was the first to step out and took over every available space singing and dancing. When the President eventually stepped out at about 7.30 p.m, the crowd surged, forcing the security personnel to be brutal, using their motorbikes to force them back, some were injured but did not bother.

Due to the visible division among the Nigerian leaders in Gabon, the groups were not co-ordinated as the nationals of other countries did. There were several groups with different outlook that occupied strategic positions along the road leading to and from the airport so as not to miss Jonathan’s convoy.
On sighting the President, the atmosphere changed with beating of drums, flutes and other musical instruments. It led to a traffic snarl for over 30 minutes. People were also seen on top of trees all in a bid to catch a glimpse of Jonathan with chants of “African Obama” renting the air.

Meeting with Nigerians
Jonathan after attending the colourful ceremony at the waterfront in Libreville, spared few minutes to meet with a select group of Nigerians living in Gabon at the residence of the Nigerian Ambassador, Samuel Aiyedoni. The excitement aroused the previous day at the airport was dampened as many Nigerians who were not among the 50 selected to meet with the President grumbled accusing the Nigerian Embassy shutting those perceived to be “trouble-makers” out.

Some of them had on Monday night sought out the hotel where the journalists that accompanied the President on the trip were lodged to register their complaints ranging from the way they were treated by the Gabonese authorities and the slow pace of the embassy in addressing their problems.

Their concerns
According to Yekini, Nigerians in Gabon were facing the threats of not having their resident permits renewed because of the perception that the Nigerian Government is not committed to stopping illegal immigrants through its waters of Oron and Calabar: “We were told by the Nigerian Embassy that the Documentation Service that delivers the Resident Permit Cards that if the illegal immigration from the coast of Nigeria was not stopped by December 2010, our permits will no longer be renewed.”

Nigerians in Gabon will also like to see more Nigerian airlines come to Gabon as the Air Nigeria has to go through Doula to Lagos. They will also like the issuing of the e-passport to be taken to them at the various provinces as the present arrangement is not only causing strain on them physically, but also on their lean resources.

Nigerians in Gabon want Jonathan’s intervention in seeking the reduction in the cost of renewing residence permits presently at 600,000 Gabonese Cefa ($1,200) every two years. They say the Ghana High Commission has got the government to reduce to 250,000 Gabonese Cefa. They will also want Nigeria and Gabonese governments to waive visa requirements for their citizens visiting both countries as it obtainable among the South Africans.

They insisted that as Nigeria’s closest neigbhour, this will be mutually beneficial to both countries.
They will also want to see a Nigerian international school established in Gabon and would want to be part to participate in the 2011 polls. They are seeking funds from the Federal Government to mark the Nigeria’s 50th anniversary in Gabon in style. They also want Nigerians in the Diaspora to be included in the national honours award, arguing that they were the major engine of the Rebrand Nigeria campaign.

Jonathan’s response
Jonathan said the Federal Government will put all machinery in motion to ensure that Nigerians in the Diaspora can vote in 2015 as it was impossible for them to do so next year. The President assured them that more distinguished Nigerians in the Diaspora will be considered subsequently for inclusion in the National Honours list.
Jonathan disclosed that he will accord special recognition to 50 Nigerians from various walks of life as part of Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary celebration in October.

He praised Nigerians in Gabon for their meaningful contributions to the economy of that country. He promised that government will look into all consular issues affecting them, especially complaints of high cost of resident permits and visa fees, difficulties in acquiring the ECOWAS e-passport and illegal immigration by other nationals to Gabon from the coast of Nigeria. On technical aid, Jonathan said Nigeria will do more to assist other African countries in need of technical assistance. He also promised to send technical aid corps to Gabon.

He was impressed with the crowd that came to welcome him at the airport when he arrived in Libreville on Monday evening, saying he was overwhelmed by their show of solidarity. He said President Bongo spoke well of them and their invaluable contributions to Gabon, while he urged them to continue to be good ambassadors of Nigeria.

Ajumogobia said Nigeria is back on the world stage in a record time since Jonathan’s assumption of office as Commander-in-Chief, as her relations with African countries and the world have become more robust than ever. He noted that Jonathan has been active at the global stage, engaging the world through participation at the G-8 summit, Africa-European Summit, visits to several African countries, and so on: “In a record time, Nigeria is back on the world stage. President Jonathan is well known across the world. The world has great respect for him and for Nigeria.”

Aiyedoni said Jonathan’s visit marks the beginning of renewed relations between Nigeria and Gabon: “President Jonathan’s visit has ushered in for Nigerians here a new era of hope as they are confident that Government is with them. It has provided a new impetus for them to work harder to rebrand the image of Nigeria here.”
At a post-visit briefing, the ambassador confirmed that there were 160 Nigerians languishing in jail. Out of this figure, 129 were in Libreville Prison while the rest were scattered in the all provinces outside Libreville except one. The envoy disclosed this while hosting an advance team of Jonathan to dinner in his official residence weekend.

Aiyedona listed the crimes committed by the prisoners to be advance fee fraud (aka 419) drug trafficking and living illegally. He stressed, however, that the Nigerian community contributes a great deal to the economy of Gabon especially in ICT, maritime and spare parts industry. According to Aiyedona, the entrepreneurship of Ijaw and Ilaje fishermen alone contributes over 600,000 tons of fish to Gabon’s fishing industry annually. He said when the fishermen decided to go on strike following stringent measures to restrict their trade, the impact was felt and the Gabonese Government was forced to reverse its decisions.

Brisk business
The Gabonese took advantage of the visitors to make brisk business. The country is the second most expensive in Africa after Angola. Nigerians made a Jonathan-branded T-Shirt selling for 25,000 Cefa equivalent of $50 (N7,500) on the streets of Libreville, and the headquarters of the nine province (states) that make up the 1.7 million populated country.

The food vendors mainly Nigerians had a field day as Nigerians that accompanied Mr. President made it straight to Nigerian restaurants where the main delicacies were white rice and goat meat pepper soup, or boil yam and plantain with the same goat meat pepper soup. Nigerian taxi drivers were not left out as the kept shuttling passengers around the city.

Frustration of speaking a different language
The fact that the French-speaking Africans always speak passable English, has made journalists from Anglophone countries to be laid back. So it was baptism of fire in Gabon as it was difficult to get anyone who speaks English to help. It was frustration having to use sign language and demonstration to get anything done, be it ordering of food in restaurant in the hotel or picking a cab to go about town. Little wonder after Jonathan’s departure, the drivers assigned to his convoy had a good laugh demonstrating all what they had to endure while the visit lasted.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/abujareports/2010/aug/23/abujareports-23-08-2010-001.htm

May the good Lord be with us all. Amen.

They have to now for it is there turn to show

Yes oooooooooooooooo

A word they say is okay for the people

To Olumide Akinyemi and Sunday Bello both of you are disgrace to Ogun,Yoruba, and Nigeria entirely. If any you guys lost one of your family member during the June 12 election annulment unrest you wouldn't be here today campaigning for Maradona. May be you guys forgot all D atrocities IBB commited against the "OWU" born which the list include Dele Giwa, Fela, MKO, Kudirat, just to mention a few. I know you guys are not just waving your mouth like a goat with a mango in its mouth, it's million of Naira given to you by IBB that is speaking and you guys forgot the fate of your incoming generation.

What do you think our male congress men do with all the money they make. They patronize these women and give them best lives they could ever have. How you go lock up ogas girlfriend. Or where were the phone calls to release the babes coming from. Those girls are in Abuja to stay no matter the intimidation

Yea, most of the churches we have now are out to make money, they don't care of leading the people in the right way again. May the good LORD be with us. Amen.

Two months ago, Bala Mohammed, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), gave all commercial sex workers in Abuja two days to quit or leave the city. The territory’s Social Development Secretariat which was mandated to implement the order, has since carried out three raids, but prostitution remains big business in Abuja.

The FCT administration has used different tactics to discourage the female sex workers from plying their trade. It began with persuasion when in June, the secretary for social development, Blessing Onuh, visited the call girls at their respective abode to give them the minister’s order. She told them that the secretariat’s task force would commence arrests and warned them not to take the matter lightly.

“I’m out to instruct the girls that the FCT minister has given them 48 hours to vacate the city and quit the job,” said Mrs. Onuh two months ago. “They constitute a nuisance in the city and the FCT administration will not tolerate them.” Afterwards, the secretary donated N50,000 to the girls after they complained that they had not eaten all day.

Shortly afterwards, 35 offenders were arrested when the task force, made up of officials of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), the secretariat and the police, conducted its first raid. The second raid in July nabbed 50 suspected prostitutes. The most recent raid, held last Wednesday, netted about 60 sex workers, including a man and woman caught in compromising situation in a car around midnight.

The suspects were eventually taken to Wuse Police Station before being charged to a mobile court where they were tried by the magistrate, Aminu Abdullahi.

Guilty as charged

At the court session in August, the prosecuting counsel, Eze O. Eze, accused the girls of soliciting men for commercial purposes. The session was held under a tree and most of the girls, who had no lawyers representing them, pleaded guilty to the offence.

The court convicted those who pleaded guilty and sentenced them to two months imprisonment or N3000 option of fine. Those who pleaded not guilty were told to reappear at the court on Friday, 20th August, for hearing and they were given bail on condition that the bond was signed by a resident of the FCT. At the end of the court session, bank officials were on hand to collect the fines from the convicts. The payments were made to the environmental protection board’s account.

However, investigations revealed that the group arrested in the first raid in June were never charged to court. In July, the magistrate had suspended his judgment against the women, because they were “first offenders.” Sources at the environmental monitoring unit told NEXT that they were in a hurry to discharge the girls because the “pressure from outside was too much. After the July arrest, we received several calls from high-profile personalities in this country, including National Assembly men, governors, commissioners from the states and high military officials, asking us to release the girls,” said one source, who declined to be named. “We had no choice because we do not want to lose our jobs.” The officials said they were not even able to keep the girls for more than one night and had to hold the court session on Saturday instead of Monday.

“The DPO was not willing to keep them again because of several calls coming to him,” said another source.

We have no jobs

Some of the suspects who pleaded not guilty insisted that they were not women of easy virtue, while others claimed they were going about their own affairs when they were caught. Maureen Opah, a native of Liberia, said she was about to enter a car when she was arrested.

“I sell chicken on the street and, in fact, I had chicken in my hand when I was arrested,” one of them said.

However, Sade Ayileka, deputy director of social services with the secretariat, denied that innocent bystanders were rounded up. She said the team invaded popular red-light districts in Abuja to apprehend the suspects.

“We consider their dressing, the location they were in at the time, the time they were there,” she said. “How can a lady be standing by the roadside at the dead end of the night, half naked?” Some of the sex workers who spoke to NEXT after their trial said they were lured into the profession because they could not get gainful employment.

“I lost my husband a few years ago and I have three children,” said Chidinma Michael. “My mother was sick and I spent all I had.” She said she approached a friend for help. Instead of giving her a loan, her friend showed her how to make ‘free money.’ “So that was how I started coming out to the street,” said Ms. Michael. “My children are now at home and have not eaten since yesterday when they arrested me.” She was eventually given automatic employment at the social development secretariat to assist in rehabilitating other sex workers.

Mrs Ayileka accused the women of laziness. She cited a medical doctor who was arrested some time ago whose colleagues had to beg for her release because she was supposed be on call the next day.

“Some of them are graduates. A lot of them are working-class ladies,” she said. “There are lots they can do with little money instead of degrading themselves.” She said the FCT administration would rehabilitate those who are willing to change. At the skills centre in Lugbe, a suburb of the city, girls could choose from 10 different skills, including hairdressing, tailoring and computer studies. Upon completion of the course Mrs Ayileka said the girls would get equipment relevant to their fields of training.

However, though many of the girls filled out the application forms, the training is has not commenced.

A wider net

In the meantime the FCT administration promises the raids will continue, and may be expanded to the men who patronize the girls.

During one raid, which lasted from 11 pm on a Friday night to 4 am on Saturday, a retired director of one of the federal ministries was arrested for allegedly patronizing one of the girls.

When he was caught, the embattled man claimed that the lady with whom he was caught was his daughter; but on getting to Wuse Police Station, he changed his story, saying that she was his fiancée.

At the station, the man, who introduced himself as Mr Clem, accused the FCT minister of going beyond his limits. “When I was a Director, I know Bala. He was a deputy director. How come now he wants to decide how we live our social life in the FCT?” said the man. “He should concentrate on the Abuja Master Plan and forget about the sexual life of the residents.” Mr Clem was arrested on Gimbiya Street, where he was reportedly caught negotiating with a prostitute. However, he was eventually discharged.

The FCT administration has said that all that will change soon, as men who patronize prostitutes will also be tried in court.

“Because if men do not patronize them, they will not be there,” said Mrs. Ayileka. “But we will take it a step at a time; let’s start with the girls first.”

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The Ogun State campaign team which will help actualise the presidential ambition of former military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida said it is determined to ensure the candidate’s victory.

The state coordinator of the campaign, Sunday Bello and its Publicity Secretary, Olumide Akinyemi said at the weekend in Abeokuta that Mr Babangida remains the answer to Nigeria’s problems as the nation attains the golden age of 50.

However, the annulment of June 12, 1993 elections, adjudged the freest and fairest in the country, has continued to haunt Mr Babangida like an albatross hanging over his political aspiration in the South-West part of the country, particularly in Ogun State where the winner of that election, the late MKO Abiola hailed from.

But the campaign team said it was going to overcome all odds, to ensure that Mr Babangida gets elected president come 2011 because they are convinced of his ability.

“If IBB could perform so brilliantly during his tenure as a military president, there is no doubt that the Minna, Niger State-born frontline Nigeria leader would perform better as a civilian president. As IBB Campaign Organization, Ogun State Chapter, we clamour for the return of the ex-military president to Aso Rock Villa as duly elected president come 2011,’ Mr Bello said.

No sentiments

The group also urged Nigerians not to allow sentiments over June 12 and other issues to stop them from supporting Babangida’s ambition, “after all, the former president was only a figure in the administration that annulled the controversial election,” he said. “The campaign team has eleven points to convince Nigerians why they should vote Babangida into power.” The group promised to release what it called a panoramic account of the 48 achievements of the former president ahead of the primaries.

They said the campaign team has already established offices at the state, local government and ward levels.

“Babangida will soon visit the state to intensify further efforts in the campaign,” Mr Bello said.

Mr Babangida is only one of two politicians who have formally launched campaigns for president under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. The other is former vice president, Atiku Abubakar.

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