₦airaland Forum

British American Tobacco Nigeria, a fully owned subsidiary of the British American Tobacco Group is a leading producer of tobacco products in Nigeria.



BAT Nigeria is recruiting to fill the position of

Job Title: Leaf Instructor

Reference Number: MA/NIG/NGN/LI/23-01-12

Location: Iseyin, Oyo State

Remuneration: TBA

Reports to: Crop Manager

Requisition Number: 1



Principal Accountabilities:

Ensure target crop volume is purchased.

Ensure target average yield per hectare is achieved.

Ensure agreed best practices are fully implemented.

Ensure crop production target allocated to farmers are utilitized to optimum productivity.

Ensure an hitch free Organisation & distribution of crop input with up to date records.

Ensure the required number of farmers are recruited.

Ensure Farmers are well organised to deliver target crop volume.

Ensure Farmers’ loans are kept within Category limits.

Ensure Full recovery of applicable farmers’ loans.

Maintain a good relationship with peers and farmers resulting in enhanced productivity.

Maintain a good relationship with other stakeholders in the community for sustained tobacco production.

Be Open to and accept new ways of doing things.

Ensure full implementation of alternative to wood fuel experiment and other initiatives.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

Possess at least a minimum of OND/NCE in Agriculture.

Should be mature and physically agile.

Ability to observe, and diagnose agronomic problems on the crop and proffer workable solution to obtain optimal productivity.

Ability to recruit, supervise and control farmers for the achievement of production targets.

Ability to monitor tobacco quality, grading, baling and presentation at buying in accordance with agreed grade specification.

Ability to render accurate production estimates useable for effective management control of operations and planning.

Ability to monitor loans disbursement to and recovery from farmers for sustained production.

Ability to effectively understand, implement and “cascade” technical information and new concepts to farmers.

Past experience in tobacco production will be an added advantage.

Application Deadline
31st January, 2012

How To Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click the link to apply
http://www.batwaa.drm-za.com/Default.asp?Job=scb/Details_Page.asp?ProductID=1862

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Sad news

That's 9ja, thieves at every conner

ASUU proposed suspending their Nation wide strike between now and monday, as a result of their aggitations been approved by the National assembly 2day, Is this real?

a report reaching me from a friend claims there was a threat today in their church by suspected Boko Haram members, in Warri, Delta state, she was at the venue although they were not caught, any more info on this?

am beginning to imagine if they have now spread to the south like Warri, i hope this is not true because it might be the beginning of something else,

One mentioned kano, another bauchi, another katsina, why didn't the press give us names, who are they scared of, if it were a civilian they suspected, they would have mentioned the name long ago, when will Nigeria start doing things the right name, a criminal is a criminal and there should not be anything as a better or high class criminal, am sure they are hiding names because they will also protect him later, and he will still continue ruling people, '9Ja' what a losing country

lolzzzzz

liarrr

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how true is this? any proof?

By Emma Amaize

While the NUC/TLC and civil society anti-fuel subsidy removal protest, led by the state coordinator, Casely Omon-Irabor Esq. and Zonal Secretary, Maritime Workers Union, Comrade Augustine was on, another group, Good People of Nigeria, led by Prince Sani Usman, stormed the streets with a pro-subsidy removal rally to counter their efforts.

With Prince Usman’s camp were his vice president, Mrs. Josephine Negerese, and a one-time Delta State House of Assembly aspirant on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Comrade Michael Tidi.

Besides the anti-fuel subsidy removal and pro-fuel subsidy removal campaigners, hoodlums also formed a third division to carry out their own demonstration, which is neither for nor against both sides, but solely for their pockets.

The activities of the hoodlums almost marred the NLC/TUC and civil society organised protest, as many frowned at the harassment innocent citizens were subjected to by hoodlums.

While at that, youths from across the Niger-Delta region had by Friday concluded arrangements to stage a mammoth pro-subsidy removal rally in Warri. This was even as another group of Niger-Delta youths, led by Chief Michael Johnny carried out an anti-fuel subsidy removal rally in Warri, Tuesday, threatening to shut down oil installations in the region if President Goodluck Jonathan did not revert to the old price of N65 per liter of fuel.

Driving through Warri, Thursday, the fourth day of the nationwide mass protest/sit-at-home strike, it was palpable that the action was a success with government offices, banks, shops, petrol stations and streets closed and practically deserted. As at 6.00 am on Monday, Omon-Irabor Esq. was already at the take-off point of the mass protest, which is the old NPA, Warri gate. It started at about 9.00 am and the response was massive and total from what Sunday Vanguard witnessed.

National Coordnator of Warri-based Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, FJHD, Oghenejabor Ikimi Esq told Sunday Vanguard, “They know what they want, no matter the propaganda and confusion people want to bring into the mass protest”.

The main market in Warri and Okere were also not left out. Omon-Irabor addressed the public at Okere market junction, stating reasons for the mass protests by Nigerians and calling all citizens to reject the bad policy, no matter the inconvenience. He said the will of people would certainly triumph over the dictates of the powerful few in Aso Villa.

He said the motion passed, Sunday, by the House of Representatives calling on the Federal Government to suspend the about 120 per cent increase in the price of fuel was an indication that even those in government know that the decision was ill advised, adding that except the price of petrol was reverted to the old price of N65, the protests would continue.

As at 11.51 am, the protesters had reached Enerhen Junction and in the words of Oghenejabor Ikimi, “It is a peaceful protest and a huge success. I can tell you that there is total compliance. Warri and environs were shut down. The protest here is a massive one”.

Some members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria told Sunday Vanguard that security operatives, especially those of Joint Task Force, JTF, the Navy and Police, whose offices are located inside the port premises, were allowed to go inside to carry out their security duties. Motor-cyclists, popularly known as Okada riders and bus drivers were allowed to do their normal transportation business.

However, an initial attempt was made by hoodlums at Enerhen Junction, Effurn, to hijack the protest by stealing GSM handsets and extorting money from commercial taxi drivers and motor-cyclists, but it was thwarted by the organisers. As soon as information got to the labour leaders they quickly stepped in to curb the excesses of the pranksters, which they noted was capable of marring the peaceful protest.

Nevertheless, some of the hoodlums who moved about in a bus were said to have extorted money from persons unknown to the organisers. At about 1.00 pm, January 9, at Third Marine gate, near the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Correspondents’ Chapel, Warri, a group of boys, armed with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, under the guise of anti-subsidy removal protest, ambushed a motor-cyclist, and robbed him of his motor-cycle.

The motor-cyclist was almost stabbed for not succumbing to their demand to surrender his motor-cycle. Some residents watched the incident, but could not stop the boys. They zoomed away with his motor-cycle.

Chairman of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, in Delta State, Mr. Benefit Orugbo told Sunday Vanguard, “NLC should not violate the rights of citizens who are not prepared to observe the strike to enable them go about their lawful duties and law enforcement agents ought to be alive to their duties and check activities of hoodlums parading themselves as community youths out to harass unsuspecting and lawful citizens who want to go about their legitimate businesses, while the NLC strike lasted”.

He said, CDHR observed that the police were barely present to curtail activities of miscreants in the guise of NLC strike”.

On its part, pro-subsidy removal group, Good People of Nigeria, which congregated at Okumagba Estate Roundabout, said President Jonathan’s action was in the best interest of the nation.

According to one of the campaigners, Tidi, “The removal of fuel subsidy is the beginning of the transformational policy of the government, we should say no to corruption. The President has shown that he means well for the country, despite the initial pains, the gains will be unquantifiable. We call on Nigerians to support the President, we should save our economy from collapse, let’s say no to the cabal”, he asserted.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/01/tale-of-assorted-protests-in-warri/

By Jide Ajani

*The story of a President with hard choices

*Security meeting that missed the target

*How some ministers and governors misled him

A meeting in aso rock villa

Muhammadu Buhari turned down the invitation.

He made it clear that if President Jonathan was going to be in attendance, then he was not going to attend. And when the meeting eventually held, those at the meeting wore long faces.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had arranged it. But Sunday Vanguard could not confirm whether he himself attended the meeting.

As for former head of state, Yakubu Gowon, he simply turned down the invitation – he had been quoted as insisting that the subsidy should not be removed yet, long before its removal penultimate Sunday; but some government officials lampooned him for expressing his views last year,

President Goodluck Jonathan, National Security Adviser, NSA, Andrew Owoye Azazi, some other security chiefs and former President and Commander-in-Chief, Alhaji Usman Aliyu Shehu Shagari, were in attendance. The meeting was held penultimate Monday, the day after the removal of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popularly known as petrol.

It was not a National Security Council or National Defence Council meeting.

Yet, those in attendance could fit the bill. They were there to discuss the possible implications of the intended strike action by organized labour, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.

The first issue that was tackled was the security implications!

Sunday Vanguard was informed by a source privy to the meeting that the prognosis, according to the security chiefs, was very terrible. President Jonathan was made to understand that everything that ought to be done to avert the strike should be done. The briefing made it very clear that should the strike go ahead and last beyond a week, “there would be serious implications for this administration”. Although the source said the language at the meeting was very weighted, “there was no mistaken the fact that the prognosis was very bad”.

Specifically, Sunday Vanguard was informed that one of those in attendance at the meeting pointedly stated that allowing the strike to go on for “up to 11 days would mean total disaster and eclipse” for the Jonathan administration.

As the briefing went on, President Jonathan reportedly stared into thin air like a ‘night creature caught in daylight’ – that was how the Time magazine described former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar in 1998, as one of its runners-up for the person of the year!

The former President in attendance was said to have made very useful contributions, assuming the role of loco perentis, even while President Jonathan sat in.

The economic implications were as far reaching as the security ones.

At the end of the meeting, President Jonathan’s body language suggested that something would be done earnestly to avoid the mass action.

How ministers misled govs

However, information made available to Sunday Vanguard suggests that one of President Jonathan’s cabinet members from the North Central Zone, who had himself been a student union leader, might it be added, and who has been forceful in his propagation of the subsidy removal tune, Information Minister, Labaran Maku, along with another minister from the South South geo-political zone, Elder Orubebe, prevailed on President Jonathan not to shift or accede to labour’s demand.

The Information Minister impressed it on President Jonathan that reverting to N65 would be seen as a sign of weakness and unseriousness. He may have been right!

Secondly, according to Sunday Vanguard’s source, President Jonathan was made “to believe that the strike action would normally kick off on the first day as threatened by labour but would quickly lose steam by the second day.

Sunday Vanguard was told that the impression conveyed to President Jonathan was that the strike action would not go beyond just two days before it loses steam.

It was this advice that President Jonathan took hook, line and sinker.

But the President did not stop there. He also made his own moves.

Intervention from the national assembly

But the presidency became jolted very late on Friday, January 6, 2012, when the leadership of the House of Representatives sent out words that it would hold an emergency session on Sunday, January 8.

Unfortunately, and typical of the shambolism that has become necessarily characteristic of the Jonathan administration, the move to scuttle the proposed session only served to further infuriate some Reps, annoy many as well as served as further impetus for more Reps to attend the session.

So, what did the presidency do? And how did the House respond? (See details in Abuja Bulletin, HOUSE SESSION ON SUBSIDY REMOVAL: The winners and losers)

In formation made available by a very strategic leader in the House to Sunday Vanguard suggests that last Sunday’s session was with a “with a view to ensuring that a middle ground was reached by both labour and the federal government”.

Sunday Vanguard also learnt that members of the House of Representatives, angry with the slide in the affairs of the country, were more peeved by the invocation of religious sentiments to defer the sitting. Presidency officials, it was learnt, had tried to persuade the house leadership to call off the sitting on the grounds that it would offend the religious sensibility of Christians.

That invocation was, however, dismissed by both Christian and Muslim members of the House who said the timing of the sitting was determined by the exigencies of the issues facing the nation.

A leadership cadre member of the House told Sunday Vanguard that “it was very wrong to begin to invoke religion in this matter. Committees sit on Fridays but religion is given its pride of place as members still go for Jumat which is respected by other committees’ members. Last Sunday’s session recorded a whopping 296 membership attendance. But beyond that, why would the Presidency that is still grappling with the menace of Boko Haram be toying with that type of thing”, Sunday Vanguard was told. Apart from the religious angle, President Jonathan was said to have worked the phones trying through aides and some other leaders to get some state governors to talk to their Reps not to attend last Sunday’s session. That attempt, too, failed woefully.

Most governors could not put the leash on the Reps from their states.

And when the House sat, it did what it said it would do: Its resolution was that the federal government should revert to N65, while labour ceases to go on with the strike. The federal government refused; the NLC did not shift. And the strike commenced on Monday.

Jonathan’s last minute effort with govs

But even before the strike commenced, President Jonathan made a last ditch effort to try to stop the strike from starting.

One of the strategies was to pile what was thought to be maximum pressure on the NLC. It did not amount to anything because the leadership of NLC still went ahead.

Some state governors entered the fray.

A few governors reportedly misled President Jonathan.

The President, believing what he heard during private conversations “with some state governors, went away with the impression that state governments could tame the monster of the strike.

“Some of these governors, just as they did during the crisis over zoning and the contest for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, deliberately set President Jonathan up so that he would stick to the N65 and be made to look like an unpopular President.

“If some of them had told him the truth, he would have known better that what he was going to confront from last Monday would be so massive that the international community would focus more on other issues of corruption in government, a matter that is at the root of the subsidy issue”, a source close to President Jonathan disclosed.

Sunday Vanguard was further told that when the strike commenced on Monday, it was a shocked President Jonathan who saw first hand how Nigerians derided him. By Wednesday when the Executive Council of the Federation, EXCOF, met, some ministers were still intent on the hard line posture!

The Senate quickly entered the fray by late Monday as David Mark, Senate President engaged the leadership of the NLC in talks. The leadership of the National Assembly eventually succeeded in getting the NLC and government to start talking.



Enugu, edo avert killings

But before then, a few states quickly took some steps to avert what would have been disaster.

Take, for instance, Enugu and Edo States – and lately, Niger State.

But for the intervention of Sullivan Chime and Admas Oshiomhole of Enugu and Edo respectively, there would have been disaster in those states. Sunday Vanguard learnt that in both states, some individuals had p[lanned to engage in retaliatory killings of Northerners in their states. The security report was very clear; so the state governors needed to act fast.

In the case of Enugu State, it was particularly bad but Sullivan Chime acted swiftly.

By the time the Senate stepped in, the NLC and civil society groups had entered Day 2 of the protests.

In all the states where the strike held never before had the type of crowd which responded to the call of labour to picket been seen! From Lagos to Abuja, Ilorin, Kano and Delta, the story remained the same – mammoth crowd of protesters.

Botch thursday negotiations And when, by Thursday, labour was set to meet with President Jonathan, he merely welcomed the members of labour into Aso Rock Presidential Villa where a meeting was eventually held with some state governors, the leadership of the National Assembly, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim, Labour Minister, Emeka Wogu, and a handful of other government officials.

The meeting did not achieve anything because it could not stop the strike action.

Sunday Vanguard was told that he position presented by the opposing team to labour was a reduction in the price from the about N150.

Labour insisted that it did not have the mandate to accept a reduction but a total reversal to N65 before further talks could continue. That was where the talks deadlocked.

Dame patience jonathan

Other information pieced together by Sunday Vanguard also suggests that Dame Patience Jonathan is also at the receiving end of the subsidy wars.

Sunday vanguard was made to understand that some women leaders have been bombarding the telephone lines of the First lady. On her path, she has also been making passionate pleas to women leaders to help calm their wards and not be allowed to be used by some people to march on the streets.

But as she continues to plead with people, some people are also complaining to her hearing that the subsidy removal is biting hard, that when she came to mobilize support for her husband, subsidy removal was not one of the issues of campaign, that the hardship was becoming unbearable.

Activists and last minute efforts

Interestingly, Sunday Vanguard also discovered that some of the leaders of the rally in Lagos State had made last minute efforts to use their contacts at the highest levels of the Jonathan Administration to push for a reversal of the policy for now but did not succeed.

In fact, it was the seeming aloofness of members of the administration that made the activists to return to Lagos and mobilize massively for the rallies in Lagos which turned out to be the first of its kind in the history of Nigeria. The activists, led by Pator Tunde Bakare, Professor Pat Utomi, Femi Falana, Muslim Clerics and a host of Nollywood stars. Food, shelter and water were provided. By mid Friday, Bakare told the crowd that there would be no rally on Saturday and today but that should the government refuse to revert to N65, the rally would be more massive by tomorrow. Nigerians wait.

A leader of the Joint Action Front, Dr Dipo Fashina also urged Nigerians not to relent in the current protest against fuel subsidy removal by government. Dr Fashina made the call at another rally organised by youths in Orile Agege, in Agege Local Govt. Convener, comrade Abiodun Akinyele, who is the chairman of the Youth Rights Movement, said information available revealed that fuel was not being subsidised. Representatives of Labour & Civil Society groups present include Mr Lanre arogundade, director, International Press Centre (IPC); Lagos state NULGE President, Comrade Lasisi Akinsanya and Nike Peller, a Nollywood , among others .

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/01/the-entrapment-of-a-president-torn-between-the-rock-and-the-deep-blue-sea/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

Before being nominated by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Uganda, Ambassador Fidel Ayogu served in the House of Representatives as the Minority Whip and even contested for the governorship position of Enugu state during the 2003 elections. In this interview, Ambassador Ayogu whose tour of duty ends in February speaks on the benefits Nigerians stand to derive from the removal of fuel subsidy. He also speaks on his experience in Uganda and the in roads Nigerian companies are making in the east African country. Excerpts:

By BEN AGANDE, Abuja

What has been the experience transiting from the legislature in Nigeria to being a diplomat at ambassadorial level?

It has been both challenging and fruitful. When I went to Uganda with concurrent accreditation to Rwanda, I realised that Nigeria’s bilateral relationship with Uganda was okay but there were more openings for Nigerians to come to the country and help contribute in areas of investment. With my presence, United Bank for Africa, UBA, Bank PHB, Access Bank and Global Trust Bank came into the country. With the discovery of oil in Uganda, many Nigerian firms are trooping into Uganda to look for oil blocks and licenses and by the grace of God, Nigerians might be successful because a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Nigeria and Uganda to pave way for Nigerian Investment in Uganda. By and large, it has been a very successful tour of duty for me. During my stay, the President of Nigeria visited Uganda twice and the Ugandan President also visited Nigeria twice.

The experience in other African and even western countries is that Nigerian communities are known more for negative things than positive things. What is the situation in Uganda?

This is why I feel I am a very lucky man because since I went to Uganda hardly can you find any Nigerian in Ugandan prison. As I am talking now, there is no Nigerian in Ugandan and Rwandan prison and we have sizeable Nigerians in the two countries. I have a very strong Nigerian community in Uganda and the High Commission is liaising with the Nigerian community in Uganda for everything that requires the intervention of the High Commission. What I tell the Nigerian community is that we are all ambassadors of our country so the image of our country should remain a priority for each and every one of us. I made it known that anybody who comes to me and is not a member of the Nigerian community may not get the required attention. The idea is that if you are a member of the community you will live within a particular standard of behavior. We try to ensure that Nigerians are not unnecessarily harassed by the security agencies in Uganda. Nigerians for now are doing very well in Uganda.

Having lived in Uganda for four years, what in your opinion would Nigeria learn from the Ugandan experience?

It is a wrong assumption to think that because a country is not as endowed as your country, you can dismiss such countries. They are better in terms of certain areas than Nigeria like tourism, wildlife and the management of these resources. Their weather and land is very conducive for agriculture. They have specie of cattle that produce huge quantity of milk. Their real estate is booming. There are many things that Nigeria can learn from them. We have similar culture with Uganda and the Nigerian Nollywood is making in roads into Uganda by teaching them how to make quality films. Nigerian films are hugely popular in Uganda and these are areas of cooperation. We have a lot of Nigerian producers living in Uganda and making impacts on the film industry there. There are many things we can benefit from each other. While they have just discovered oil in that country, we have over 50 years of experience in the oil industry. We can tap in and provide our expertise in this area.

Sometime ago, there was a bomb blast in Uganda that caught world attention. Now, bomb blasts are common features in some parts of our country. What lessons can Nigeria learn from their experience and the way the incident was handled?

The circumstances are not the same in the sense that the incident in Uganda came from outside the country because Uganda is taking part in a peace keeping operations in Somalia. The militant group in Somalia decided to strike in Uganda in order to force the country to withdraw its military men in Somalia. What happened in Uganda was that they were very fierce in handling the matter. All the routes the terrorists used were scoured and secured. Ugandans seem to be more ready to combat terrorism than Nigeria. Though the security would handle the challenge, the willingness of the people to divulge what is happening in their neighbourhood will give room for a clean job as it was done in Uganda. Even the people who were privy to the discussion of the matter were arrested.

This is because the people were ready to cooperate with the security agencies. Because the Ugandans have fought wars they are more security conscious and are more meticulous on security matters. Even on ordinary days, everybody is subjected to serious search before being allowed into hotels. The circumstance in Uganda and Nigeria cannot be compared.

The removal of fuel subsidy by government has provoked huge outcry in the country. As an investor in that sector and somebody who has lived in other countries where there is not subsidy, what is your reaction to government’s decision?

I know that the removal of fuel subsidy is critical and a bit harsh but I align myself with the government 100%. For many countries that I have traversed where they don’t have fuel subsidy, the goods there are cheaper than what we have in Nigeria. In Uganda for instance, it takes three times the money we use to fill the tanks of our cars hereto fill the tank of the car of same make and capacity in Uganda. But shockingly, a bag of cement for instance is equivalent of N1,400 and a loaf of the best bread is about N150. A full chicken for instance goes for N600. The cost of fuel there is determined by market cost and not by government regulation.

Secondly in Nigeria, fuel subsidy is paid on the quantity of fuel that comes into Nigeria, brought by the dealers. When the subsidy money is paid to the dealers after taking the stock at the ports, the fuel is now emptied into the storage facilities from where Nigerians are expected to pick the fuel at subsidized rate to the outlets. But in most cases, a sizeable percentage of this fuel that come into Nigeria do not go to our filling stations but go into neighbouring countries. Government is trying to ensure that there is no fuel scarcity as we used to have in the past and the cartel in charge of this subsidy and the dealers are taking the fuel to our neighbouring countries. If you go to Cameroun, Niger Republic, Chad and Benin Republics, it is the subsidized Nigerian fuel that they use. Who is now paying for this? It is the Nigerian masses.

It is not these people who have the money. The fear that the removal of fuel subsidy will lead to an increase in the prices of food stuff is unnecessary. When the government brings out a road map on the improvement in power supply; and the rail starts working and the inland water ways start operating, Nigerians will now realize that the removal of fuel subsidy is the best thing for the country. The removal of the subsidy will really benefit the masses. Those creating fears in the minds of the people are those who are benefiting from the subsidy.

Most of them have filling stations around the boundaries of neighbouring countries. Once the fuel is discharged, they move them under the cover of darkness to these neighbouring countries. Government should educate the people on the benefit of the removal of fuel subsidy rather than be intimidated by the few people who are benefiting from the subsidy.

There is no way we can sustain the economy with the subsidy in place. We must think beyond where we are. No country spends 70% of its budget on recurrent expenditure and moves forward.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/01/removal-of-fuel-subsidy-will-strenghten-the-economy-amb-fidel-ayogu/

*Why NLC, TUC ignored injunction against strike

Assuming the federal government charily read all the premonitory signs that the expired year held in its crystal ball, it may have probably opted for a ‘crisis-free subsidy removal’ in year 2012!

Likewise, had the National Industrial Court in Abuja nursed the premonition that the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, could successfully galvanise Nigerians to stand against the January 1 removal of oil subsidy by the federal government, maybe it would not have touched the rushed ex-parte motion that was tendered before it by the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Adoke, on January 6, even with a ten-metre pole.

It is trite that a valid court order, no matter how useless it may seem, goes with a measurable sanction whenever it is flouted. However, when the validity of a court order is queried, it often culminates in the judiciary losing its potency, thus, boxing the court that made such order into a situation that portrays it as having embarked on a fools errand ab-initio.

Martin Luther King had in one of his great speeches observed that “a man can’t ride your back unless it’s bent!” just as he equally noted that “the hottest place in hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflicts.”

Could the above aphorisms probably explain the positions both the labour unions and the AGF took in respect of the restraining order that was made by a 3-man panel of the NIC barring any group in the country from embarking on any form of strike in respect of the fuel subsidy removal saga?

Does any court have the right to ban peaceful demonstrations in a democratic dispensation?

Is strike illegal? These are some of the questions that have continued to plague the minds of pundits.

Following its failure to persuade the labour unions to shelve their planned industrial action against the oil subsidy removal, the AGF went before the NIC and secured an injunction which he said was “in the interest of peace, national security and stability of the country.”

On the basis of his motion ex-parte dated January 6, the panel of Justices headed by the NIC chairman himself, Justice B. A. Adejumo, granted three separate injunctions that have since turned to a judicial child’s play.

The NIC had in its ruling, relied on the provisions of section 7(1b) and 19(a) of the NIC Act and section 254 (c) of the 1999 constitution to insist that it had the requisite jurisdiction to bar the labour unions from going to strike.

Specifically, it made an “order restraining the defendants (NLC and TUC) from embarking or compelling other persons to embark on a strike action or general strikes, mass rallies and street protests across Nigeria pending the determination of the motion on notice.

“An order restraining the defendants from embarking and/ or inciting the general public to embarking on and/ or inciting the Nigerian citizenry and the genera public to embark on genera strikes, street protests, mass rallies and any other action that would be inimical to the economic affairs of the federal republic of Nigeria pending the determination of the motion on notice.”

As well as, an order granting the federal government leave to serve the originating processes to the two defendants vide substituted means to-wit, by publication in three choice national dailies.

However, none of these orders was complied with both on the part of the government and the defendants thereby making a valid interim injunction of a court appear to have died a natural death.

It was to even become more baffling when the same subsequently court announced through a press conference, that it lacked the jurisdiction to entertain any issue bothering on the fuel subsidy removal impasse, saying it would only adjudicate on the area that bothered on strike.

Could this have been a classical case of “the egg and the hen which came first?”

Addressing the press on Wednesday, the Chief Registrar of the court, Mrs Rekiya Bosade Haastrup, while denouncing what she described as “insinuation from some quarters that a ‘black market injunction’ was obtained by the Hon. Attorney General of the Federation from the NIC”, maintained that the interim injunction was issued with a view to avoiding “break down of law and order and to ensure that there is industrial peace and harmony in the country.”

She said, “The court gave an order in the open court in the full glare of members of the public and the press in attendance. Order of the court was published in a number of national newspapers as substituted service.

“Part of the prayer of the appellant bothers on issues of oil subsidy removal. But the court made it clear in open court that it lacks jurisdiction on the matter.

“Section 7 (1b) of the National Industrial Court Act (NICA) 2006 and section 254 (c ) sub-section (1c) of the 1999 constitution, as amended, confers jurisdiction on the NICN on matter concerning strikes- matters before the court between the AGF and the NLC and TUC.

“The court declined jurisdiction on two of the prayers of the appellant which were clearly outside the jurisdiction of the court.

“The order of the court was not obtained by fraud as being peddled in some quarters. The order as given by a competent court of the land is still subsisting and ought to be respected by all parties.

“The insinuation from some quarters that a ‘black market injunction’ was obtained by the AGF from the NIC is no doubt misleading, baseless and has no iota of truth in such whatsoever.

“All rules of court were carefully observed and followed to the letter for avoidance of doubt and preserving the credibility of the court in such sensitive issue.

“The essence of the order of the court is to preserve the ‘Res’ to avoid break down of law and order and to insure that there is industrial peace and harmony in the country.

“The court has only given an order which is binding on the parties that have appeared issues before the court, that is, AGF, NLC and TUC.”

How binding was that order, remains a question that is still begging for an answer!

Meantime, following the refusal of any of the two defendants to appear in court on Thursday as they were initially ordered to, the court had no option than to shift hearing on the suit till tomorrow.

It is instructive however to note that the reason the case didn’t proceed as scheduled was not in any way because the NLC and the TUC held the order of the court in contempt but because the federal government failed to effectively serve them with the requisite court processes as was directed by the panel.

As the legal dilly-dally continue tomorrow, one may be tempted to ask himself, “Who is really running the fools errand in this matter?”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/01/fg-vs-labour-nic-and-the-fools-errand/

good,,

same 9ja, all about money

i support, but its impossible,

from the way it is going on now, i think the Boko harams will soon know where they stand and stop bombing, instead fight for thier own survival just like Prophet T.B Joshua said,

funny pictures of GEJ after removal of subsidy,and others, add your pictures too.
this man has now become a public laughing stock, why does he have to take all these embarrassments?

This is not true, rumour, i got the bc, and confirmed it from their website, nothing of such

the fear of boko haram

christains need to come out and fight,

By Nnamdi Ojiego

The Nigerian apex court, the Supreme Court, Wednesday morning, upheld the election of President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo, bringing to an end, eight months of legal tussle.

The seven-man panel of the Supreme Court unanimously agreed that Jonathan won the election saying that the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC failed to prove that the election was marred with irregularities.

Justice Olufunlola Oyelola Adekeye read the lead judgment.

It will be recalled that CPC and its presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari went to court to challenge the victory of President Jonathan, claiming irregularities and massive rigging by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, during the April election.

nonsense, another framed story/car

nonsense, he is here thanking God out of of his foolishness and somebody is dead. childishness

cgeorge:
lil wayne ft bruno mar -MIRROR

Yeah thats it, cant stop playing that, i can play it throughout the day.

u gotta love it

nepaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa