INSIDE MY OWN NIGERIA: HIGHLIGHTS OF NIGERIAN NEWS AND EVENTBEING REPORTED IN NIGERIAN NEWSPAPERS.

May 29: Outgoing governors jittery ( Sunday Punch)

As May 29, 2011 handover date approaches, outgoing governors have become jittery as law enforcement agencies are finalising plans to probe them for corruption.

SUNDAY PUNCH authoritatively learnt that the Nigeria Police Force, State Security Service, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Nigeria Immigration Service are determined to ensure that there is no hiding place for politicians who have enriched themselves for stealing public funds.

Our correspondent gathered that there has been an increase in the number of petitions against some of the governors, who have either completed their two terms or lost out in the April 16 governorship poll.

A reliable source at the EFCC, who craved anonymity, said although there had been fraud allegation against the outgoing governors before the elections, more petitions had been sent to the commission after the election.

She said, “We are even expecting more petitions. Some of the governors have been under our searchlight for sometime and we have been investigating them for allegations of fraud. Now that they will soon be out of power, more people have become more confident to report them to us.

“In fact, after May 29, we will receive more of such complaints because the governors would have lost immunity. A lot of them especially dipped their hands into the state coffers to finance the elections.

“We will however have a challenge of prosecuting the governors that were re-elected not just because of the immunity they enjoy but because it will be easy for them to cover their tracks. But for those who lost, we are more than ready for them.”

Early last week, the Chairman of the anti-crime agency, Farida Waziri, set up 15 teams to probe into the various cases of fraud levelled against some of the outgoing governors.

Waziri then sent the teams to the states to gather sufficient evidence against the governors and their cronies. The 15 teams left Abuja and some of the zonal offices of the commission for their various states of assignment last Wednesday.

The Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafemi, refused to comment on the issue on Saturday night.

He said, “I have received instructions not to talk to the press on this matter. I am not saying anything.”

SUNDAY PUNCH however gathered that in a meeting of all heads of departments at the Abuja office of the EFCC on Saturday morning, the topic of the governors being on the alert was raised.

They feared that the governors may leave the country just after May 29 to avoid investigation into their tenure.

According to the information available to our correspondent, the outgoing governors are aware that operatives of the anti-graft commission are in their states and have grown cold feet following their presence.

The spokesperson of the NIS, Joachim Olumba, however said, there was no ‘hiding for the golden fish.’

Olumba said although the NIS could not prevent corrupt politicians from fleeing the country without the backing of the law, it was willing to cooperate with other law enforcement agencies and the INTERPOL.

Olumba said, “The world has become a global village and there is no hiding place for the golden fish. We will always collaborate with the INTERPOL. We saw what happened with other corrupt governors that ran away and how the law eventually caught up with them. However, it is left for the law courts to prove that someone is corrupt. If the law orders that we should stop someone from travelling, we will do that. But then the anti-graft agencies are usually the ones to initiate such actions and will cooperate with them.”

The spokesperson of the SSS, Marilyn Ogar, however, refused to comment on whether the service has put any outgoing governor on surveillance.

Ogar described that matter as a ‘sensitive one.’

She said, “I can’t comment on such matters on the phone. It is a sensitive matter.”

Also, the Police Public Relations Officer, Shola Amore, refused to comment on the matter.

Amore said, “This is not the time for me to answer questions.”

Tears as corpses of slain ‘corpers’ leave Bauchi

Source(Sunday Tribune)

TEARS flowed yesterday as the remains of the nine corps members that were killed in Bauchi State in the post election violence that erupted on April 18 were moved from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) mortuary to their various states of origin for burial.

The corpses were evacuated by officials of the National Directorate Headquatres of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), Abuja, led by Yakubu Jok, a Deputy Director of the NYSC.

The officials arrived at the mortuary around 6 am and waited for the corpses of the fallen heroes to be dressed in their full regalia before the nine ambulances took off.

It was an emotional scene that elicited tears from the eyes of those who witnessed the evacuation.

The nine corps members were Adewumi Seu (Ekiti), Teidi Olawale Tosin (Kogi), Adowei Elliot (Bayelsa), Okpokiri Obinna (Abia), Gbenjo Ebenezer Aypotunde (Osun), Ukeoma Ikechuwku Chibuzor (Imo), Nwazema Anslem Chukwuonyerem (Imo), Adeniji Kehinde Jehleel (Osun) and Akonyi Ibrahim Sule( Kogi).

Seven of themj were killed in Giade Police station where they had ran to for safety, but the rioters overpowered the policemen on duty and killed the corpers with machetes and sticks before setting the station ablaze.

Three of the slained corps members Adowei Elliot, Ukeoma Ukewchuwu Chibuzor and Aknoyi Ibrahim Sule, were Batch A members who just left and Orientation Camp in of March and were not allowed to travel because of the general election

Slain corps members: Yuguda under fire over comment (ThisDay)

Denunciation and condemnation on Saturday trailed the comments attributed to the governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Isah Yuguda, that the National Youth Service Corps members who were murdered in the state were destined to die the way they did.

Some corps members were killed in the state as well as in some other northern states shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared the incumbent President and Peoples Democratic Party standard-bearer, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, winner of the April 16 presidential poll.

Specifically, nine corps members were reportedly killed in Bauchi State.

Property worth millions of Naira were also destroyed in the post-election violence in which the irate youths were protesting the defeat of the Congress for Progressive Change standard-bearer, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) by Jonathan.

Jonathan polled over 21million votes to beat other contenders comprising Buhari, the All Nigeria Peoples Party standard-bearer, Ibrahim Shekarau, and his Action Congress of Nigeria counterpart, Nuhu Ribadu.

However, speaking to our correspondents on Saturday, some eminent Nigerians among them the former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide; Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum, Gen, Ibrahim Haruna; former governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa; former governor of old Anambra State; Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife; and spokesperson to the Congress for Progressive Change Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said Yaguda’s comments were condemnable.

Haruna who spoke to one of our correspondents on Friday described the reports attributed to the governor as disappointing.

Haruna said there was no justification for the slaughter of young Nigerians because of politics.

He said it was inconceivable for anybody with human feelings to make such a comment on the gruesome killing of young innocent Nigerian graduates in the service of their fatherland.

To him, what was expected of Yuguda was for him to join other Nigerians to eulogise them as heroes and to name structures after them to alleviate the pangs of their loss.

He called on the Federal Government to exploit the instrumentality of the law to ensure effective maintenance of peace and security.

He said that it was grim for such young men to be killed because of politics because the country was not in a state of war. He added, “I am saddened by what he said. Is there any justification for any young, hopeful Nigerian to be killed because of politics?

Akinjide, who described the governor’s comment as unwarranted, opined that a leader must be discreet at all times in handling issues that affected lives. He said, “It is sad that the governor of a state should treat human life with levity.

“Was it not in Bauchi that a teacher was murdered because one of the students was alleged to cover up something? That lady came from the South. She was not the person who used the Quran to wrap something.

“A governor, as the chief security officer of the state, is expected to be a role model and should uphold the rule of law and promote peace and harmony in his state. Human life is too sacred to be toiled with.”

The former Attorney General explained that even the Commissioner of Police in the state was responsible to the governor and as such should be taking orders from him. He said that explained why in every state the governor is the chairman of the Security Council while the CP is only a member together with the Attorney-General.

Similarly, a former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Abubakar Tsav, said the statement attributed to Yuguda was most unfortunate and unbecoming of somebody in his position as a governor of a state where such killings took place.

He said that Yuguda should have at least shown sympathy to the corps members, their families and indeed the country.

Tsav said, “It is most unfortunate, this is unexpected of somebody in the position of a governor. He should have shown sympathy with the corps members, their families and Nigeria.”

Musa simply summarised his opinion by saying, “I think it is being insensitive and quite undiplomatic.”

Odumakin, who strongly condemned the governor’s assertion, said, “What Governor Yuguda said further confirmed that Nigeria is a nation founded on iniquity, sustained by hypocrisy and is on a balance of uneven scale. That is why today we talk about peace and nobody is talking about justice. Even if he was truly attacked in Ibadan in 1979 as he claimed, is that enough to justify the killing of corps members in his state? General Muhammadu Buhari did not make such inciting comment but went on air to discourage the people from causing violence. That is the prize of leadership.”

However, Ezeife contended that the governor’s statement depended on how each individual viewed it. He said that some people believe in destiny and stretch the belief to the limit because of the doctrine of their religion. “You have to be careful not to expect so much from such people,” he said adding that the governor’s statement was not provocative.

Yuguda had said while speaking with journalists in Bauchi on Thursday that the corps members who got killed in the state were not the only victims of the unfortunate violence that followed the presidential election.

He recalled to the shock of journalists that his son was almost lynched while his house was torched.

“They (corps members) were destined to experience what they experienced. Nobody can run away from destiny. When they were serving me, they were the happiest in Nigeria.

“Immediately I handed them over to INEC, it was the responsibility of INEC to protect them. They were not the only ones affected. My own house was burnt; they almost lynched my first son. It is part of their destiny. I was also attacked as a corps member in Ibadan in 1979.

“They were attacked on the services of INEC,” he was quoted as having said.

Also, a former Security Advisor to Rivers State Government, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, condemned the statement.

He stated that Yuguda had failed the nation by issuing inciting statements.

Meanwhile, in a statement titled ‘PUNCH goofed as Yuguda was misquoted’ made available to SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, Bauchi State government said the governor was not quoted correctly.

The statement signed by the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Media/Public Affairs, Sanusi Muhammad, quoted the governor as saying during the media briefing that “The death of the corp members was purely an act of destiny. As human beings we should always accept our destiny either in our favour or against our interest. The unfortunate death of the corp members was destined to happen in the course of their service to Nigeria. Every new day is a new experience to all living souls which we must contend.

“After the unfortunate attack on the corp members that led to the untimely death of some in some remote areas of the state on receiving the report, I swiftly acted and made sure that those evacuated are camped at the Senior Staff Development Centre of Directorate of State Security Service in Bauchi metropolis were comfortable and well protected. I paid several visits to the camp to boost their morale and comfort them. Each of them was given a token amount to take care of their immediate needs while in the camp. I have vowed to bring the perpetrators of the crime to book as several arrests have already been made.

“At a time when all efforts are being made to ensure return to normalcy and the need to rebuild frontiers of harmonious relationship and friendship, we urge the media not to play with the destiny of the country through sensationalism and outright mischief.”

Workers’ Day: Ajimobi promises Oyo workers improved welfare (Sunday Tribune)

Oyo State governor elect, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has promised workers in the state  better welfare package that would see them enjoy more reward for their positive contri-butions to the growth of the state.

Ajimobi made the promise in his May Day message to the people of the state.

The statement by the Director of Publicity, Senator Abiola Ajimobi Campaign Organization, Mr Yanju Adegbite, said the governor-elect congratulated all workers on the occasion of another Workers’ Day and urged them to use the occasion to reflect on the past and prepare for future challenges.

“We are all happy for the change in Oyo State and I congratulate our workers too on witnessing another Workers’ Day celebration. I assure them all that they will not regret voting for me and my party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), in the last election,” the state-ment read.

The governor-elect also promised that under his administration the state would wear a new look just as he stressed that he would fulfill all his electoral promises to the people of the state.

Obasanjo, Daniel trade blame over PDP’s failure in Ogun (ThisDay)
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, are trading blame over the setback that the Peoples Democratic Party experienced in the just concluded general elections in the state.

Obasanjo, while reacting to the question on why the party lost the state to the opposition party (Action Congress of Nigeria) blamed it on the people’s frustration with the style of Governor Daniel’s administration.

He said the people of the state decided to vote for the ACN and not his candidate, Chief Adetunji Olurin, due to the pervading frustration of the people in the last eight years.

The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP in a statement signed by the Chairman of the Media and Publicity of the Olurin Campaign Organisation, Mr. Lai Labode, regretted the unimpressive performance of the party in the general elections.

The statement made available to our correspondent on Saturday indicated that in spite of the spirited grass roots campaigns embarked upon in support of Chief Olurin, he lost as a result of the bad leadership of Daniel.

He added that the people of Ogun State had spoken with their votes to reject Daniel not Olurin.

Daniel attributed the party’s poor showing at the poll to Obasanjo’s high handedness.

The governor, who spoke through one of his aides, Mr. Raheem Ajayi, in an interview with our correspondent, blamed the party’s failure on the crisis rocking it.

Ajayi, who is the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Party of Nigeria said, “It is quite a pity that the high handedness of a single individual was allowed to ruin the prospects of the party in the state.”

It will be recalled that the Ogun PDP crisis deepened as a result of the clash of interest between the Obasanjo and Daniel’s camp over the emergence of the party’s governorship standard-bearer in the last election.

While Obasanjo supported the PDP standard-bearer, Olurin, Daniel threw his weight behind Gboyega Isiaka who defected to the Peoples Party of Nigeria.

POLITICAL BIGWIGS LOSE OUT - Bankole, Adeleke, Omisore, Obasanjo, Obasanjo-Bello, Adedubu early victims( Punch)

Results of Saturday’s National Assembly elections announced on Sunday by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission showed many Peoples Democratic Party heavyweights defeated in their senatorial districts and constituencies.

The results also indicated that the PDP might lose its stranglehold on the National Assembly with its majority membership and a sign of the end of its relevance in the South-West politics.

Among the heavyweights that were defeated by candidates of opposition parties in the Sout-West are the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, Senators Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, Iyiola Omisore and Bode Olajumoke and two former governors — Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Olusegun Agagu.

But two other former governors— Orji Kalu (Progressive Peoples Allaince) and Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani (Peoples Democratic Congress) lost their bids to become senators, to their PDP opponents, in Abia and Enugu.

Bankole was floored by Williams Olusegun of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Abeokuta South Federal Constituency in Ogun State while Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, was defeated by Gbenga Obadara, also of the ACN in Ogun Central District.

Obadara polled 102,389 votes while Obasanjo-Bello had a distant 56,312 ballots.

In Ogun West Senatorial District, Mr. Akin Odunsi of the ACN won with 61,362 ballots ahead of Mr. Babatunde Fadun of the PDP), who got 59,949.

A former Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Gbenga Kaka of the ACN beat his main opponent, Mr. Mohammed Odunowo, of the PDP in Ogun East Senatorial District.

Bankole accepted his defeat in a statement on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Kayode Odunaro.

He described “the exercise (election) as a good omen in our national quest to entrench democracy,” declaring that, “For me, the race was not a life-and-death duel.”

Results for the Senate in Oyo State showed the ACN clinching two seats and the PDP’s one.

The winners of the senatorial election are Chief Olufemi Lanlehin (Oyo South), Mr. Ayo Adeseun (Oyo Central) and Mr. Hosea Agboola of the PDP (Oyo North).

The main surprise in the contest is the defeat of Senator Kamoru Adedibu, the son of the late Ibadan prominent politician, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, by Lanlehin.

Adeseun also defeated Chief Jumoke Akinjide, daughter of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide.

For the House of Representatives, the PDP had five seats; ACN, four; and Accord Party, four. The result for one seat was being awaited as at 6pm on Sunday.

The ACN winners are Mr. Abiodun Awoleye, Mr. Kola Olabiyi; and Mr. Kamil Akinlabi.

In Osun State, Prof. Sola Adeyeye of the ACN defeated Oyinlola in Osun Central while Mr. Jide Omoworare also of the ACN floored Omisore in Osun East. Senator Isiaka Adeleke, a former governor of the state, also lost to ACN’s Mudasiru Oyetunde in Osun West. I t was also a clean sweep for the ACN in the House of Reps contest in the state.

Labour Party won two senatorial slots in Ondo State while the PDP secured one.

Olajumoke lost to LP’s Prof. Ajayi Boroffice; and Mr. Gbenga Ogunniya to Ayo Akinyelure. Agagu of the PDP also lost to Boluwaji Kunlere of the LP in Ondo South.

The LP had won seven seats out of nine House of Representatives slots announced as at 4pm on Sunday.

The ACN also had smooth contest in Lagos State where INEC announced two of its candidates —Mrs. Remi Tinubu and Gbenga Ashafa — as winners in Lagos Central Senatorial District and Lagos East.

Remi is the wife of a former governor of the state and ACN chieftain, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Unconfirmed reports, however, had it that ACN’s Ganiyu Solomon was reelected as the Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District.

INEC also announced Hakeem Gbajabiamila and 14 others as winners of the House of Representatives poll in the state. The remaining nine seats of the 24 that the state has in the House were yet to be released as at press time on Sunday.

The ACN had an impressive run in Edo State also as two of its candidates won. One of them is Domingo Obende, who clinched the Edo North ticket. The remaining seat was clinched by the PDP.

The results from Kwara State put to rest, the debate on who had a greater political clout between Governor Bukola Saraki of the PDP and his father, Chief Olusola Saraki.

The governor trounced his father’s Allied Congress party of Nigeria by emerging a Senator-elect in Kwara Central. The PDP also won in Kwara South where it fielded Senator Simeon Ajibola. The third senatorial seat (Kwara North) was won by a former Governor Mohammed Lafiaji.

The PDP also had it easy in Rivers, Abia and Enugu states as it won all the nine seats meant for the three states in the Senate.

It candidates in Rivers State – Senator George Sekibo, Magnus Abe and Senator Wilson Ake – won in Rivers East, South and West Senatorial Districts.

The biggest casualty in Abia State is the former governor and Progressive Peoples Alliance candidate, Chief Kalu, who lost to a serving Senator, Chief Uche Chukwumerije.

Senator Nkechi Nworgu won in the Abia Central district while a former deputy governor of the state, Mr. Enyinnaya Abaribe, emerged victorious in Abia South.

Four House of Representatives candidates were also announced as winners as at 4pm on Sunday. The four – all PDP members – are Mr.. Ezinche Ubani, Mrs. Nkiru Onyejeocha, Nnenna Ukeje, and Udo Ibeji.

The winners in Enugu are Chief Gilbert Nnaji, who defeated former governor Chimaroke Nnamani of the Peoples Democratic Congress; the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Ayogu Eze; and Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu.

As at 4 pm, the PDP also won in seven Federal constituencies that had been announced by INEC returning officers.

The seven candidates are Ofor Chukwu Egbe, Kingsley Ebenyi; Patrick Asadu, Tobias Okechukwu, Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, Ifennyi Ugwuanyi, and Peace Nanji.

The results from Anambra State showed Dr. Andy Uba and Mr. John Emeka of the PDP winning in Anambra South Senatorial District and Anambra North.

Dr. Chris Ngige of the ACN was beaten by Prof. Dora Akunyili of the All Progressive Grand Alliance in Anambra Central Senatorial District.

Ngige is a former governor of the state which Akunyili is a former Minister of Information and Communication.

In Benue State, the President of the Senate, Mr. David Mark, of the PDP defeated his closest opponent, Lawrence Onoja of the ACN in Benue South Senatorial District.

Also, as at the time of filing this report, a former Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Barnabas Gemade, was maintaining a heavy lead against incumbent Senator Joseph Akaagerger of the ACN in the contest for the Benue north East Senatorial Zone. Election for the third Senatorial district in the state, Benue North West, was postponed till April 26, 2011 due to logistic mix up.

In Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Smart Adeyemi (PDP) retained his seat in the Senate by defeating Joseph Faniyi of CPC.

Results from Katsina showed that the Congress for Progressive Change was making inroads into the traditional strongholds of the PDP.

The CPC candidate Alhaji Sani Stores defeated his PDP opponent, Senator Ibrahim Ida of the PDP in Katsina Senatorial District.

The PDP also suffered defeat in Katsina Federal Constituency as its candidate Mariam Umaru Yar’Adua, daughter of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua was defeated by a CPC candidate, Mohammed Tukur.

In Gombe Central Senatorial District, Governor Mohammed Goje (PDP) won the election while in Kaduna Central Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Saleh of the CPC beat Hamisu Mairago of the PDP.

I was offered N10m bribe – Returning Officer (From the Guardian)

The Election Returning Officer for Anambra Central Senatorial district election, Mr. Alex Anene, on Sunday alleged that he was offered N10m, a duplex and scholarships for his children to persuade him to declare a particular candidate winner of the Saturday poll.

Anene told journalists that he abandoned his post and failed to declare the election result because his life was threatened. He however would not say the candidate that was threatening his life or who he was asked to return as the winner of the election. He said he was a staff of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Anene’s abandonment of the process practically threw the election for the Anambra Central Senatorial zone into a stalemate. The Independent National Electoral Commission is yet to issue a statement on the matter.

Prof. Dora Akunyili of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and Dr. Chris Ngige of the Action Congress of Nigeria were in close race for the senatorial seat before Anene abandoned his post.

But at a secluded ceremony in the office of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Awka, the Returning Officer for Anambra South, Prof. Nick Okoye, declared Dr. Andy Uba of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the senatorial election in the zone.

The declaration was said to have been taken away from the zonal collation centre in Nnewi because of the fear of Uba’s opponent in the PDP, Mr. Nicholas Ukachukwu, who insisted that he was the rightful candidate of the party.

Ukachukwu had mobilized his supporters to Nnewi where he hoped to be declared the winner of the election. While Uba was endorsed by INEC as the PDP candidate for Anambra South, Ukachukwu was endorsed by the national working committee of the PDP.

U.S. envoy lauds Nigeria’s polls (From the Guardian)
THE United States (U.S.) government seems upbeat about Nigeria overcoming its electoral challenges through the current exercise that began last Saturday.

Specifically, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State on African Affairs, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, yesterday praised the electoral process so far, even as he noted that “the integrity of Prof. Attahiru Jega, chairman of INEC,” has enhanced the credibility of the process that most observers have hailed so far.

Besides, the former U.S. envoy to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, who observed the elections in Abuja, Nasarawa and Kaduna states on Saturday in the company of U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and some other foreign observers, praised the “passion and energy of the young men and women who are electoral officers from the National Youth Service Corps.”

The American diplomat, who had interaction with journalists in Abuja yesterday, said “the future of Nigeria rests on the strength of its democratic institutions”, which last Saturday’s election has represented.

He was upbeat that the electoral process has been significantly different from the last election in 2007.

His words: “I compliment Prof. Jega, his team and the Youth Corps members... Professor Jega and his team have bounced back well after the April 2 election failure... It is good to acknowledge the good work of Jega and Nigeria Youth Service Corps members.

“It is clear there is greater enthusiasm about these elections... People went to the polls, they were accredited, and they voted without any hindrance. I saw no malfeasance in any of the polling stations we visited. I didn’t see any anomaly or irregularities...Yes, we saw the need for some voter education, as some voters didn’t know what to do with the ballot papers. Besides, there should be some standardisation of procedures... “

The U.S. envoy, in response to a question, denied that he was part of the political moves that shaped the choice of Jega among three nominees, including Buhari Bello of National Human Rights Commission.

His words: “Prior to his appointment, I never met him. I did not advocate his position. This is a role and responsibility for Nigerians. It is true that I was not a friend of the former Chairman of INEC... I felt very strong that the U.S. government should not put any money in support of the commission that did not want democracy or strong institutions under Professor Iwu... We had doubts about his integrity. I was very happy to see Iwu depart. I was very happy to see Jega appointed... His integrity as a university professor, as a civil activist, he has many of the qualifications needed. But the most important is his integrity...”

He said the U.S. interest in Nigeria was predicated on the premise that, “We want a democratic Nigeria to take its rightful place as Africa’s largest population, economic dynamo in West Africa, as a top exporter of oil to even the United States.”

He noted that Nigeria’s democracy would be the gainer if Jonathan loses and steps aside. His words: “There have been presidents that have lost elections and stepped aside... Atta Mills of Ghana has been one of them that defeated a ruling party... The beauty of democracy is when you see institutions stronger than individuals... In a democracy, if you lose, step aside. It is good for democracy.”

ACN leads in Edo State (From the Guardian)
RESULTS released Sunday morning in Edo State showed the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was in clear lead against the other political parties in the National Assembly election conducted on Saturday in the state.

Though the entire results had not been released, in Edo-North Senatorial District, the ACN candidate, Domingo Obende, led Yisa Braimoh, a sitting senator by 111,535 to 65,264.

The result in Edo-South Senatorial District had not been released officially as at the time of filing this report, but The Guardian confirmed that the ACN candidate in the district, Edobor Uzamere, was leading with a large margin against Senator Daisy Danjuma, wife of the former Minister of Defence, Theophilus Danjuma.
In the 35 units of the Edo-South Senatorial District visited yesterday, PDP only won five while the ACN won in the remaining 30.

Also in the Oredo Federal Constituency, Razak Bello-Osagie, who is the House of Representatives candidate for the ACN, polled 31,039, while Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama of the PDP scored 9,263 votes. Jeffery Imanuagbena of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) polled 209, the Congress for Progressive Change candidate for the same position, Shaharazu Usman, polled 1,068 and Sunny Aguebor of the Labour Party (LP) polled 1887.

In the Etsako Federal Constituency, the ACN candidate, Abubakar Momoh, polled 52,657 against the PDP's Abbas Braimoh, who polled 24,129.
The ACN candidate for Orhiomwon/Uhumwode Federal Constituency and sitting member of the House of Representatives, Samson Osagie, also won his constituency, although the exact figure was not yet known.

The election, which started late in some of the polling units across the state, had begun with excitement on the part of the candidates. But as voting began, most of the candidates resigned to fate.
For example, in Eyaen Primary School where Daisy Danjuma voted, she was there as early as 7.00 a.m., and left before the completion of the exercise.

In Edo-North, Governor Adams Oshiomhole was fully on the ground to ensure that his 'One Man, One Vote' mantra was strictly adhered to. He drove himself throughout the day in his bullet-proof sports utility van till his dream to deliver the district was actualised.
When the PDP state Vice Chairman, Dickson Imasogie, was contacted, he agreed that the election was peaceful in the state as he said his party lost a youth leader in the early hours of Saturday.

The youth leader, David Ogie, was said to have been murdered by unknown gunmen in the house of another PDP chieftain in the state.
Mr. Imasogie also accused the ACN and state governor of inducing the people with money.
According to him, the process leading to the election had shown that the PDP would win, but "between Monday when the election was deferred and Saturday when it held, the governor had pumped more money into the campaign to ensure that only the ACN candidates win.

But the people of the state have denied the allegation, maintaining that they decided to vote for the ACN to show the governor that they appreciated his good works in the state.
What could the PDP government in the state do in the past 12 years that Oshiomhole has not surpassed in the past two years?" asked a voter, who gave his name simply as Omorogbe.

"The success of the exercise is the result of intense campaign and enlightenment of the voters across the state who have now shown their love for him", he said. Before the election, Oshiomhole, who has executed enough projects to draw praises from the people, had led the campaign informing the entire Edo people that a vote for any of the ACN candidate is a vote for him.

This showed in some of the polling units where the voters did not even bother who the ACN candidate was. All they did was to thumb-print on the ACN logo because, according to them, they were voting for the governor whether he was in the race or not.
Other candidates who judged the election as peaceful in the state included the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Egor/Ikpoba Okhar Federal Constituency, Ifaluyi Isibor, former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly and PDP member, Levis Aigbogun.

PDP sweeps Abuja seats (From the Guardian)
THE ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won the lone Senatorial and two House of Representatives seats in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Announcing the results yesterday, the Returning Officer for the Senatorial election, Dr. Clement Chup, said Mr. Philip Tanimu, currently member of House of Representatives representing AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency, polled 105,562 votes to beat his closet rival, Musa Tanko Abari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), who polled 54, 307 votes.

The candidate for the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), Aminu Mohammed Danmaliki, came third as he polled 17, 673;  Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) standardbearer, Mr. Salisu Yunusa Musa, came fourth, polling 11,658.

Also, Dr. Malcom Fabiyi of the National Transformation Party (NTP) polled 4,489, while Dr. Kayode Ajulo of the Labour Party scored 3, 930.

For the House of Representatives, Jephaniah Jisalo, immediate past AMAC Chairman of the PDP, won the AMAC/Bwari seat by polling 54, 631, beating his closest rival, Yakubu Adamu Mohammed of the CPC, who polled 46,550.

Similarly, the PDP candidate for Kuje/Gwagwalada/Abaji/Kwali Federal Constituency, Mr. Isa Ega Dobi, also won his seat.

Government to set gas revolution agenda (Guardian Newspaper)
A MAJOR plan to fast-track Nigeria’s industrial rebirth through a gas revolution anchored on the construction of two world scale petrochemical plants, two fertiliser plants, five fertilizer blending plants, a methanol plant and a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) distribution plant, is set to be unveiled by the Federal Government.

President Goodluck Jonathan will this week launch the gas revolution agenda that would position Nigeria as the undisputed regional hub for gas-based industries.

Speaking in Abuja yesterday on the ambitious plan, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, said the agenda would spread industrialisation, create wealth rapidly and generate up to 700,000 new jobs in both gas plants and agricultural industries that will spring from the initiative.

She stressed that Nigeria through the agenda would move its gas production figure which stands at one billion cubic feet per day (cfpd) to over 10 billion cfpd by 2020 which is in strict realisation with the 2020 economic development agenda.

Alison-Madueke noted that to realise the goal would require radical review of how the nationwide gas potential is harnessed.

Providing details of the Federal Government’s gas-driven industrialisation agenda, which is billed to be launched on Thursday by the President, Mrs. Alison-Madueke said the petrochemical and fertiliser projects, which will attract over $10 billion Foreign Direct Investment between 2012 and 2014, would have a huge impact on the Nigerian economy.

“Globally, the petrochemical value chain is known as a major creator of employment. Based on our planned investment in the 1.3 million tonne per annum capacity petrochemical plant, it is estimated that over 200,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created,” the minister explained.

Speaking further on the economic benefits the gas-to-fertiliser project, Alison-Madueke stated that the fertilizer plants are strategically planned to impact positively on the agricultural sector to create agricultural revolution that would make food available and affordable to millions of Nigerians.

“More importantly, however, is the explosion in employment creation that will arise from the boost in agricultural productivity and the related agro and food processing industries that will emerge. Over 500,000 jobs are estimated from this agriculture-related agenda as well as an attendant increase in the nation’s GDP”, she added.

In order to meet the gas need required for the massive industrialisation programme of the administration, the minister reiterated the Federal Government’s decision to intensify exploration for hydrocarbons in the inland sedimentary basins consisting of Anambra Basin, Bida Basin, Dahomey Basin, Gongola/Yola Basin, Sokoto Basin, the Middle/Lower Benue Trough and the Chad Basin, using the latest seismic technology including electromagnetic surveys.

“By enhancing the prospectivity of these basins, we hope to build significant supply bases across the various geo-political zones that complement the existing gas supply centres in the Niger Delta”, she stated.

Alison-Madueke further explained that besides the critical Calabar-Ajaokuta-Kano gas pipeline proposed to link the existing gas zones to other parts of the country, additional spur lines originating from the envisaged new supply centres in the inland basins are planned to enhance the growth of local supply and consumption.

Her words: “Mr. President has set an ambitious gas agenda that will be launched on Thursday. Mr. President has a strong vision and passion to re-industrialise Nigeria using this vast natural resource that the country is so richly endowed with. The delivery of his vision is anchored on a few key cardinal principles which are: significantly improve power availability for all; re-positioning of Nigeria as the undisputed regional hub for gas-based industries such as fertilizer, petrochemicals and methanol; and a geographically spread industrialisation, creating wealth rapidly across the nation.”

She explained that to grow the gas at the estimated pace, there is the need for gas flexibility and supply base which call for the strategic development of various inland basins, in addition to the Niger Delta and offshore basins.

According to her, in the Chad basins, about 531 square kilometres of seismic data had been acquired and another 1,500 square kilometres are being planned to be acquired by the end of the year while appropriate budgetary provisions have been made for acquisition of high definition 3-D seismic data.

The minister also revealed that over the next five years, government would be prioritising about $1 billion on further seismic data gathering, aeromagnetic surveys, exploration and appraisal drilling.

“By enhancing the prospectivity of these basins, we hope to build significant supply bases across the various geo-political zones that complement the existing gas supply centres in the Niger Delta.”

Base on the ambition, Alison-Madueke submitted that the current pipeline infrastructure which is anchored around the Calabar-Ajaokuta-Kano line will be further complimented by a network of additional spur lines originating from the new supply centres in the inland basins to enhance the growth of local supply and consumption. The critical gas pipeline, she disclosed, will cost about $2 billion and that focus on its rapid delivery is on-going.

She highlighted that the creation of sustainable gas platform for investment in gas supply growth through revised commercial framework for gas has resulted in gas supply to power generation.

She added: “For the first time in several years, we are now in a position of net surplus in gas availability relative to the requirements of the power sector in the short term. We have about 150mmcf/d surplus supply potential currently which can very quickly add about 500 megawatt to the current generating capacity on the national grid. We will consolidate on the gains in power with further growth in supply development and delivery of critical gas infrastructure such as the Ob/Ob-Oben line, Calabar-Ajaokuta-Kano line. Base on our on-going supply development effort, we expect to have over 2.5 billion cfpd of gas supply destined specifically to the power sector, supporting significant additional capacity by 2014. By 2020, we would be looking at a supply capacity of about 10 billion cfpd for the power sector, in line with Mr. President’s target for Vision 20: 2020 of 40 gigawatt.”

She stressed that the combination of the planned investment will in one swoop result in the most significant in-flow of Foreign Direct Investment of over $10 billion between 2012 and 2014 when all the plants are expected to be functional.

Other dignitaries present at the event include the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Goni Sheikh, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Austen Oniwon and other top officials of the NNPC.

Youths stone Ribadu’s convoy in Zamfara •ACN Bauchi gov candidate attacked, one killed (Nigerian Tribune)
ACTION Congress of Nigeria (ACN) presidential candidate, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, escaped being lynched in Zamfara

on Saturday when furious youths barricaded and stoned his motorcade at the palace of the Emir of Gusau.

Eyewitnesses told the Nigerian Tribune that it took the intervention of the police and other security personnel to disperse the crowd before Mallam Ribadu could sneak into the palace.

Investigation by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that the party was enmeshed in crisis, following the replacement of its governorship standard-bearer, Alhaji Sarki Surajo, with Alhaji Bala Muhammad Dansadau.

The youth, who stormed the emir’s palace, were angry because of the way the state leadership of the party replaced their candidate and they were insisting that their presidential candidate Mallam Ribadu must come along with their candidate.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen, the embattled governorship candidate of the ACN in Zamfara State, Alhaji Surajo, maintained that he was still the standard-bearer of the party in the state.

According to him, “we have a pending court case in the Federal High Court until the court rules otherwise.

“So what happened today (Saturday) was a clear contempt of the court. Nobody has the right to give any flag to anybody,” Surajo declared.

Meanwhile, Mallam Ribadu has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being responsible for the recent political crisis bedevilling the country.

“The party (PDP) in its quest for power is gradually planting the seed of discord and heating the polity. It seems today, most Nigerians do not have confidence in the party and government.”

Speaking in Gusau, on Saturday, during a presidential campaign tour, Ribadu took a swipe at the antecedents at the ruling PDP in the last 12 years and concluded that the PDP was the main problem facing Nigeria.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that at least one person was killed while seven others were seriously injured at the weekend when armed political thugs attacked the campaign team of Bauchi State governorship candidate of the ACN, Senator Baba Tela in Giade.

Briefing newsmen on the incident in Bauchi, on Sunday, the ACN deputy governorship candidate, Mallam Ali Wakili and the Media Adviser to Senator Tela, Nasiru Ibrahim Darazo, said, “the thugs burnt down five vehicles in our train and molested people until armed policemen came to our rescue.”

They added that the policemen saved the victims from the assailants and advised them to conclude their campaign rally and leave the town since their security could not be guaranteed, considering the greater number of the thugs compared to the policemen around.

Darazo also said that they had given the Bauchi State government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he alleged sponsored the thugs, five days to pay them compensation or a necessary action be taken against them.

Wakili said after they left Giade town on their way to Azare, the thugs blocked the road and burnt down another vehicle, while the policemen had to intervene before they could continue their journey to Azare.

The state Police Commissioner, Mohammed Abdulkadir Indabawa, said “they informed me about the incident and I advised them to report the matter to the Giade police division for necessary action.”

In their separate reactions to the allegations, the publicity secretary of the PDP, Sani Al’amin Moham-med and the Special Adviser to Governor Isa Yuguda on Politics and Mobilisation, Abdulmumini Mohammed Kundak, said the PDP and the state government had no hand in the attack, adding that the government had sponsored a bye law that prohibited the use of weapons during campaigns.

They said that it was mischief for the AC N to blame the PDP and the state government.

April polls: Politicians acquire police, diplomatic number plates(Nigerian Tribune)
AHEAD of the forthcoming general election, politicians now use police and diplomatic vehicle number plates for both their electioneering and private use to beat security checks. A highly placed security source made the revelations to the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja at the weekend.

The source, however, hinted that the development had been brought to the notice of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Hafiz Ringim, for necessary action.

This is coming just as a very senior police officer at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday that the IGP had already directed the commissioners of police in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to as a matter of urgency clamp down on all those using such unauthorised vehicle number plates, describing it as an illegal act,“ inimical to the nation’s security.”

“Yes, I can confirm to you that some unscrupulous people in the society are in possession of both special police and diplomatic vehicle number plates. This is not only illegal but criminal, right now, the IGP has directed that such number plates be withdrawn with immediate effect, while anybody caught should be made to face the wrath of the law,” the source said.

According to the source, “these special police number plates are exclusively meant for the banks, not even microfinance banks, so, any individual who converts such vehicle number plates for private use should be ready to face the music, there is no short cut to it, the law is very clear.”

It was gathered that such illegally acquired police and Diplomatic plate Numbers are fitted on exotic cars and pilot vehicles blaring siren indiscriminately to allow occupants free access on the highways.

The Federal Government, had, last month, placed a ban on the use of tinted glass vehicles nationwide, alleging that such vehicles were being used to perpetrate criminal activities, especially kidnapping.

Further checks by the Nigerian Tribune showed that it was in an attempt to outwit both the government and the police who were directed to effect compliance with the directive that made the politicians to resort to the use of both the police and diplomatic number plates.

Though, the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Olusola Amore, could not be immediately reached for comments, a very senior officer who asked not to be named confirmed the development.

According to him, ”we are aware of this, in a matter of days, we will get at these involved.”

ACN woos Atiku’s loyalists in S/West (Nigerian Tribune)
WITH less than three weeks to the April polls, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has commenced fresh moves to shore up its support base in the South-West by reaching out to loyalists of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in the region. Details of the strategy, which included ‘painful concessions,’ according to a source, emerged amidst reports that the ACN’s moves were the fallout of the party’s inability to have the support of its erstwhile ally, the Labour Party as the general election approaches.

LP’s support for the presidential bid of President Goodluck Jonathan against ACN’s Mallam Nuhu Ribadu had led to the collapse of the ‘political understanding’ between the two parties.

The latest moves by the ACN are coming a week after the party said it did not need the support of the LP at the forthcoming polls.

The source told the Nigerian Tribune that the party’s ‘engagement’ with members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who were the former vice-president’s foot soldiers in the zone in the run-up to the presidential primary is a three- pronged approach.

“Politics is gradually becoming interesting now as we approach the elections; we are very sure we will win convincingly in the South-West because the PDP is gradually getting off the minds of the people in the region.

“As far as we are concerned, no stone will be left unturned. In fact, we are reaching out to those who were very passionate about Atiku’s presidential ambition in the South-West until they were forced to do the bidding of those undemocratic elements within the PDP at the presidential primary.

“I cannot reveal details of our strategies to you now but all I know is that anywhere the ACN is very strong in any of the states, those of them who supported Atiku will give their support in all the elections and they will not regret that.

“But anywhere there are challenges for our party and these pro-Atiku elements have their men as the PDP candidates, we will also not hesitate to give them support. They could be painful concessions, but it appears from all indications that the PDP godfathers have decided to shut them out of circulation,” he said.

Although he declined to give further details on the planned new understanding, investigations by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that political patronage is also being considered for the pro-Abubakar elements in two ACN-controlled states in the South-West.

Ondo State is a likely battle ground where ACN’s new strategy will be put to the test as some former political associates of the immediate past governor, Dr Olusegun Agagu, who supported Abubakar during the presidential primary have already opened discussions with the party’s leadership.

Only three weeks ago, former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, as well as the national chairman of the ACN, Chief Bisi Akande, at a campaign rally in Akure, the Ondo State capital, described the LP as worse than the PDP, even as they called Governor Olusegun Mimiko an ‘ingrate’ for not supporting their party.

A’Ibom, Rivers feud over oil wells lingers (Guardian Newspaper)
IN its first full reaction to the Supreme Court ruling transferring 86 oil wells from Akwa Ibom State to Rivers State, the Akwa Ibom State government has denied that the state had at any time signed an agreement ceding any of its oil wells to Rivers State.

Akwa Ibom State government was last week ordered by the Supreme Court to hand over 86 oil wells to Rivers State government in a landmark ruling.

The apex court also ordered Akwa Ibom State to pay revenues plus interest accruing from the wells from April 2009 till date.

A political agreement was purportedly brokered by former President Olusegun Obasanjo for both states over the oil wells, with former Governors Victor Attah and Peter Odili signing for Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.

But at an interaction with reporters yesterday, Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Umana Okon Umana, denied knowledge of any pact between the two states.

Instead, he claimed that Rivers State was still owing Akwa Ibom a whopping N75 billion in arrears for the Akwa Ibom oil wells allegedly arbitrarily ceded to Rivers by former President Obasanjo.

Umana said: “In 2004, former President Olusegun Obasanjo came up with what he called a ‘political solution’ by which 172 oil wells earlier arbitrarily taken from Akwa Ibom State were shared on 50-50 basis between Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.

“Though the so-called political solution which imposed a 50-50 sharing of the disputed oil wells was to come into effect in 2006, Rivers State kept the 172 oil wells and collected all derivation revenues accrued from them until 2009 when the current government of Akwa Ibom State appealed to late President Umaru

Yar’Adua to correct the injustice of the so-called political solution which had no basis in law or any technical consideration.

“If the political solution which the Supreme Court relied on for the judgment were to subsist, Rivers State would refund to Akwa Ibom State all arrears of all revenues accrued from 2006 to 2009 on the 50 per cent share of the oil wells, which are in excess of N75 billion.”

But Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, has disclosed that the proceeds from the 86 oil wells returned to the state from Akwa Ibom State from the Supreme Court would be applied judiciously to complete some on-going projects.

Amaechi, who had prior to the Supreme Court judgment on Friday promised not to embark on new projects due to dwindling revenues, said with the return of the 86 oil wells, the revenue to be refunded by Akwa Ibom would be used to initiate new projects.

The governor stated this at a fund-raising dinner organised by his friends and associates in Port Harcourt.

Similarly, women in Rivers State have expressed optimism that the 86 oil wells returned to the state by the Supreme Court would fast-track development in the state.

According to the governor’s wife, Mrs. Judith Amaechi, Rivers women received the news of the Supreme Court ruling with joy, as it would accelerate economic and infrastructural development in the state.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Rivers South-East, Magnus Ngei Abe, has attributed alleged campaign of calumny against Amaechi to lack of development ideas on the part of opposition parties.

Speaking at an interactive session with Youths of Onne in Eleme Local Council, Abe said he has listened to the opposition candidates carefully but could not spot any concrete development-related plan proffered by any of them.

He said instead of the parties to say what they intend to do to outmatch what PDP has been doing, they have resorted to sentiments such as “Amaechi is arrogant;” “he talks to people anyhow,” stressing that if Amaechi had not been bold, he would have found it difficult to reach the present milestone in office.

Ogun pdp faction asks court to vacate restraining order
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja was, on Tuesday, asked by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction in Ogun State to vacate its earlier order, which restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the candidates’ list submitted by the Elder Joju Fadairo-led executive.

The court order had enabled the electoral body to recognise Brigadier-General Adetunji Olurin from the Chief Olusegun Oba-sanjo-led faction as the gubernatorial candidate of the party in the state.

Counsel for the PDP, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), told the court that the plaintiffs (Obasanjo’s faction), misrepresented facts to secure the order.

Fagbemi, therefore, asked the court for an order discharging, setting aside or vacating the interim order of injunction made ex-parte by the court on January 26, 2011 having been made without jurisdiction and on the basis of alleged concealed material facts and misrepresentation of facts by the plaintiffs.

The court had, on January 26, granted an order of interlocutory injunction restraining INEC from accepting the list of candidates that emerged from the party primary conducted by the Governor Gbenga Daniel’s faction and also restraining the INEC and the PDP from accepting the list of candidates sent by the allegedly dissolved Ogun State executive committee led by Chief Joju Fadairo.

April polls: Nigerians should vote out corrupt politicians -ICPC
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has called on eligible voters in the forthcoming general election to vote out corrupt individuals who are vying for elective positions, just as the commission tasked Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the elections are credible, free and fair.

The acting chairman of the ICPC, Dr Uriah Angulu, gave the charge at a public lecture organised by the National Anti-corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC) in conjunction with National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), entitled, “Confronting corruption on the road to building a people's democracy; the 2011 check point”.

He was represented by the Resident Media Consultant of ICPC, Mr Folu Olamiti, who is also the National Coordinator of NAVC, saying that, “political corruption has been identified as one of the biggest challenges and threat to the survival of our hard earned democracy.”

The act of corruption, according to him, “has become so endemic that many Nigerians now accept it as a way of life. Very corrupt people ascend the mantle of political leadership not through free and fair election, but through bribery for the purchase of votes or other dubious means.”

To the participants at the lecture, he said, “we need to have high aspirations for our country and we need to make sincere attempts in reaching this goal of a better Nigeria. As from today, we should have a mental sketch of how to achieve to make Nigeria a corruption free nation.”

Jonathan, Saraki mourn Goubadia

President Goodluck Jonathan and governor of Kwara State, Dr Bukola Saraki, has described the death of former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dr Abel Guobadia as a great loss to all Nigerians.

Dr Guobadia died last weekend in Benin City, the Edo State capital, at the age of 79 years.

The president’s message was contained in a condolence letter to Guobadia’s widow, Florence, which was read by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, who led a three-man delegation, including the Minister of State for Works, Chris Ogiewonyi and his education counterpart, Mr Kenneth Gbagi.

In a press statement issued and signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Mas’ud Adebimpe and made available to newsmen on Monday, the governor said , “on behalf of the government and people of Kwara State, I express my heartfelt condolence to the family of the distinguished statesman, the government and people of Edo State. This is one death, too many.”

Jonathan said the elder statesman, who had served the nation as an accomplished academic, seasoned administrator and outstanding diplomat, would be missed for his legacy of abiding faith in nation-building, through due diligence, hard work and humility in service.

Akala's future still not sure
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday, removed the names of Oyo State governor,

Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala and Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State from the list of gubernatorial candidates in the two states for the April general election.

A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State had asked INEC to reject the list of Oyo State candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) based on the congresses conducted last December, when it ordered that the name of the party’s gubernatorial standard-bearer, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, be removed from the gubernatorial list.

Based on an order from the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Chief Alao-Akala’s name was removed from the list of gubernatorial contestants in Oyo State which had been pasted since Sunday evening.

INEC’s Head of Information in the state, Alhaji Ayodele Folami, said that it was in compliance with the directive of the INEC headquarters in Abuja, saying, “the name has been removed from the list we pasted alongside others in compliance with the directive from our headquarters in Abuja.”

He said the list was ordered removed for now and it was only the INEC headquarters that could explain the reason.

However, a source told the Nigerian Tribune that it was not unconnected with an order of a court, which on February 1, 2011 barred INEC from accepting or receiving list of candidates from the party in the state following alleged inconclusive congresses held from December 29 to December 31, 2010, in the state.

Meanwhile, tension and anxiety heightened in Enugu, the Enugu State capital, on Tuesday, following the sudden disappearance of the list of gubernatorial candidates for this year’s general election at the state secretariat of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

While the pro-Okwesilieze Nwodo group is jubilating over the withdrawal of the list, the loyalists of Governor Sullivan Chime appear to have gone under ground apparently to re-strategise.

The state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Chuks Ugwoke, said the incumbent governor was still very much in the gubernatorial contest on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Nigerian Tribune observed, on Tuesday, that the list of candidates which was displayed on the notice board of INEC office on Achi Street, Independent Layout, Enugu on Monday was no longer there.

It was gathered that when the list of the PDP was removed on the directive of INEC in Abuja, some PDP faithful suspected to be loyal to Governor Chime tore the entire list.

Speaking on the development, the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Joseph Uwazuruonye, told reporters that the list of gubernatorial candidates from the state was published in error, adding that he was called from the INEC office in Abuja and directed to withdraw the list of gubernatorial candidates in Enugu State pending the determination of the court cases involving the party primaries in the state.

“The list was withdrawn by INEC. It was published in error, because we had court injunctions. After the display of the list, I was called by Abuja that the list should be withdrawn immediately. It was the legal department of INEC that directed me to do so. A new list will be published after determination of the court.”

Asked why the entire gubernatorial list was withdrawn, the state INEC boss denied ever seeing the list before it was displayed, stressing that he had tried to remove himself from the matter.

The information commissioner in a text message said: “We have heard such unconfirmed report but if it is true, then it is, perhaps, in strict compliance with due process and full observance of the rule of law.

It does not violate the irreducible fact that Governor Sullivan was duly nominated by PDP and had since filled and returned his nomination form to INEC.”

He further said: “We are quite certain that in the fullness of time, other legal issues will be sorted out and we shall witness the final verdict and the corresponding commencement of other electoral activities.”

Meanwhile, more names of candidates for the April polls, as approved by the INEC, have been released by resident electoral commissioners in more states of the federation.

Names of Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State; Orji Uzor Kalu; Uche Chukwumerije; Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa; Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa; Buba Marwa; Governor Timpre Sylva of Bayelsa; Timi Alaibe and Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi were among the candidates accredited by the INEC.

However, Governor Orji now has a new running mate for the 2011 race, as he dropped his deputy, Eric Acho Nwakanma and picked Emeka Ananaba, who is in his 70s.

The information formed part of the list of accredited candidates by INEC, Abia State branch, in Umuahia, on Monday.

However, the Nigerian Tribune gathered that name of the running mate to the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the state, John Agbara, also appeared as the running mate for the ANPP standard-bearer.

In Jigawa State, INEC displayed the name of governor, Alhaji Lamido and seven other names as gubernatorial candidates for the April polls.

Speaking on behalf of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Bagobiri, the administrative secretary of the commission, Alhaji Bala Shitu, said the lists displayed was not that of candidates but that of those who had indicated their interest to contest the 2011 general election.

According to him, the gubernatorial candidates in the April election included Governor Lamido (PDP); Alhaji Badaru Abubakar (ACN); Farouk Adamu Aliyu (CPC); Alhaji Ahmed A. Yaro (APGA) and Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibrahim (ADC).

Others are Mr Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia (ANPP); Alhaji Danlami Haruna Hadejia (NRP) and Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulkarim (MPPP).

Meanwhile, the INEC in Jigawa State has displayed the provisional figure of the 2011 voter registration which indicates that a total of 1,875,247 eligible voters were registered in the state.

Only 10 out of 63 registered political parties in Adamawa State fielded candidates for the April general election, the REC in charge of the state, Mr Gaidam Kashim, disclosed to newsmen in his office on Tuesday.

He said only the ANPP, ACN, Labour Party (LP) and the PDP fielded candidates for all the elective positions in the forthcoming elections.

Gaidam added that Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has candidates for all the elective positions with 23 out of the 25-member state House of Assembly, while National Transformation Party (NTP) has only 20 for the state House of Assembly poll.

Murtala Nyako, Buba Marwa, Markus Gundiri, Ahamed Usman, Maurice Vunoboki, Adamu Modibbo scaled through the lists of the INEC for the April polls.

For the senatorial race, former Governor Boni Haruna and his deputy, Alhaji Bello Tukur, led the pack of candidates jostling for seats in the upper chamber of the National Assembly in the state.

Governor Timipre Sylva and the former Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Matters, Mr Timi Alaibe, topped the list of 261 candidates cleared for various political offices in the 2011 general election in Bayelsa State.

This is just as one of the aggrieved aspirants, Honourable Ofoni Williams from Sagbama/Ekeremor federal constituency headed for court to challenge his exclusion from the list.

The state REC, Mr Edwin Nwatalari, said a total number of 31 political parties in Bayelsa State fielded candidates at different levels for the general election in the state.

The list, as at the time of filing this report, had 15 candidates jostling for the office of governor, which included Chief Sylva, PDP; Mr Alaibe, LP; Dr Imoro Kubo, ACN; Pastor Belief Abiri, Action Party of Nigeria; Prince Kelum Alagoa, Peoples Party of Nigeria; Akiki Aprala, African Political System and Tare-out Actor Luggard, African Democratic Congress.

In Delta State, the INEC cleared 22 political parties to contest the gubernatorial election in the state.

The list, as released by the INEC, had Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, PDP; Chief Great Ogboru, DPP, Ovie Omo-Agege, Action Congress of Nigeria; Collins Eselemo, NCP; Jude Eruka Ukasara, CPC and George Oyefia, ANPP.

Also in the race are Donald Chukwumeke, JP; Peter Osadalor, Accord Party, among others.

In Bauchi, Governor Yuguda of the PDP topped the list of the gubernatorial candidates, while Sagir Aminu Saleh was listed as his deputy.

Also included in the list were the names of nine other gubernatoria candidates, among them were Suleiman Muhammad Nazif Gamawa, ANPP; Yusuf Maitama Tugar, CPC, Senator Baba Tela, ACN; Yusuf Ahmad, KOWA Party; Haliru Abdullahi, AD; Musa Umar Gwasskwaram, ALP; Danladi Musa, NPPP and Kawuwa Umar Abdullahi, APGA.

PDP STORMS IBADAN
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday, vowed that the Peoples Democratic PartY (PDP) would take over the states of the South-West very soon, declaring that the zone is too important in the scheme of things in the country to be left in the hands of “rascals.”

This is just as the chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the PDP and former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, declared that the party decided to support Dr. Jonathan to be the next president of the country, so as to give the minority tribes a sense of belonging and strengthen the unity of the country.

The two leaders, among other notable Nigerians, spoke in Ibadan during the South-West campaign of President Jonathan, with the governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel, conspicuously absent.

Winners of the party’s gubernatorial tickets in the zone as well as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, who is going for another term in the House of Representatives, were presented the flags of the party, at the rally.

President Jonathan, who stated that he and the PDP remained indebted to the people of the zone over their overwhelming support in 2007, when he and the late President Umaru Yar’Adua came to seek for their votes and in December 2010, when he came to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to canvass for the votes of the party’s delegates at the PDP primary, said he came to thank the people of the state and to solicit their support yet again.

“I am here to thank you for your support. In 2007, I came here with former President Yar’Adua to beg for your votes and you gave us your support. We owe you for that.

“In December 2010, I returned to beg for your delegates’ votes at the congress and you voted for me massively. We are here again to solicit for the support of the entire people of the state.

“I must tell you that the South-West is a very important zone in the country. It is becoming the most cosmopolitan zone in the country. About 50 per cent of the people in Lagos alone are not from the South-West. In Ogun State, about 25 per cent of the citizens are not from the South-West. This is not to talk about Oyo and other states. Anything that happens here affects the entire nation and so, the region must be taken seriously.

“I can assure you that we will take back Lagos, Ekiti and Osun; we will control the entire South-West. Lagos is important to us and I am happy that we have presented our flag to a capable candidate, [Dr Ade] Dosunmu. The entire South-West is too important, too sophisticated and too educated to be in the hands of rascals,” he said.

The president also promised the people of the region that his government would reciprocate the support they had for him by running a transparent government, where everybody would be taken care of without consideration for their tribe, religion or other inclinations.

“What we can promise the South-West people is that our government will be transparent. We will treat everybody equally. Every citizen, regardless of their tribe, religion or other inclinations, will be taken care of.

“Two things are very important in any country and for any government; respect for law and order is important. The next thing is a sound economy. You must stimulate the economy to turn it around. We are committed to this and we have discovered that we must stabilise power to achieve this. Let me tell you that the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) work in Ogun State is currently contributing 250 megawatts of electricity to the national grid. For a very long time, we had been stagnated on generation of 3,000 megawatts. But now, we are generating 4,000 megawatts and we will not let it fall, but continue to add to it,” Jonathan promised.

While addressing the mammoth crowd at the campaign ground of Mapo Hall, former President Obasanjo described President Jonathan as a candidate that had been through necessary tutelage to take the country out of the woods.

He said, “we believe that at this point in the history of the country, having Jonathan as president will strengthen the country’s unity. He is from a minority South-South tribe. His presidency will serve to unite the country and give the minorities, wherever they are, a sense of belonging. I believe that we are right and we have been proved right.

“However, nothing should be taken for granted; we know that we have a lot of work to do. A lot of areas are still crying for our attention; economy, power, reduction of corruption, youth unemployment and infrastructure. These areas must not be neglected. But I take solace in the fact that our president is a person who has passed through a period of tutelage. There are many capable men and women. All that needs to be done is for all hands to be on deck.”

Also speaking on the event, where security operatives, among them soldiers, regular and mobile policemen, members of the Civil Defence Corps and men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), had a hectic time controlling the crowd, was the Oyo State governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, who in his welcome address, assured President Jonathan that he was as good as having won the April presidential poll.

“Shehu Shagari was here on this historic Mapo Hill in 1979 and he won his election. Obasanjo was here and he won his election. Umaru Yar’Adua came here and he won. As you are here today, you have won.

“The tribunal judgments in some South-West states were not the true reflection of our stand in this region; we are all PDP members in the South-West. Come April, South-West will vote massively for you,” he said.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Bankole, who referred to Chief Obasanjo as Ebora Owu while observing the protocol in his speech, said those who represented the region in Abuja knew what they were doing for the South-West, calling on the people not to let President Jonathan down.

He said the youth, between the ages of 18 and 30 years, were the most registered in the just-concluded voter registration, charging them not to lose their votes.

The South-West zonal women leader of the party, Chief (Mrs) Nike Oluwole, used the occasion to canvass for the realisation of the 35 per cent representation and benefit the party promised women, adding that since about 60 per cent of the people at the campaign ground were women, President Jonathan should be rest assured that he had their support.

Apart from the former national chairman of the party, Senator Ahmadu Ali, who counselled that Lagos State should not be allowed to be ruled by “liars,” another speaker at the event was the national vice chairman (South-West) of the party, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, who assured the president of the total support of the region.

Presented with the party’s flag during the campaign were the gubernatorial candidates for Oyo, Chief Alao-Akala;, Ogun, General Adetunji Olurin and Lagos, Ade Dosunmu.

Other dignitaries at the event were Vice-President Namadi Sambo; wife of the president, Patience Jonathan; former BoT chairman, Chief Tony Anenih; former All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) leader, Chief Harry Akande, who had defected to the PDP; Minister of Defence, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode; Bayelsa State governor, Chief Timipre Sylva; former governors of Ekiti and Osun states, Chief Segun Oni and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

Others were wife of Oyo State governor, Chief (Mrs) Kemi Alao-Akala; former deputy governor of Osun State; Chief (Mrs) Olusola Obada; national secretary of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje; chairman of the president’s campaign organisation in Ekiti State, Chief Femi Akinyemi; senators and senatorial candidates and other candidates of the party for various positions.

Meanwhile, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana, has told President Jonathan that he had been ordained by God to lead Nigeria and could not, therefore, be stopped by any forces.

The monarch made the remark in his palace, on Tuesday, when he received the president, vice-president and members of the presidential entourage, who were in Oyo State for the South-West zone flag-off of the PDP presidential campaign.

The Olubadan who prayed for the safety and continued good health of the president, noted that unless the same God, who, he said, had sanctioned Jonathan to rule decided otherwise, no power could stop him.

In his remarks, President Jonathan thanked the Olubadan for his prayers, recalling that before he embarked on the primary, the Olubadan was one of the traditional rulers he visited, who similarly prayed for his success.

The president promised not to let Nigerians down, adding that his administration would not cause discrimination among Nigerians, irrespective of religion or ethnic affiliation.

In another development, Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State has explained the reason for his inability to attend the South-West zone presidential rally in Ibadan, on Tuesday.

Daniel said his supporters stormed his private residence in Sagamu and prevented him from travelling to the venue of the rally ,due to the current political situation within the state chapter of the PDP.

Daniel added that he and his loyalists would break their “fast” today, which literally means that they might likely defect to other party.

Governor Daniel, flanked by his deputy, Alhaja Salmot Badru, Gboyega Isiaka and other party loyalists, came out around 12.25 p.m to address the gathering over the turn of events in the party in recent times.

“I was about setting out for the commencement of the South-West zonal presidential rally scheduled to hold in Ibadan this morning when my supporters blocked the way that I should not attend the rally.

“When I asked them why, their responses were that I could not attend because they had been cheated over recent happenings in the party and, as a faithful leader, I agreed with them,” Daniel said.

Nigerians Criticise President for breaking own law on schools' closure
Wednesday, 19 January 2011 (Punch)
Nigerians have criticised President Goodluck Jonathan for sending his children to school despite the Federal Government’s directive for pupils to remain at home for the duration of the ongoing voter registration.

Government had last week extended the resumption date for the second term from January 10 to February 4. It was later changed to January 30.

Though school owners and parents opposed the order, the Federal Government had refused to shift ground, insisting that a number of public schools were to be used for the registration. However, a national newspaper on Tuesday reported that a high-brow school, the American International School, Abuja, where two of Jonathan’s children are pupils, defied the government’s order.

This caused an uproar as furious parents and school owners said the President’s attitude amounted to an ‘insensitive and discriminatory’ disregard for government’s orders. They said the fact that the President’s children had continued to attend school while children of less privileged Nigerians were at home showed that Nigerian leaders were ‘above the law.’

An aggrieved school owner, Dr. Titilayo Shittu, told THE PUNCH that it was wrong for Jonathan’s children’s school to disobey government’s directive.

“If it is true that the President’s children are in that school, it means that his children must be in school because that school is the only private school that has opened its doors to all its pupils in Abuja since the government directed us to extend the resumption date to February 4. But if his children are in SS3, then they are not doing anything wrong.

“Otherwise, I will describe the action as a double standard and I will call for the urgent reversal of the order,” she said.

A source in the school, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “The information you seek we cannot give because of security. We do not want a situation where our students will become targets for kidnappers.”

When contacted by one of our correspondents, the Director of the school, Amy Uzoewulu, asked that all enquiries be directed to the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy.

She said, “We are not allowed to speak to the press on any issue without authorisation from the president of the board of governors.”

A promise by a Public Affairs Specialist at the embassy, Mr. Sani Mohammed, to get back to our correspondent did not materialise as at 8pm on Tuesday. Also, officials of the Federal Ministry of Education saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the directive declined comments on the development.

Calls and text messages sent to the mobile phones of the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqquayyat Rufa’i; the Minister of State for Education, Chief Kenneth Gbagi; and the Deputy Director (Press), Dr. Peter Obidiegwu, went unanswered.

However, some parents said the President was not leading by example, noting that even if his children were in SS3, it was morally wrong for him as the nation’s leader to allow his children to be in school.

A parent, Mrs. Hope Orivri said, “It is unfair for some children to be in school while other children are forced to stay at home. They should be in the forefront of what is being propagated. They are not leading by example.” Also, the Secretary, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Somolu Branch, Lagos State, Mr. Familugba Samuel, “If it is true, it is condemnable. They are the ones who give orders while others obey. This simply means that they are above the law. I see no reason why people who call themselves leaders cannot abide by the laws and orders they make.”

Another parent, Mr. David Sule, “No government official, from the presidency to the local government, should be seen disobeying the law. But it is unfortunate that is happening in our country and there is nothing can do. What they are telling us is that their children are more important and superior to other kids; it is bad.”

Another school proprietor, Mrs. Deborah Okuwoga, said it was ‘a selfish act.’

“This is wrong, they gave the directive that schools should not resume, so why are they now kicking against this directive? This is selfishness. This shows that our leaders don’t have sympathy for the masses,” she said.

Jonathan on why Nwodo resigned
Wednesday, 19 January 2011 (Punch)
President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday said the erstwhile National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, resigned from office to save the party from ‘multiple litigation,’ in the build-up to April elections.

Also on Tuesday, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar rejected insinuations that he had a hand in the chains of events that led to Nwodo’s forced resignation.

Jonathan, who spoke to journalists at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, however, said Nwodo remained a ‘senior member’ of the party. Nwodo had earlier on Tuesday resigned from the chairmanship of the party ahead of an emergency meeting of top leaders of the party.

An Enugu High Court had on Thursday stopped Nwodo from parading himself as the chairman of the party. But Jonathan told journalists that Nwodo “stepped aside so that the party can move forward without encumbrances.”

The President, who said he was in Lagos for a meeting with some political associates, said, “When you observe certain aberrations, we must adjust the system. In every human system, just like in any factory that develops any machine problem, you adjust the system; every human system operates that way so there is nothing odd about it.

“Nwodo is still a senior member of the PDP but because of certain circumstances, we feel that there is multiple litigation, and the party is tired of all this litigation and the party does not want to be dragged into too much litigation.

“So we felt that instead of dragging the party into litigation and, even at this critical period when we are to submit names of candidates to INEC, we don’t want to encumber the party with so much litigation. That was why he stepped aside so that the party can move forward without encumbrances. But he is still a senior member of the party, we still respect him, he will continue to do his work as a very senior member of PDP.”

On the current hitches trailing the voter registration, the President said that the Independent National Electoral Commission was already looking into them Jonathan, who admitted that the exercise had been facing some challenges, however, exuded confidence that the electoral body would get over them.

He said, “A lot of Nigerians are enthusiastic about the registration, but we have problems with the machines. INEC is looking at them; I don’t want to speak for them because they are an independent body; we have given them maximum equipment to do what is right. They may have problems with some of the machines, but whey will get over it.”

Meanwhile, Abubakar said in a statement by his campaign organisation in Abuja that he could not have been responsible for Nwodo’s downfall when he (former vice-president) was ‘a direct victim’ of the former chairman’s ‘insincerity, double standard, opportunism, selfishness and mischief.’

Abubakar said, “The erstwhile chairman delivered the convention to the President but they still went on baying for his blood. That tells you there was more to it than the eye could see. Someone wants blood and you give him palm oil. Does that satisfy him?”

He recalled that a few weeks to the PDP convention, Nwodo did everything to frustrate his presidential ambition by not allowing a meeting intended to discuss the modalities for the January 15, 2011 convention to hold. He alleged that Nwodo did not agree to meet or even answer his phone calls for upwards of two months.

According to Abubakar, the ex-chairman frustrated every meeting his campaign organisation had requested to discuss serious issues bearing on free and fair elections, especially the need to create a level-playing field in which no delegate would feel constrained or intimidated to choose their preferred candidate.

The statement noted that Nwodo had issues to contend with in many chapters of the party, including Enugu State, where he and Governor Sullivan Chime were engaged in ‘a bitter battle of supremacy.’

Abubakar also said the waiver granted him to contest the PDP presidential primary election had nothing to do with Nwodo’s exit, noting that the ex-chairman and the PDP National Working Committee “were confronted with a fait accompli since the former vice-president was among those re-integrated by the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Committee set up to reconcile the party. In this regard, the former Vice President distanced himself from any suggestions that his presidential bid was responsible for the unceremonious exit of Nwodo.”

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Mr. Ayogu Eze, however, declined to react to the development when our correspondent sought his comments. Whenc contacted on the telephone, he simply said, “No reaction. Thanks.”

However, officials of the Enugu State Government House were seen rejoicing at the news of Nwodo’s resignation. When asked for comments, none of them agreed to speak, claiming that they had been warned not to make any public statement on the matter.

N10m cost for cleaning National Assembly
Wednesday, 19 January 2011 (Punch)
N240.3m on the cleaning of its Phase III building and another N450.7m on fuelling of generators installed in the premises of the same edifice. The fuel cost will also cover generators in the Phase 11 of the same building and its Annex I & II complex.

The sums are contained in the details of the 2011 national budget, which is awaiting the approval of the 469-member National Assembly. The new Phase 111 building and its extension serve as office accommodation for the federal lawmakers whose, “jumbo salaries” have elicited public outcry.

If the N240.3m to be spent on ‘cleaning services’ is spread over the 12 calendar months in this year, keeping the building neat will cost tax payers N10.25m monthly. Similarly, if the N450.7m budgeted for the purchase of fuel is also spread over the same period, keeping Phases 11 and 111 of the new building as well as Annex I&II Complex lit will cost N37.56m every month.

“Fueling of plants for the New Building II and III and annex I and II complex is to cost N450.7m this year,” part of the details of the proposed expenditure reads.

The details of the budget which our correspondent obtained on Tuesday, also show that “engineering maintenance” for the Phase III building will gulp N601m. The figure is broken down into N330.5m for the Senate and N270.4m for the House of Representatives.

According to the details, orientation courses for senators and members of the House of Representatives who will form the 7th session of the National Assembly will also cost an estimated N450.77m.

The current 6th session, which was inaugurated on June 5, 2007, will come to a close on June 4 this year.

There are 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives. If the N450.77m is divided by 469, it means that the National Assembly will spend around N962,000 on each lawmaker participating in the orientation courses.
Findings indicate that the orientation programme is meant for new legislators coming to the National Assembly for the first time, but those re-elected (after the April poll) are also expected to participate.

A National Assembly source confided in The PUNCH in Abuja that the orientation courses involved “teaching legislators, especially the new comers, parliamentary etiquette.”

It was learnt that new comers would be taught the right language to use while “addressing the chair or how to observe the rules of the parliament.” “In moving a motion for example, or walking in front of the mace, there are procedures to be adopted.

“It is essentially about basic things they need to know on how to approach their duties as lawmakers”, the source added. However, the budget for the orientation courses is separate from the funds budgeted yearly for “training and re-retraining” of legislators for the four years in a tenure.

The Senate budgeted N1.7bn for “consulting and professional services” in 2010, besides a separate expenditure of N58m on “generator fuel.” Another expenditure of N450m on “maintenance of White House and Annex I & II” was incurred in 2010.

The House of Representatives had a total budget of N2.44bn on “maintenance and general issues” in 2010, in addition to N460.6m it spent on fuelling. “Fumigation” cost N100m, while another sub-head on “cleaning and gardening” had a provision of N200m in 2010.

Ladoja drags BCOS before NBC over rejection of adverts
Wednesday, 19 January 2011 (Tribune)
Former governor of Oyo State and gubernatorial candidate of Accord Party in the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, has threatened to petition the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) against what he called political intolerance of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State.

The former governor, while addressing newsmen in Ibadan, on Tuesday, through the Director-General of the Ladoja Campaign Organisation, Honourable Adeolu Adeleke, said that the state-owned corporation had refused to air his advertisements.

He said that on three occasions when the materials were taken to the station, they were rejected by the management of the corporation.

He, therefore, called on the NBC to sanction the state media for rejecting his political advertisements.

According to him, the same materials that were rejected by the BCOS were aired by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Ibadan, Splash Radio Station, Ibadan, Gateway Radio Station, Abeokuta, Ogun State and other media organisations.

PDP CHAIRMAN NWODO RESIGNS
Wednesday, 19 January 2011 (Tribune)
THE national chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, was, on Tuesday, forced to resign from office at the emergency meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party, held in Abuja.

The NEC also directed that Dr Nwodo should appear before the party’s National Disciplinary Committee over alleged misconduct he exhibited during the just concluded national convention of the party.

Addressing newsmen after the NEC meeting, the party’s National Publicity Secreatry, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali, who said that the meeting accepted the letter of resignation of Dr Nwodo, disclosed that, following the development, “NEC unanimously empowered the deputy national chairman of the party, Dr Haliru Bello, to assume duties as acting national chairman, pending the election of a substantive chairman.”

According to Professor Alkali, “the NEC also mandated the National Working Committee (NWC) under the leadership of Dr Bello to formally endorse and submit the list of successful PDP candidates in the just concluded primaries, held nationwide to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”

Professor Alkali said that the South-East zone would still produce the next substantive chairman of the party.

According to the PDP scribe, the NEC received a letter of resignation from Nwodo, debated the letter and accepted the resignation.

“Under the existing arrangement, the South-East produces the national chairman of the party; but if there is any change, you will be communicated,” he said.

ACN Gives Ajimobi Gov Ticket In Oyo •Other Aspirants Protest (Nigerian Tribune)
The governorship primaries of the Oyo State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) slated for the Olubadan Stadium, Ibadan, on Friday, was disrupted by party members protesting what they perceived to be an outright imposition of candidates on them by the national executive of the party.

Trouble started when a representative of the national chairman, Prince Segun Adeleye, wanted to address party members gathered at the rally but was heckled by aggrieved members who suspected that his motive was to declare names of aspirants imposed on them. The situation soon degenerated into a free-for-all with weapons freely used.

Nevertheless, the party announced Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi as the party’s standard-bearer in the Oyo State governorship election slated for April.

Saturday Tribune gathered from some of the aggrieved members that the party’s national executive allegedly planned to impose Ajimobi, as well as others vying for the state House of Assembly and National Assembly seats.

Meanwhile, throng of supporters of the other seven aspirants of the ACN contesting for the Oyo State governorship seat stormed the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan, to demonstrate against the national leadership of the party.

They were heard shouting songs of protest and solidarity denouncing the candidature of Senator Ajimobi and expressing their resentment for the party executive’s action.”

One of the protesters, a youth leader, Adeyemi Adewale, who spoke to Saturday Tribune, said: “there were no primaries today and the party is not willing and ready to conduct primaries. Rather, the national executive of the party wants to impose their candidates on us. We strongly oppose the imposition of Ajimobi on us.”

Later, some governorship aspirants of the party, including Chief Femi Lanlehin, Dr Adebayo Adewusi and Mr. Soji Adejumo, were at the NUJ Press Centre to address the angry members. Chief Lanlehin gave them their assurances and called for calm and order.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Oyo State has been cautioned against the imposition of candidates who are not members of the party in the Oyo Federal Constituency in order not to jeopardize the chances of the party in the forthcoming House of Representatives election in the state.

Some aggrieved members of the party, who spoke with Saturday Tribune alleged that some leaders of the ACN are planning to impose a candidate who is a member of the House of Representatives who recently turned to the ACN after failing to secure the nod of his party, the PDP.

Amosun Picks Ogun ACN Governorship Ticket (Nigerian Tribune)
Senator Ibikunle Amosun, on Friday, clinched the governorship ticket of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ogun State.

Amosun, who contested against Governor Gbenga Daniel in the 2007 general elections, emerged as the consensus candidate of the party from the ward, local government and state levels.

At a mini state congress held at the party secretariat, Amosun’s candidature was affirmed in a motion moved by Mr. Dapo Sarumi from Obafemi-Owode Local Government which was seconded by Mr. Olabiyi Taofeek from Ado/Odo-Ota Local Government.

The ACN governorship standard flagbearer, it will be recalled, contested against Daniel on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) before defecting to the ACN.

In his acceptance speech, Amosun promised to create 10,000 jobs for the unemployed youths within 100 days in office if voted into power.

He also promised to embark on people-oriented programmes.

He also commended ACN leaders, particularly a chieftain of the party, Chief Segun Osoba, and other aspirants, who contested the ticket with him, for their maturity and candour.

“This nomination comes with challenges and I’m aware of the enormity of the challenges of rebuilding the state.

“The task at hand is to rebuild our state and provide soothing balms. I will certainly require the support and cooperation of all, especially the leaders, fellow contestants and other candidates of our great party at different levels, and the good people of Ogun State,” Amosun said.

PDP Primary: Why IBB Didn’t Attend • Congratulates Jonathan (Nigerian Tribune)
Contrary to expectations, former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, on Thursday failed to attend the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary where President Goodluck Jonathan was picked as the standard-bearer of the party for April presidential election.

The Chanchaga Local Government chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Niger State had 24 hours before the presidential primary picked General Babangida as a delegate and received assurance that the General would be present at the gathering.

However, Saturday Tribune can now reveal that the primary reason for his absence at the convention was lack of confidence in the electoral method adopted by the party for the election.

According to Saturday Tribune findings, General Babangida believed that allocating ballot boxes for each state of the federation was undemocratic.

In a democratic setting, Babangida was said to have told some of his aides that it was morally wrong for votes to be cast the way the PDP wanted it because it had the tendency of revealing where each delegate voted.

The method, according to a source close to Babangida, could make the winner to visit states that did not vote for him with retaliation with consequent denial of dividends of democracy.

General Babangida has congratulated President Jonathan on winning the PDP ticket. He also congratulated Alhaji Abubakar and Mrs Sarah Jubril. According to Babangida, Jonthan victory’s was not only personal, but to all PDP members. The statement reads:

“I, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, GCFR, wish to congratulate President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR for his landslide victory at yesterday’s presidential primaries of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), held at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

“His victory at the primaries is not only personal, but to all members of our great party, to lovers of peace, unity and progress; and to all those who believe in democracy and Nigeria. I therefore urge him to be magnanimous in victory and carry along with him those who lost at yesterday’s event. This is the only way we can bury the intra-party differences and bitterness that preceded the primaries.

“Special congratulations to former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar GCON, on putting up a gallant fight and braving all the odds to make an impressive showing at the primaries. History will always give him a place of pride for his tireless efforts to enthrone democracy in Nigeria.

“My admiration also goes to the woman of substance and courage who never gives up – Mrs Sarah Jibril- who has since 1993 sought at every opportunity to offer her services as president of this country. Even though she has not succeeded, history will one day say this is the woman who saw tomorrow when eventually Nigeria elects a woman president.”

GOODLUCK DEFEATS ATIKU, SARAH
Atiku Abubakar - 805,Goodluck Jonathan - 2, 736,Total valid votes cast - 3, 542.President Goodluck Jonathan is PDP Presidential flagbearer

BABANGIDA ABSENT AT CONVENTION, FOLARIN PRESENT

SENATE Leader, Senator Folarin who was released yesterday following police withdrawal of charges, was sighted at 9:20 pm yesterday at the Eagle Square. But by that time,Oyo delegates had not voted.

Meanwhile, despite the hype that Gen. Ibrahim Babangide was elected in Niger State as a delegate, he had not been seen as at press time. Ditto former National Security Adviser (NSA) Lt.  Gen Aliyu Gusau.Former governor of Rivers State,

Dr Peter Odili was also absent, but former Speaker of the state, Hon Chibudum Nwuche was ther

TINUBU'S ARREST IMMINENT
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on Friday raised the alarm that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has concluded plans to silence  the party leader, Senator Bola Tinubu. Addressing journalists in Lagos, the party spokesperson, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said as the ACN fortunes rose, the prospect of the  PDP became dimmer by the day.

Alhaji Mohammed added that as the 2011 general elections approached, it was becoming increasingly clear to the discerning electorate that ACN was the toast of all Nigerians seeking better governance.

He explained that the PDP knew Tinubu  as the architect of their misfortune, making them to want to stop him at all cost.

“Well, we can now tell you that President Jonathan seems to have finally succumbed to pressure by signing on to the evil plan. Now we have it on good authority that the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice is  being put under tremendous pressure to look for any offence, no matter how flimsy, to get Tinubu arrested and prosecuted, just to put him away.

“We understand that if he eventually capitulates under pressure, he may sign a warrant for Tinubu’s arrest anytime from now. We still do not know, specifically, what he will be arrested for, but we know why, “ Mohammed said.

He alleged that those behind the plot had started meeting across the country to hone their plan. 

He stated that at  one of the meetings, “they said everything must be done to stop the putative alliance between our ACN and the CPC - which they saw as capable of ending the years of misrule by the PDP.

”Concerning our leader, Asiwaju Tinubu, the end-gamers are going for the final solution. 

“Mere arrest for whatever reason may seem innocuous and routine, but it is just the first step. 

“Their plan is to ultimately give Asiwaju Tinubu, while in detention, the Yar’Adua or Abiola treatment. They do not intend to let him return home alive! We are not crying wolf here, we have every reason to worry, to speak out and to alert Nigerians to this evil plan,” he alleged. (Source: Nigerian Tribune)

FBI TO INVESTIGATE ABUJA BOMB BLAST
Monday, 03 January 2011 (Nigerian Tribune)
UNITED States Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, told Fox News that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents have been despatched to help the Nigerian government investigate the deadly bombing that struck an army barracks in the country’s capital on New Year’s Eve.

Napolitano spoke with Fox News, on Sunday, in Qatar, where she arrived for meetings with local officials after spending two days on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The Nigerian bomb attack, along with a separate bombing in Egypt, was carried out shortly after Napolitano set out on her trip.

At least four people were killed and many more injured in the attack on Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. Twenty-one Christian worshippers in Alexandria, Egypt, were killed in the attack on a church following midnight Mass. Muslim extremists were implicated in both attacks, though nobody has yet claimed responsibility.

Napolitano said the attacks showed how the reach of international terrorism “knows no bounds.”

“One thing I think it illustrates is that we live in a world where terrorism is part of the environment, unfortunately. And it’s something that we need to be thinking about, we need to be planning for,” Napolitano said.

She said there’s no evidence at the moment to suggest there’s any connection to “anything in the United States.” She said her department would be monitoring closely and confirmed that the FBI has been dispatched to assist in the Nigerian investigation — a situation she said “is not all that uncommon.”

The FBI is often asked to help with such investigations due to its expertise in evidence collection.

Victims in the Nigerian bombing had been celebrating New Year’s Eve in the barracks’ open-air beer garden and market.
President Goodluck Jonathan afterward promised people attending a church service in Abuja that those responsible would be found.
...........................................................................................................................................................................................

Atiku Warns on Budget
Monday, 03 January 2011 Nigerian Tribune)
FORMER vice-president and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has again warned that the nation’s economy is going broke and that the recently unveiled 2011 budget proposal by President Goodlcuk Jonathan can only exacerbate what he called worsening state of the nation’s economy.

In an 11-page letter he personally sent to President Goodluck Jonathan, the former vice-president said that a budget that was predicated on consumption without corresponding investments in critical infrastructure was a recipe for economic disaster.

“At a time of unprecedented oil boom, you have presented Nigeria with a budget of consumption for consumption; a budget of debt accumulation to imperil the future; a budget that is rich in rhetoric and pedestrian initiatives but lacking in any bold step to lay the foundation for Nigeria’s next 50 years or even 20 years,” Abubakar said.

The PDP presidential aspirant warned that excessive borrowing as indicated in the 2011 budget in negation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act; had the potential of returning Nigeria to a regime of debt overhang and making nonsense of all the gains of the negotiated cancellation of the nation’s debts.

“I almost wept for Nigeria after reading your 2011 budget, which is your first budget as president of Nigeria. In simple terms, it signals your vision for Nigeria and how you intend to govern. For effect, you proudly announced that this is the first budget of the National Implementation Plan (NIP) for Vision 20:2020. The rest of the world must be laughing at us. For a summary, you proposed a total expenditure of N4.22 trillion to be financed by a revenue estimate of N2.83 trillion, leaving a total deficit (new borrowing) of N1.4 trillion.

“Mr President, you plan to borrow 33 per cent of the entire budget, or 3.62 per cent of  the GDP which is higher than the 3 per cent stipulated in the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Your total debt service is N542 billion (which is higher than your total capital spending on power, roads, health and education put together). Your total recurrent expenditure (including debt service) is N3.023 trillion, meaning that with a revenue of N2.83 trillion, your government plans to borrow money to finance recurrent expenditure even if capital budget is zero.

“Your recurrent budget is 107 per cent of total revenue. Put differently, your capital budget is N1 trillion, whereas your deficit or planned borrowing is N1.4 trillion, meaning that even with a zero capital budget you plan to borrow about N400 billion to add to revenue to finance consumption. Mr President, no one needs to be an economist to appreciate that this is a disaster,” Abubakar wrote.

He said that it was unacceptable for the government to borrow to meet the entire capital budget at a time of increasing revenue from oil.

“Mr President, let me draw your attention to the simple meaning of your budget: not one kobo of our oil revenue (at a time of oil boom) is being spent on power and infrastructure. Rather, you plan to spend the entire oil revenue on consumption, and even borrow to consume.  Every kobo of capital budget is to be borrowed.  If you continue to borrow at the average interest rate of 14 per cent by the 2012 budget, your borrowing in 2011 will add another N196 billion to debt service payment (and hence by 2012 debt service might be in excess of N738 billion),” he said.

“At the rate you are going, by 2015, debt service payment will be in excess of N1 trillion. If oil price drops below $50, it is evident that government will not be able to service its debt without austerity measures. Is this what you plan for this country?” Abubakar queried.

He noted that the N1trillion capital budget as provided for in the 2011 budget was the lowest in real terms when compared with others in the last seven years.

“...Your capital budget of N1 trillion (to be borrowed) is the lowest in real terms in the last seven years! Compare the capital spending in the years when the exchange rate was about N120 to a dollar and inflation in the single digit to your N1 trillion with exchange at N150 and inflation at 14 per cent. Your actual performance on capital budget implementation is about 55 per cent for 2010.  If you maintain that, or even if you reach 70 per cent implementation in 2011, your capital spending will just be a few hundred billions in real terms,” he informed President Jonathan.

He continued: “Again, Mr President, the fact that this is your first budget in the implementation of Vision 20:2020 is proof that with your government, Vision 20:2020 is just an empty slogan. A simple back–of–the envelope calculation would show that given the level of private sector and state government investment, the Federal Government would need to invest at least N3 trillion  per annum to have a chance of reaching Vision 2020. In your first year of implementation, your capital budget (borrowed) is just one third of that amount. Consider the fact that even this N1 trillion will not be fully disbursed. If your current record is a guide, then barely 50 per cent of the capital budget will be implemented (or 16 per cent of what is needed for Vision 2020. Please, Mr President, come clean with Nigerians!”

Abubakar said his own articulated plan to restore the nation’s public finance to a path of sustainability was to spend at least 40 per cent of current on capital budget compared to Jonathan’s zero on capital.

“I have put out a plan to restore our public finance to a path of sustainability. Our target is to spend at least 40 per cent of current revenue on capital budget (compared to your government that spends zero on capital). Over the medium term of four years, our agenda is to constrain recurrent expenditure to be fully funded by non–oil revenue while devoting every kobo of oil revenue to capital spending on infrastructure, power, health and education. In other words, oil is a depleting, exhaustible resource, and we must use it to build capacity for the future. We should avoid borrowing but if we must borrow at all, it has to be under stringent conditions. We should borrow only for bankable capital projects whereby the projects must generate the revenues to pay back the loan,” he said.

...........................................................................................................................................................................................

Saraki Dumps PDP, Joins ACPN
Monday, 03 January 2011 (Nigerian Tribune)
POLITICS in Kwara State has started assuming a new dimension, as the chairman of the Northern Union (NU), Dr Olusola Saraki, led his loyalists to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to embrace the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), on Sunday.

Saraki’s defection followed a rally he organised in Ilorin, Kwara State capital on Sunday and which was attended by thousands of his supporters, including former local government council chairmen, former senators and House of Representatives members.

Saraki’s new party has the squirrel as its logo, with “Loyalty, Service and Unity” as its slogan.

The defection of Saraki into ACPN is, therefore, an indication of a crack in the hegemony of the family, as the first son, Bukola, currently the governor of the state, held on to the PDP in Kwara.

The choice of ACPN by Saraki, according to findings, was strategic, since the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) had made efforts to have him join them.

Saraki is to use ACPN to reach out to all the existing political parties in Kwara to forge a coalition, with sufficient strength to dislodge PDP in the state.

The political differences between Saraki and his son had been the crux of the resolve by the NU chairman to leave PDP.

Before defecting from the PDP, Saraki had vowed to neutralise the party to zero level, as he had set machinery in motion to mop up the registration cards of the PDP in Kwara.

In the past few days, loyalists, friends and supporters of the PDP chieftain had been submitting their PDP membership cards to identify with his new political cause, and, at the last count, about 25 Ghana-must-go bags, filled with PDP membership cards, were said to have been stocked for destruction.

Investigations revealed that the resolve by the senior Saraki to enthrone Senator Gbemisola as the next governor of Kwara in the governorship election was the reason he decided to dump PDP, since the party was said not be disposed to allowing her to obtain the ticket.

Both the current governor and Senator Gbemi-sola had not been aligning politically, a development that had been impacting negatively on the governorship aspiration of the senator, as findings revealed that the state governor had already aligned with one of the aspirants.

Saraki, who once attempted to be president in the aborted Third Republic, according to reports, had told his supporters to prepare to prove a point at the next governorship poll, scheduled for April.

With the latest development in the state, the fate of the PDP is hanging in the balance, since more PDP members are said to have defected along with Saraki.

Also, it was revealed that Senator Gbemisola is the governorship candidate of the party for general election.

Addressing his supporters at the Ile-Arugbo, Iloffa, GRA, Ilorin, Saraki said some forces in the state PDP had started to cause confusion and disunity among its members for selfish reasons.  

He added that he had no problem with his son, Bukola, who is the governor of the state, adding that he had said it long time ago that Gbemisola would take over from him after his eight-year tenure, to which he agreed.

Saraki said both Bukola and Gbemisola were of the same mother. 

The Kwara political icon said he was never a card-carrying member of PDP but had since 2003 remained the major pillar behind the party in the state.

“We now have a PDP that lacks cohesion, focus, direction and bereft of ideas on how to carry supporters along and win elections,” he said.

He added that the situation was so bad to the extent that most decisions of the party were based on sentiments, instead of having recourse to party guidelines and democratic norms.

The ceremony was witnessed by eminent people from and outside the state, including Gbemisola, the governorship candidate of ACPN.

...........................................................................................................................................................................................

FG, States and LGs dip into ECA
Monday, 03 January 2011 Nigerian Tribune)
IN a last minute rush to get some money from the federation account, the Federal Government, states and local government councils shared $1billion from the $4billion Excess Crude Account (ECA) in December 2010.

To wrap up the deal, a secret meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) was convened in Abuja on the last day of 2010.

The 29-minute meeting, which was shrouded in secrecy, began at about 11.10 a.m. and ended at about 11.39 a.m.

A breakdown of the amount indicated that while the Federal Government got $458.31million, the states had $232 million, while the local governments would be credited with $179 million.

The balance of $130 million is expected to be shared to the oil-producing states based on the principle of derivation.

At the meeting, it was learnt that the governors mounted pressure on the president to release the money so they can “tackle the huge infrastructure deficit” in their states.

From the table of figures obtained by an online news agency, the Economic Confidential, the highest recipients of the dollar rain in the eve of the New Year are from the oil-producing states with Bayelsa, surprisingly, leading the pack as it received $47.1 million, followed by Akwa Ibom, $43.6 million; Rivers, $40.6 million, and Delta, $33.0 million.

The lowest recipients as revealed in the table below are Ebonyi $8 million; Gombe, $8.3 million; Kano, $20 million; Lagos, $15 million and Katsina, $15 million.

Nasarawa got $8.3 million, while Ekiti got $8.4 million.

The Economic Confidential also said other disbursement from the special dollar allocation in December showed that the Federal Government had $458 million, while the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) councils had $1.5 million.

The Economic Confidential correspondent, who was at the venue of the meeting, learnt that the amount was shared, following approval given by the National Economic Council.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that pressure from the governors to tackle the huge infrastructure deficit in their states made President Goodluck Jonathan to approve the disbursement.

The Minister of State for Finance, Hajiya Yabawa Wabi, confirmed the development in Abuja, in an interview with Economic Confidential.

Wabi, who is also the chairman of FAAC, said since the National Assembly had agreed to extend the implementation of the capital budget till March 2011, there was the need to share the amount to allow states to fund more developmental projects across the federation.

“We are here because we got an approval to share $1 billion from the ECA to the three tiers of government and this we are doing because the ECA is a financing item in the 2010 budget of both the federal and state governments.

“The budget year has been extended to March 2011 by the National Assembly and that is why we need to share this amount to form part of the 2010 budget,” the minister said.

She added that “since only the capital budget was extended to March, the money will only be meant for capital projects. The money was approved by the president. No other money was shared apart from this and the money has already been cash-backed.

“In this regard, while the Federal Government had $458.31 million, states will share $232 million, local government areas will share $179 million and the derivation states will share $130 million.”

Also speaking, the chairman of commissioners’ forum, Alhaji Rebo Usman, said “we have to meet because there is no way we could share money without a meeting of FAAC members. That is why we had to hold this emergency meeting to take care of that decision that was taken by the National Economic Council.

“This money is not an end-of-the-year bonus, it belongs to the three tiers of government and the ECA is like savings and the governors believed that there is the need to fund some ongoing projects that are taken place, both at the federal and state level.

“So it is normal that the money was taken at this time of the year to fund some of our operations.
“The ECA is an account that belongs to the three tiers of government and anytime we are in need, we have a right to use it to fund projects.”

...........................................................................................................................................................................................

Saraki (Snr) Vs Saraki (Jnr)
Monday, 03 January 2011 (Punch)

The Leader of the Senate in the Second Republic, Dr. Olusola Saraki, on Sunday evening formally dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria with a horde of supporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

At the event, Saraki said he would meet his son, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on the field. This development has set the stage for an epic clash between the veteran politician and his son, who is also the governor of the state and leader.

Saraki, who joined the ACPN at a formal ceremony at his Iloffa residence in the Government Reservation Area, Ilorin also said, “The Peoples Democratic Party is officially dead and buried in Kwara State.” At the event, the politician also directed his supporters to discard PDP property in their possession, adding that he was still discussing with other parties.

The leadership of the All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Congress for Progressive Change led by Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and Maj.-Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (retd.) respectively, had visited the elder statesman last week.

Speaking on Sunday, Saraki said, “Now that they have eased us out of the PDP, the party is officially dead in Kwara. There is no more PDP here. For now we are joining the ACPN, though we are still talking with other parties.

“I was the one you voted for in 1999, 2003 and 2007; but since they have decided to treat us like this, we will move to a party that will favour us and not suffer us the way PDP is doing.”

Saraki, who told his supporters that though his son had done well on many fronts, said he (the governor) failed to understand the balance of power in the state.

“Bukola has told me he has no candidate and I believe him. We will meet whoever the PDP throws up in the field. We won’t fight but we will defeat them with votes. We don’t know the lineage and pedigree of those that are now behaving like tin gods. Bukola does not stay at home.

“When you (his supporters) told me you wanted Bukola in 2003, I told you he was not a politician, but you said it was him you wanted. Now you are saying you want Gbemi (his daughter). When I told him Gbemi would take over from him, he said ‘no problem.’ I called him and asked him, ‘Do you know anybody who is better than Gbemi?’

“I should be recuperating after undergoing a surgery in my right leg, but I can’t afford to leave behind a Kwara I cannot be proud of. Those we do not know their fathers are now the ones abusing me.”

He flayed the leadership of the PDP in the state for capitalising on the “inexperience of the state leadership to perpetuate themselves and turn themselves into something else. Those who were not involved in the building of the party have now capitalised on the inexperience of the leadership to perpetuate themselves and to decide the fate of the real people on the state’s political turf.”

He added, “We now have a PDP that lacks cohesion, focus, direction and is bereft of ideas on how to carry people along and win elections. Though we have taken the situation in good stride, I call on you not to be despondent. It is testing time.”

He noted that the governor had wanted to stop him from making Gbemi a senator, but could not because he didn’t have the full complement of security agencies under him. The supporters, who were drawn from the three senatorial districts in the state, had earlier restated their support for Saraki.