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February 28, 2005
Atiku in Kano’s warm embrace
TRUE to the spirit of the age-old hospitality known of the people of Kano and an earlier call by the Ibrahim Shekarau administration in Kano state to exhibit this enviable and amiable culture, last Saturday, thousands of people cutting across the political strata in the state came out to receive the Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (Turakin Adamawa) on a one-day visit.
By ADAMU ABDULLAHI
The warm reception accorded the number two citizen according to watchers, was unprecedented in recent times especially if cognizance is taken of the fact that it was totally free from any hitch, more so that the state governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau even though an ANPP governor, was said to have exhibited one of the highest regards to an opposition.
The Vice President who was among the important dignitaries at the wedding fatiha of two daughters of former Kaduna state military administrator, Brigadier-General Lawal Jafaru Isa (rtd), was given a rousing welcome to the ancient city.
The Vice President was received by a mammoth crowd of both the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) supporters and those of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) led by Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, who paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Kano, Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Bayero.
At the emir’s palace, Alhaji Abubakar expressed his delight over the reception accorded him by the emir, saying that he would continue to respect the traditional institution.
The vice president also thanked Kano state governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and the entire people of the state for the warm reception.
Introducing the vice president, Governor Shekarau stated that the vice-president was at the palace to pay the traditional homage to the emir as part of respect for the institution.
Responding, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Bayero expressed his appreciation over the recognition shown to the emirate by the vice president.
Meanwhile, the warm reception accorded the vice president in Kano by PDP supporters alongside the ruling ANPP supporters as they cheered their governor during the occasion, had indicated restoration of peaceful politicking and Governor Shekarau’s large heart and level-headedness as a leader in the state.
Among those who accompanied the vice president included Alhaji Musa Gwadabe, Governor Boni Haruna of Adamawa state, Sports minister, Col. Musa Muhammad (rtd) and former Kano state deputy governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Posted by Publisher at 03:21 PM | Comments (0)
Confab delegates expected to resume work today
DELEGATES to the National Political Reform Conference who left for a compelling week’s recess to allow federal government fully prepare their secretariat, accommodation and transport fares, are expected to resume sitting today to face the task ahead.
From KABIRU YUSUF, Abuja
The 391 delegates had to leave Abuja in annoyance due to what they said was federal government’s inability to provide them a secretariat, working materials among other documents that could guide them on the challenging national assignment.
To facilitate their inauguration, the federal government had only provided them with accommodation, feeding and part of the transport fares for two days but failed to pay them their two days sitting allowance.
Despite these problems, the delegates had, however, briefly resolved to sit from 9 a.m. to 1 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm from Monday to Thursday.
Last Friday, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ufot Ekaette was quoted as saying that the federal government had concluded all necessary arrangements for the delegates.
According to the report, government had decided to pay the 391 delegates all their daily entitlements fortnightly, while the chairman of the conference, his deputy and secretary are to enjoy accommodation and official vehicles throughout the duration of the conference.
The delegates are expected to deliberate on six central elements of the reform agenda which include constitutional reform, political party reform, electoral reform, judicial/legal reform, civil society reform and consultation and consensus building.
As outlined by Makarfi report, the proposed reform conference should also seek to critically examine Nigeria’s political framework and practices so as to consolidate democracy, facilitate good governance, promote development in the context of social justice so as to ensure peace and stability under the rule of law.
Posted by Publisher at 03:21 PM | Comments (0)
At Tijjaniyya Movement Zikiri… Emir Bayero, Governor Shekarau admonish on confab
THE Emir of Kano, Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Bayero has advised participants of the National Political Reform Conference to put aside all differences to make the assignment a success.
By ADAMU ABDULLAHI
“It is necessary for us to be united and put behind us all our differences,” the emir said, adding: “This is the only way Muslims and the religion of Islam can face the challenges squarely”.
Dr. Bayero was speaking during this year’s annual Zikiri (special prayers) marking the beginning of first month of the Islamic new calendar year organized by the Tijjaniyya Movement, at the emir’s palace last Friday.
The royal father stated that there are a lot of lessons to learn from the life of some of our great leaders which according to him, could lead to Muslim Ummah’s triumph in life.
Alhaji Bayero who traced the history of Sheikh Ibrahim Inyas and Sheikh Ahmadu Tijjani, said they all taught Muslims on how to live a life in accordance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
To this end, the emir enjoined Muslims to desist from envy and jealousy among themselves rather, they should come together and forge ahead to face the new challenges in the current global order.
He also called on them to participate fully during the forthcoming national census, while urging them to donate generously when the appeal fund for the renovation of the Abuja National Mosque comes up.
On his part, Kano state governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau called on the Ulamah to be united and work towards the proper spread of the Islamic religion.
Malam Shekarau who lamented the moral decadence and indiscipline among some Muslims, advised them to restrict their lives to the teachings of Islam in order to ensure that no problems bedevil the society.
He advised Muslims to uphold the virtues of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, so as to reap the mercies of Almighty Allah.
Among the dignitaries who attended the prayer session were, the Bauchi state governor, Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, his host, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and the representative of Nassarawa state governor among others.
Posted by Publisher at 03:18 PM | Comments (0)
V-P appreciates role of traditional rulers
VICE President Atiku Abubakar has said that the federal government will continue to appreciate the role traditional institutions play in the sustenance of peace and unity in Nigeria.
From KABIRU YUSUF, Kano
Alhaji Abubakar who stated this at Kano emir’s palace when he paid the traditional homage to the emir, Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Bayero, explained that traditional institutions remain a symbol of unity, progress and peaceful coexistence in the country.
The vice president who was in Kano to give out hands of two daughters of former military governor of Kaduna state, Brigadier General Lawal Ja’afar Isa to marriage, commended the efforts of Emir Bayero for being so patient to receive him despite his tight schedule.
He further said that he was in Kano for the wedding fatiha which took place at Umar bin Khattab Juma’at mosque, Kano. In attendance were Kano state governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and that of Adamawa state, Mr. Boni Haruna among others.
From the emir’s palace, Abubakar proceeded to Kano Government House, where he took his lunch and performed his Zuhr prayer before he left for Abuja via Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Kano.
Posted by Publisher at 03:17 PM | Comments (0)
Government ministries, parastatals defy clean-up exercise ... In Kano
UNTIL Kano state government takes concrete measures, the monthly clean-up exercise at government ministries and parastatals slated for every last Friday of the month may be soon be paralysed as most of these establishments are not complying with the directive.
By NASIRU MUHAMMAD
Investigation by Daily Triumph has indicated that in most of the places visited last Friday, the exercise was not holding as most workers went about their normal office businesses or in some places were even absent.
At the ministry of commerce for instance, Daily Triumph observed that most of the staff were absent as they were said to have undertaken the exercise a day earlier, to enable them travel to Kaduna in connection with the International Trade Fair which took off last week. While at the health ministry, only few members of the junior cadre were seen partaking in the exercise.
As for the ministry of land and physical planning as well as that of information and KASEPPA the story was the same.
Our correspondent reports that there were no senior officials of the land ministry to comment on the exercise, while at information ministry, some staff even expressed surprise that the exercise was still being enforced.
Most ironical however, is the ministry of environment, where the exercise was also not holding and the commissioner was not available to comment. However, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Hajiya Salamatu Garba told Daily Triumph that such attitude of shying away from the directive must change.
“Of course, we notice that most of the workers are not participating which is worrisome, but we have been publishing announcing the exercise in the media, but honestly the monthly sanitation exercise is in our heart,” she said.
While at the Board of Internal Revenue, the exercise was also not holding, and the chairman was said to have gone to the airport to receive a visitor from Abuja, whereas, Daily Triumph observed that both the staff and managing director of Rural Electrification Board (REB), Engr. Ali Muhammad Wudil were visibly seen partaking in the exercise.
Commenting, Engr. Wudil told Daily Triumph that they were complying with the directive, noting that even Islam emphasizes on cleanliness, and urged all ministries and government departments to comply with the directive.
Some concerned citizens who spoke to Daily Triumph advised government to either take serious action against erring ministries in future or cancel the exercise.
Posted by Publisher at 03:16 PM | Comments (0)
Obasanjo: Between third term and succession bids
TO a few pessimistic Nigerians, the prospect of having President Olusegun Obasanjo at the helm for another term after 2007 is just unthinkable.
Not so much because of lack of performance by the incumbent or even the constitutional implication, but rather, because they feel that they had either waited for too long at the corridor, or that their rights to reclaim what gun-fully belonged to them is being trampled.
As controversial as the idea of an Obasanjo third term may appear, it would seem as the only sensible option left for Nigerians to ponder. If the seismic reading of the current political climate in the country were to be measured and released to the public, not a single soul will remain under its territory. We would have all made a run for higher grounds, or even made it as far as to our neighboring countries for fear of Tsunami scale political tidal wave and its attendant consequence.
Nigerians, unfortunately have been under-estimating the scale of the bad political landscape our politicians, particularly those eying the 2007 presidency created for us. The giant-trio of former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida; ANPP presidential candidate in the 2003 elections, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Atiku Abubakar have become fighting elephants, trampling on the already withered short grass called Nigeria.
It is no secret that Babangida does not see eye to eye with either Buhari, or the Turaki whom he considers the main obstacle to his ambition of becoming a civilian president; a privilege that he seriously believes he earned by doing us the favor of “stepping aside” in 1993 and for inviting President Obasanjo to temporarily step-in to appease the “bloody Yorubas” who would have forgotten all about June 12, 1993 in a mere four years. For the children of the great Odudua however, time is no healer.
Apparently, gauging by the negative reaction of the people of the south-west to the news that the Maradona will contest in 2007, one can easily predict that the Afenifere and YCE, the two socio-cultural groups that are the heart-beat of the Yoruba political base, did not give their blessings. The disenchantment to the prospect of a Babangida presidency is not limited to the south-west alone. In the north, only Niger state can be said to be Maradona territory. The rest of the region is shared between Atiku and Buhari supporters.
The poor people of the North, easily the most docile on earth, have this time, after being pushed to the wall, through years of hardships, particularly during his imperial reign as military president, would not want to turn back the clock. They contended with more than fair-share of misfortunes like having to lose overnight, their life savings through Naira devaluation and other economic reforms that had poison written all over them.
Though the Vice President may have had his shortcomings in the discharge of his office; he may even have stepped on the toes of his boss; but in all honesty and fairness, show me one politician in this country or indeed anywhere in the democratic world, that would have had the support of virtually all the PDP governors and party leadership at the primaries as the vice president did, and then concede the honor to his boss? Only Atiku Abubakar could do that. Yet, instead of applauding him for his magnanimity and respect for the president, he is being picked on for an impromptu statement made under political duress from the governors, their supporters and some hounding mercenary reporters waiting for such political hick-up to draw their headlines.
The Vice President had also willingly on various occasions, out of loyalty I believe, served as fall-guy to the president, taking the heat off his boss, even when he did not have to. The Sharia debacle had for instance, taken a great toll on the political and moral standing of the Turaki in his primary constituency, the North.
As the chairman of the federal government’s privatization programme, the vice president was yet, shouldered with a responsibility that earned him curses and bad name from majority of Nigerians who are opposed to it; and did not bother with the fact that the Turaki was only carrying out an assignment that was deliberated at the Economic Council and Council of State meetings. If the President did not want privatization to take place during his tenure, it would certainly not take place, even though we are all aware of its inevitability. But the fact that Atiku was the chairman saved the president all the headaches and the accompanying bad press.
Over all, despite stern accusation from certain quarters that the vice president had not been loyal to his commander-in-chief, it is on record that apart from facilitating chief Obasanjo’s second term, the Turaki was also able to foil the alleged security breach against the government, while all the others on the list of the presidential race, had the record of either bringing down a democratic government or annulling what was adjudged as the fairest-ever general elections in the history of this country; and even palace coups against each other. They, therefore, lack any democratic credential or the moral rectitude to ask Nigerians to put them into the nation’s highest office.
Nigerians also know that the much speculated widening gulf between the president and his vice is nothing, but a creation of the opposition to bring anxiety and tension into the Atiku camp, with the ultimate aim of winning-over the victims of such propaganda. The President himself had at various times refuted such allegation and assured Nigerians that all had been well between them. The bottom line here is that, there is nothing too serious as to warrant Chief Obasanjo to call for the Vice President’s head. In other words, those who advance such speculations are in a way, questioning the President’s political mind and clout, when it is obvious that he is, today, a better politician than even those who drafted him into the game.
At any rate, I genuinely believe that Nigerians have had enough of the Babangida years to even contemplate the thought of his return. We do not have to be reminded that it was during his rule that the ethno-religious harmony and the wonderful co-existence between particularly the peoples of the north got shattered and which after effect, the Obasanjo administration is still struggling to manage. I know some people may try to argue that the Maitatsine calamity of the Shehu Shagari era was the first. To the contrary, the group was nothing, but a cult that took on mostly on its Muslim brothers, and any soul that happened to be within the strike area irrespective of religious consideration.
Therefore, the question of president Obasanjo rooting for a Babangida presidency or for any former military ruler for that matter does not even arise. Because in most advanced democracies, including our role-model, the United States of America, the Vice President is the natural heir to the departing president (at party level). Besides, if the constitution can allow a former Junta that led this country for eight years to still lay claim for another eight under democratic mandate, there is no reason why the same constitution should not allow President Obasanjo as a democrat to go for a third term. He will surely.
Posted by Publisher at 03:15 PM | Comments (0)
Nigeria may deploy troops to Cote d’ Ivoire, Congo, Somalia — Obasanjo
Nigeria may send troops to three troubled African countries, President Olusegun Obasanjo, has said.
Obasanjo gave the hint last week at the closing ceremony of a one-week Nigerian Army training at the newly “revived” Army Training Centre, Kontagora in Niger state.
He gave the names of the countries as Cote d’ Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia.
The president said that the role of the military should not necessarily be that of waging wars, but maintaining peace globally like what happened in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
“We may have to send troops to these countries in addition to what we have in other African countries and the Middle East. I believe that our soldiers are equal to the task,’’ he said.
Obasanjo charged the soldiers to be ready for non-war operations which would involve making and keeping peace, saying that the military training should focus on world peace.
“Our training, equipment and preparations should be geared toward ensuring peace the world over,’’ he said.
Obasanjo promised that the training centre which was abandoned for a long time would be equipped to ensure professionalism in the Nigerian Army.
He said that in democracy the function of the military was to ensure defence and security as well as to make and keep peace in conflict areas.
In his address, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Martin-Luther Agwai, said that it was part of Nigerian Army’s plan to ensure realistic training at unit and formation levels.
Agwai said that the headquarters decided to revive the Kontagora training center while various levels of equipment and logistics would be centralised there.
He said that formations and units would be required to take turns to camp and use the centre for various exercises.
Agwai said that when fully developed the centre, which was acquired in 1996, would provide ideal setting for realistic training, which, he noted, had been neglected for so long.
He said that the end result would be a well trained, highly skilled, more disciplined, motivated and competent cadre of officers and soldiers.
Agwai further pledged the continued loyalty of the Nigerian Army to the growth and stability of the nation’s democracy and to uphold the tenets of human rights and the rule of law.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise was code-named “Exercise New Dawn’’.
Posted by Publisher at 03:14 PM | Comments (0)
Starcomms offers mouth-watering bonanza
THE ongoing promotion of fixed wireless phone embarked upon by Starcomms Limited in Kano is aimed at enhancing communication in the state, so says Mrs. Wunmi Sabiotimo, manager serving centre, Kano.
By Abdullahi D. Abdullahi
Mrs. Sabiotimo who was explaining the promotion tagged: "Unbeatable offer" told newsmen in an interview that for any customer who buys fixed wireless phone at the cost of N 14,950 (WS-1000/300) plus N1000 free airtime, a westec phone set is given out to either a friend or relative in Maiduguri.
The manager revealed that the choice of Maiduguri for free phone set was intentional, especially in the drive to win more customers because the patronage there is poor.
She said phone sets, apart from having N1000 free airtime (pre-loaded), also have free call minder (voice mail) and free instant messaging (SMS).
Mrs. Sabiotimo while urging for patronage from Kano people, assured that the tarrif charged by Starcomms is affordable, no negative billing, no access charge since June last year, no credit charge, adding: "There is also clear voice, international direct line where you are connected straight and it charges N39 for any international call just like what NITEL charges and connectiviy is perfect."
The serving center, manager further assured that Starcomms would cover all the 44 local government areas in the state before the end of the year and that already it has sets up customer support/friendly centre to assist any customer anytime, any day.
She maintained that apart from internet facilities, Starcomms phones manufactured by LG electronics are user friendly.
Also commenting, Mr. Kayode Mudasini the financial manager, Kano office said the emergence of Starcomms helps in no small scale in trimming down telecommunication prices in the country.
"We are undergoing long term extension exercise and have started with Zone I and by the end of the year, we are going to extend to four more state, two in the North and two in the East," he explained.
He said Starcomms had also provided job opportunities and business to teeming Kano people.
Meanwhile, Malam K.F Umar of marketing unit has urged Kano to make good use of the ongoing bonanza to benefit from efficient and effective service.
He recalled that Starcomms had expanded its network to cover Kano in December 2003 and within two years, the company has become leader in the Nigerian telecommunication market
The ongoing offer will last until March 15, 2005.
Posted by Publisher at 03:13 PM | Comments (0)
Ogun establishes 3 agric centres
Three agricultural centres have been established in Ogun state to reduce unemployment, encourage farming and boost food production.
The state commissioner for Forestry, Chief Dele Onalaja, told newsmen that the centres, established last year, were located at Ilaro, Olokemeji and Area J6 and that the project would create job opportunities for youths and alleviate poverty in the society through employment generation.
The commissioner explained that the ministry accorded priority attention to the promotion of self-employment by encouraging the establishment of wood-related business ventures statewide, noting that there were 310 registered sawmills in the state.
Similarly, a total of 1,673 property hammers were registered out of which only 1,200 were renewed in 2004, while in order to manage, protect and regulate exploitation of timber and allied forest products, some registered timber contractors were given allocation in various forest reserves.
He disclosed that 100 new motorcycles were purchased for distribution to forest field officers by the state government to enable them police the state’s forest reserves adequately.
Posted by Publisher at 03:13 PM | Comments (0)
Anambra awards N980m road contract
Anambrastate government has awarded a N980 million contract for the construction of 11 roads in Awka.
Speaking at the contract signing ceremony in Awka, the commissioner for Works and Housing, Mr Emeka Ejikeme, said the contract would be executed in phases.
He said the first phase of seven roads would be constructed at the residential areas of the state capital, while two would be constructed at the commercial part of the city.
The commissioner said one of the roads in the commercial part of the city, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Avenue, would be dualised, while the second road, Arthur Eze Avenue, would be expanded.
He said all the roads would have street lights and culverts and would be built with asphalt overlay.
Ejikeme said since the creation of the state in 1991, this would be the first time roads in Awka would be getting serious attention.
He said government would not pull down houses along the roads during the dualling, but warned that any house which contravened the building bye-law would be pulled down.
In his speech, Mr Salim Aoude, Managing Director of Sagez Nigeria Ltd., the company that won the contract, said the company was already on site.
“We are going to work day and night to complete the project in record time. We will use the project to prove our competence and ability.
Posted by Publisher at 03:12 PM | Comments (0)
NATIONAL CONFAB: Presidency queries Nenadi Usman over funding
The Presidency has queried the Minister of State for Finance, Mrs. Nenadi E. Usman, over a media report credited to her last week saying that the fed-eral government is drawing the N981 million required to fund the on-going National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) account.
By Ahmed I. Shekarau, Group Business Editor
The minister of state for finance, Mrs. Usman, was reported last week Monday by Punch newspaper to have said that the federal government will source money to fund the conference from the CRF, which belongs to it only (as a tier of government) and not from the Federation Acc-ounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) as widely speculated. The FAAC’s funds belong to the three tiers of government in the federation.
Specifically, Punch in its edition of Monday, Febr-uary21, 2005, reported Nenadi Usman as saying: “It is not true that the FAAC is providing funds to fund the national political reform conference.
“You will recall that the President had gone to the National Assembly for approval of the sum of N932 million for the conference which was not approved.
The federal government is going to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is the federal government’s acco-unt in the Central Bank of Nigeria,” she said.
Daily Trust gathered from sources that the news report has generated a lot of contr-oversy as the appropriation committees of the Upper and Lower chambers of the National Assembly have begun investigations, trying to ascertain the veracity of the report with a view to querying the presidency over the matter.
It is illegal for the federal government to draw from the CRF and spend on any pro-ject or programme that is not appropriated, even though the account belongs to it as a tier of government.
A dependable source in the presidency told Daily Trust last week that on the basis of the news report, “the minister (Nenadi) has been issued a query, asking her to explain why she made that public statement.”
The source disclosed further that “that report embarrassed the presidency, particularly now that we understand that members of the Senate and House of Representatives, most of whom have not hidden their opposition to the confab, are trying to probe the Presi-dency, trying to find proof that the money was drawn without appropriation”.
When contacted by Daily Trust over the issue weekend, the chief press secretary to the minister of state for finance, Ogaziechi C. Theo-dore, said “at no time did Ma-dam (Nenadi) say thro-ughout the interview session she had after the FAAC meeting of that day (Friday, February 18, 2005), that the government was going to draw the confab’s money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund”, stressing that “he (the Punch reporter) was not the only journalist that interviewed Madam. Other reporters, including your man (Daily Trust reporter) were there (at the interview session), why didn’t any journalist report that angle except him?”
Similarly in a press stat-ement he signed and issued on Saturday, the chief press secretary to the minister of state reiterated his denial, saying that “the information was wrong and misleading”.
According to the two-page press statement: “It is true that on the 18th of February, 2005, the Honourable Minister of State for Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Usman granted a press interview to Finance Correspondents from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Daily Trust, the Sun and the Punch newspapers where she summarised the outcome of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting.
“It is also true that a question relating to where the federal government would source funds for the National Political Reform Conference was asked by the same reporter (of Punch). It is also true that the Honourable Minister responded noting that as long as FAAC is concerned, the FG had no absolute control over the funds and as such cannot source funds from this purse.
“However, she explained that the FG has a range of avenues where it can source for funds for its projects, which included the Consolidated Fund,” stressing that “at no time did the Honourable Minister categorically state that the funds for the Conference will be or has been sourced from the consolidated fund”.
Section 80 (2) of the 1999 constitution says: “No monies shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Rev-enue Fund of the Federation except to meet expenditure that is charged upon the fund by this constitution or where the issue of those monies has been authorised by an Appropriation Act, Supplementary Appropriation Act or an Act passed in pu-rsuance of Section 81 of this Constitution”.
Posted by Publisher at 03:09 PM | Comments (0)
Presidential system best for Nigeria - Obasanjo insists
President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday insisted that the presi-dential system of government was the best for Nig-eria but said the ongoing political reform conference and subsequent constitutional reforms are geared to give the country a unique presidential system.
By Reuben Yunana, State House Correspondent
Speaking during the monthly presidential media chat yesterday, Obasanjo said “no two presidential systems in the world are the same.”
He said it was wrong for people to say that premiers in the first republic had more powers than state governors now have, adding: “the governors today are more powerful than the premiers of those days who had gove-rnors in addition to their own premiership. Today the power of governor and premier subsists in one person. There is nothing a premier could do that a governor cannot do today.”
He said it was wrong for Nigerians to compare the Nigerian federation and pres-idential system of gover-nment with that of America because of what he called differences in historical perspectives.
“In America, the states were in existence before they agreed to come together. In Nigeria, the country was in existence, we decided to break up. You must bear that in mind,” Obasanjo said and likened the position of Nigeria with that of India.
He said it was wrong for people to castigate him for supporting presidential system of government for Nigeria. “I talked about presidentialism and some people went to war.
Look, there is no two presidential types of govern-ment in the world that are exactly the same,” Obasanjo said.
Once Nigerians decided they want a presidential sys-tem, then they must decide on what type they want, he said.
“Ghana is a presidential system and picks his mini-sters from the parliament. The ministers have the right to go and address the parliament at will. South Africa is a presidential system. The president is elected by the parliament and he is a member of the parliament. The French and American systems are also different. So we must decide what is good for ourselves,” President Obasanjo emphasised.
He said Nigerians had devised, “a particular system for ourselves to be able to meet with our peculiarities,” he emphasised.
On the issue of the low representation of women in the list of conference delegates, President Obasanjo blamed state governors for the anomaly.
“I sympathise with the position of the women. The governors must say if the non inclusion of women among their delegates was an oversight. They owe the women an apology,” he said.
On the forthcoming national census, President Obasanjo said he was distressed that “while you are trying to blunt the edge of religion and ethnicity so that we sharpen the edge of Nigerianess, the same people who want us to blunt this edge for population census are the ones who are sharpening it for representation.”
Describing the situation as unfortunate and contradictory, Obasanjo pointed out: “when you go out of here (Nigeria) the thing they ask you is where are you from? And you reply I am a Nigerian. They don’t ask you if you are Ibo or Yoruba.”
Posted by Publisher at 03:08 PM | Comments (0)
Confab reconvenes today
Following a week’s recess, the national political reform confe-rence is due to reconvene today at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
By Habeeb I. Pindiga, Political Reporter
The conference adjourned Monday last week, shortly after President Olusegun Obasanjo’s inaugural address. The recess was to give time for the secretariat to fully prepare and working documents made available to delegates.
It was not clear yesterday evening whether the secretariat was ready. But an official at the centre told Daily Trust that by this morning, all would be set for smooth sessions of the conference.
Daily Trust could not, however, confirm whether all the working documents were produced for distribution to participants.
Obasanjo had said that the conference would be provided with copies of the constitution, report of the presidential panel on constit-ution review and the Oputa panel report, among others.
Some of the documents were distributed last Monday, but the Oputa panel report was not made available before the recess.
The conference is expected to reconvene in the former chamber of the House of Representatives.
Delegates complained last week that the Africa Hall, venue of the maiden session was not proper for sittings because of poor lighting and arrangement of seats. Chairman, Niki Tobi, promised then that the venue would shift.
When Daily Trust visited the new venue yesterday evening, officials were still putting the place in order.
A notice was seen pasted on the entrance to the chamber, which informed delegates that “sitting not necessarily according to delegation, free sitting is allowed.”
This means that contrary to sitting order according to delegations as observed at the first day, today’s resumption would feature delegates sitting freely.
The 660-seater chamber was well-lit as at yesterday, but only three microphones were provided in front of three of the five rows.
Some delegates were also seen making inquiries at the protocol desk.
Posted by Publisher at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)
General Adisa buried in Ilorin
A record crowd of admirers, political associates, relations and prominent Nigerians including former Nigerian president, retired General Ibrahim Babangida and Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara state, Chief of Staff to President Obasanjo, retired Gen-eral Abdullahi Mohammed attended the fidau of late General Abdulkarim Adisa, who was buried at his GRA residence in Ilorin yesterday.
By Ahmed I. Shekarau, Group Business Editor
& Hamisu Muhammad, Business Reporter
Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Mohammed Bashar, assisted by his deputy Alhaji Abdullahi Hameed led the fidau prayer of General Adisa held at 12 noon.
Body of late retired General Adisa was flown into the Ilorin international airport at 10.05 a.m. in an aircraft marked EAS FN BEY led by retired General Raji Rasaki, former military governor of Lagos and General Tajudeen Olarenwaju and the Chief Medical Director of Unilorin Teaching Hospital, Dr Suleiman Kuranga.
Moments after the corpse in a casket neatly wrapped with a sack was discharged from the aircraft, a Peugeot station wagon ambulance registered FG 16 H12 of the Unilorin Teaching Hospital moved in to covey the body to his GRA residence, amidst chanting of Lailallahu by the teaming crowd waiting to witness the arrival of the body of General Adisa.
The security men on duty had a hectic time controlling the crowd as people strug-gled to catch a glimpse of the casket, while those who could not enter the residence hung on buildings to witness the ceremony.
Speaking to newsmen after the burial, President Babangida said Adisa would be remembered as a loyal person adding that “the country has lost one of its very fine officers and a patriot who lived his life providing services to the nation.”
General Babangida who described Adisa’s death as a necessity said “we expect everybody to eventually die at the end of the day.”
In his reaction, the chairman of the anti-corrup-tioncommission, retired Justice Mustapha Akanbi said General Adisa’s death was a big loss to everybody and the country considering what he has been able to do for the community.
Justice Mustapha said his scholarship scheme for the needy in the society had impacted on the people and hoped that the legacies he left behind would be cheri-shed in good memories.
“On that very day he was travelling, we were together in Ogbomoso and we sat side-by-side. He left late in the afternoon. I did not know that was the last I was seeing General Adisa and we had a lot of jokes before he left,” Justice Mustapha recou-nted.
Also reacting, the former Nigerian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alhaji Abdulwahab Adeyi who described Gen-eral Adisa as a kind, generous and progressive gentleman, said the Ilorin community would miss him dearly.
While praying to Allah to grant him eternal rest, Amb-assador Adeyi said what he has contributed to the state and Nigeria would continue to be his legacy.
Former governor of Kwara state, Alhaji Moha-mmed Lawal, who described General Adisa as a close friend and a major pillar of Ilorin community and the state, prayed for sustenance of the members of the family.
Among personalities who witnessed the fidau were retired Brig-General David Mark, retired Major General David Jemibewon, retired General Lawrence Onoja, Mr Barnabas Germade, former PDP national chairman, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Victor Malu, Oba Timi of Ede, Governors of Niger and Abia states, Alhaji Abdulkadir Kure and Orji Uzor Kalu and Walin Ilorin, Alhaji Akanbi Oniy-angi, Dr Alimi AbdulRazaq, and minister for communication, Chief Cornelius Adebayo.
Others include the Chief Justice of Kwara state, Justice Timothy Oyeyipo, Grand Khadi of the state Sharia Court of Appeal, Justice Mu-talib Hambali, former governor of Kwara State, retired General David Bamigboye, the former governor of Ba-uchi and Osun states, retired Colonel Theophilus Bamigboye and former IG, Chief Sunday Adewusi.
Posted by Publisher at 03:06 PM | Comments (0)
World Bank doubts N25bn capitalisation
There are strong indic-ations that the World Bank is doubting the feasibility of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) determination to make the nation’s banks meet the N25 billion capitalisation by end of December this year.
By Ahmed I. Shekarau, Group Business Editor & Hamisu Muhammad, Business Reporter
As a pointer to this, the World Bank last week sent a team comprising some of its lead financial economists in Africa and consultants to sample views of key stakeholders on the reliability or otherwise of the apex bank’s policy.
The team led by one of its financial economists in the Africa regional office last week Monday met separately with members of both the Senate and House of Repres-entatives committees on banking and currency behind closed doors.
One of the lawmakers confided in Daily Trust last week, that “the World Bank’s fear, according to members of the team who came and inter-acted with us, was informed by two key reasons – the complaints by many banks and financial analysts in the country that the 18 months given by the CBN for the N25 billion recapitalisation was too short a time, as well as the senate’s amendment to the CBN Act which provided for categorisation of banks.”
According to the lawm-akers, “the World Bank team tried to gauge our sincere views with regards to the recapitalisation policy and we told them.” The lawmaker did not tell Daily Trust what the lawmakers’ “sincere” po-sition on the policy was, say-ing that “the team pleaded with us not to make public the opinions we expressed and promised not to make public whatever we told them.”
Our reporter who got contacts of some members of the team sent an e-mail last Tuesday to one of the World Bank’s lead financial econ-omists trying to find out what informed the bank’s pessi-mism about the Central Bank of Nigeria recapitalisation policy.
Till today, however, no response came to our repo-rter’s mail. When contacted on the issue last week Thur-sday, Mr Obadiah Tohomdet of the external commun-ications unit of the World Bank group’s country office in Abuja, said our reporter’s e-mail was forwarded to him for advise, but he has no comments on the matter.
But when contacted for the CBN”s response to the seeming apathy of the World Bank, the deputy director and head of corporate affairs of the apex bank, Mr Tony Ede, said while he doubts if the World Bank will take that position, “it does not run the Nigerian economy and can-not dictate for our country what we should do.”
Mr Ede said “the World Bank has been very supp-ortive of our (recapitali-sation) policy right from day one and we know their position on that. I don’t think they will doubt it.
“But even if it does, it does not run our economy. The good news I have for you is that so far, we have over 15 groups of banks that have agreed to merge apart from several that have met the N25 billion capital base. Besides, I’m sure you’ve read in the news that Union Bank is even planning a N100 billion capitalisation which is good for our economy,” he added.
The CBN spokesman said the whole essence of the recapitalisation, as Soludo harped repeatedly, is to enable Nigerian banks fund productive activity in the real sector of the economy. “How can foreign banks be funding even exploration activities in the petroleum sector? What are our banks doing?” he queried.
Mr Ede said further that, “let me remind you that when Soludo came in as governor (of the CBN) about 11 banks were about to be liquidated. But he said no, let’s allow them to be acquired by other bigger banks so that we can save their customers the trouble of having to be paid only some part of their savings after these banks were liquidated.”
Posted by Publisher at 03:06 PM | Comments (0)
Hajj 2005: Jigawa pilgrims board denies shoddy deals
The Jigawa State pilgrims welfare board has denied any shoddy deals in respect of the 1000 sponsored pilgrims to the holy land.
By Hassan A. Kaforfi, Correspondent (Dutse)
In a press conference addressed by the executive secretary of the board, Alhaji Abdulkadir A. Maje, the board described as false, allegations that the board had fictitiously compiled names of pilgrims to be spon-sored and subsequently sold their seats to interested pilgrims.
According to the board’s secretary, the state government had initiated the spo-nsorship to enable benefi-ciaries who could not pay for themselves have access to the fulfilling of the funda-mentals of Islam.
He said a total of 1,000 pilgrims were sponsored by the state and these were drawn from NGOs, medical staffs, security agencies, politicians, associations, the Ulama traditional and local government councils as well as many others from across the country.
Alhaji Maje said the rationale was to assist the less privileged in the disc-harge of God’s religious obligation.
He added that all relevant passports, visas etc were processed, payment of accommodation and royalties made including payments of US $500 to all the pilgrims.
Alhaji Maje said altho-ugh some isolated cases of 120 of the 1,000 people scheduled to travel could not due to problems associated with visa and absenteeism during distribution of documents as well as mix-up of names, the entire operations was successful.
“It is on record that none of the pilgrims spent more than 12 days in the holy land,” he added.
The executive secretary said the issue of Hajj sponsorship to Mecca and Israel is an annual event all gov-ernments carry out, adding that “it is quite unfortunate that some people are out to cause mischief in an oper-ation that deserves comm-endation.”
He equally challenged those accusing the Jigawa state government to fear Allah as whatever they say will be judged in the hereafter.
In any case, however, he said expenditures are unde-rtaken by governments in the field of sport jamborees, political gatherings like the national dialogue, burials and other ceremonies.”
The executive secretary also challenged the accusers of misconception and mischief which he said cannot deter the good intention of government.
It could be recalled that governor Ibrahim Turaki has since announced the cancellation of further Hajj spons-orship and announced government’s decision to re-channel the funds being used for the provision of infrastructures.
Posted by Publisher at 03:05 PM | Comments (0)
Plateau creates 29 DAs
Plateau has set modalities for the creation of 29 Development Areas (DA’s) out of 16 of its 17 local government areas. Only Jos North is left out of the exercise that has created discontentment in some quarters.
From Jubril Daudu, Regional Editor (Jos)
Government ‘s spokesman and information commissioner, Yakubuh Dati, could not be reached for explan-ations on the omission of Jos North from the list submitted during the week to the state House of Assembly for approval.
It could however, be recalled that Jos North local government elections were not conducted last year for what the government described as security reasons. While the 16 other local councils have democratically elected chairmen and councilors, Jos North’s still being supervised by a sole admin-istrator.
According to the list submitted by Governor Joshua Dariye to the state House of Assembly which has concluded public hearing on the matter, Bokkos, Pankshin and Shendam LGA’s top with three proposed DA’s each, while Bassa, Jos South, Qua’an Pan and Wase have two each.
The other six LGA’s, Jos East, Barakin Ladi Ringimi, Lantang North, Lantang South and others have proposal for one each.
The list shows that Pengana and Miango with headquarter at Jengre and Kwall respectively; Rabob from Barakin Ladi with headquarters at Rabob; Giring and Jos-South East from Jos South with headq-uarters at Giring and Kwang respectively; Jos South East from Jos East with headquarters at Zanadi and Gana-wuri from Riyom with headq-uarters Ganawuri.
Bokkkos has three DA’s at Walshak, Daffo and Sikyan with headquarters at Horrop, Daffo and Sikyan respe-ctively Dogon Ruwa and Khintang with headquarters at Dogon Ruwa and Yugur respectively will be created out of Kamam LGA; Gindiri and Mangum out of Mangum LGA while Pankshin North, Jing and Longkaf with headquarters at Jingkaf will be cre-ated out of Pankshin LGA.
From Kanka LGA will be created Angar and Kanka South DA’s with headquarters at Amper and Man-nok respectively; Gwamtim with headquarters at Gazum from Langtang North; Lang-tang South that with head-quarters at Judadi South and Doroki, Puanka and Nshar with headquarter at Mankaaf, Poediet and Lukwapjur respectively from Shandam LGA.
Qua’am and Nama DA’s will be created out of Qua’an Pan with headquarters at Kwande and Namu respe-ctively, Wase has Bashar and Wase South with headq-uarters at Bashar and Kad-urke respectively, Mikang has Garkawa with headquarters at Garkawa.
Already, the proposed creation of the development area in Kanam LGA has divided the Bogglom people in the area. While a group, concerned Bogghom citizens have kicked against the creation, preferring to remain with the present emirate system under the Emir of Kanem, the Boghom Develo-pment Association is in firm support of it.
Posted by Publisher at 03:04 PM | Comments (0)
Shagari bares mind on birthday celebration
The first executive president of Nigeria, Alhaji Aliyu Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari said birthday celebrations is not in their history, religion and character, but people across the country forced him to celebrate his 80th birthday.
From Abdulfatai Abdulsalami, Correspondent (Sokoto)
He was speaking over the weekend in Sokoto while receiving Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim who was at his residence to deliver a goodwill message from Dr. Alex Ekwueme.
In his words “I don’t want to celebrate but people forced me especially Daily and Weekly Trust newspapers, but I must confess that I thank them most sincere for the wonderful job.
President Shagari said he admire the messages from his friend and that it has been cut and glaced for record purposes, pointing the attention of his visitors to it right inside his parlour.
The first executive president remarked that what he liked most about in the celebration was the prayers offered by Malams, adding that Daily Trust made the occasion big.
The first executive president explained further saying may the day the day praises never come adding that people want to praise you when you are gone noting that he thanks good that it was done when he was alive.
Alhaji Shagari thanked all well wishers who have been coming to rejoice with him at home and on the pages of newspapers, praying that may the Almighty Allah let all see many returns of the day.
Posted by Publisher at 03:02 PM | Comments (0)
The scramble for Nigeria
The main issue that the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) has to decide, for better or for worse, is, if and how, this country can be restructured to ensure greater autonomy for ethnic and regional groups.
MONDAY COLUMN
By Kabiru A. Yusuf
kabiruyusuf@dailytrust.com
200 years after the European scramble for Africa, 45 years after independence and 13 years after the cancellation of the June 12 election, proponents of “true federalism” have at least half a chance to make their dream come true. The main push is coming from the Yoruba, who already occupy a region and have the numbers and the economic backbone to strike out on their own. Other regions and ethnic groups are not that well-positioned, but they nevertheless seem attracted by the siren songs of regionalism where each group, they say, can develop at its own pace.
You would have thought that there would be loud cries of amen from the Northern region to this proposal. After all a huge chunk of the north, from Sokoto to Ilorin, Borno to Adamawa, used to belong to the same flourishing empire, which had a coherent ideology and functioning political structures. Some of these institutions, and certainly their cultural underpinnings, have survived colonial rule, and as the debate on the Shariah legal system demonstrated, are coexisting uneasily in the post-colonial state. A regional structure would give its people freedom to develop as they wish and not at the dictate of Western paradigm that seems to be the accepted model of other parts of Nigeria.
Indeed there are Islam-only activists in the region who for years have been campaigning for just such a break, but in the face of a consensus by the elites, they are keeping their heads down. But what explains the opposition of the northern political elites to calls for collapsing the 36 states into six, eight or twelve regions? The first problem is the perception that the proposal is not made in good faith, but is another ploy by the elites from the South to deny the north its due.
When Nigeria had, first, three, then four regions, in the 60s, some of the same voices now demanding for a return to federalism made their names by attacking an “omnibus north” on the pages of Lagos newspapers. In those innocent days after independence, southern politicians, with their law and philosophy degrees from western universities, thought that in spite of the advantages of numbers, they could get the better of their poorly trained northern counterparts. But they forgot that leadership is not just about education, but it is also about character and so a Grade-two teacher from Katsina College could do much better than alumni of Lincoln Inn.
So when the barrage of propaganda and campaigning by helicopter failed to deliver the goods, the south began to demand for ‘power-shift’, which is Nigeria’s contribution to the lexicon of democracy. It means that since the south cannot legitimately win power through the ballot box, the presidency of the country should be conceded to it so that its people (who have been highly mobilized through propaganda) could feel a sense of belonging to the federation. Now faced with the prospects of a northerner winning the presidency in 2007, our ever-shifting brothers are changing tack. They want the country to be broken into bigger regions, with a weaker centre, which by the logic of modern politics will eventually become no centre at all.
From the northern point of view, the advocacy for regional autonomy has less to do with a desire for economic or cultural independence, but is all about the fear of so called “northern hegemony”, which ironically is to translate into an effort to impose “hegemony” on the north. One other problem is that the north has for centuries been multi-cultural; that within it, as in the wider Nigeria, tribes and tongues do differ, though the majority speak Hausa as a ligua-franca and adhere to Islam as a religion. Unfortunately the revival of Islam that followed the Iranian revolution in the 80s has sharpened religious sensibilities in the region, with the substantial Christian minority often at daggers drawn with their Muslim neighbours.
I suspect it is not only in the north that when the chips are down people must face the reality, that while it is difficult to live together; it is perhaps even more difficult for communities to be broken and rearranged into regions. Decades after the creation of States in all parts of Nigeria, including the western part of it, the sharing of assets has not been concluded. Imagine the scenario of a more through-going restructuring where for example Kaduna town is included in a Middle belt region, Ilorin is made part of the West and Port-Harcourt part of the Eastern region.
But advocates of such restructuring from the South seem to think that the main concern of the north is the potential loss of revenue from the Federation Account that is kept active by oil exports. That is why inevitably in the mind of most commentators restructuring goes together with “resource control”, again a peculiar Nigerian terminology, which means that the Southern minorities should keep proceeds from oil exports since most of it comes from their localities.
The sudden loss of oil revenue will indeed have a huge impact on most states in Nigeria. That explains the rare cooperation between governors in the north and south-west in challenging the resource control suit brought to the Supreme Court by the oil-producing states. The lifestyle of our elites has been funded by this oil windfall, so governors from non-oil producing states should be expected to defend the status quo because it makes life easier. But it is clear that we cannot continue to live at the expense of tomorrow and if it would take the loss of oil revenue to bring us back to our senses, so be it.
So as the Political reform conference resumes this week, two meetings of governors from the north and south have highlighted the main issue it will grapple with. The southern governors in their “Lagos Summit 2005” over the weekend, while insisting on national unity, “urges members of the conference to also ensure that true federalism is entrenched in all facets of our constitutional law and practice”. The northern governors, who had met in Kaduna last Friday, asked the delegates they nominated to the conference, to remain within the agenda set out in President Obasanjo’s speech while opening the conference. According to the NGF “the present states structure should be retained and the current presidential system of government should equally be retained”.
I learnt on good authority that some of the northern governors, including Makarfi, who is now chairman of the group, had earlier favoured the parliamentary system of government, which many of the old-timers that are representing the states at the conference hark back to with nostalgia. But after Obasanjo’s ringing endorsement of the presidential system, it seems the governors have accepted it as a no-go area. Whatever it is I thought Makarfi’s welcome address to his colleagues captures my sense of the mood in the north pretty well.
He said “northern respect for and belief in Nigeria remains unshakeable and we will continue to do all that we can for the continued wellbeing of the country but not at the perpetual expense of our people”. In other words nobody should assume that we pay any price for the unity of Nigeria and if the north makes a concession out of respect and regard for the feeling of compatriots, this should not be used against it.
Perhaps it is too much to expect gratitude and good fellow feeling , but if one good turn does not deserve another, we risk eroding the very basis of our living together. As for those who imagine that when they succeed in creating their little Kingdom by the sea they will be free of the “Nigerian factor”, I say look again. The virus may be closer to you than you think. It was St Augustine, I think, who said “more tears are shed over answered prayers than over unanswered ones”. In other words, sometimes it is risky to fervently wish for a particular outcome, because God may grant your prayer and then your trouble is about to begin!
Posted by Publisher at 02:53 PM | Comments (0)
Confab: delegates form new groups
A new dimension is crystallizing at the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) with delegates from different zones beginning to network and form groups targeted at influencing decisions at the confab.
SIMON IBE, Snr Political Editor and MATTHEW OGWUCHE, Bureau Chief, Abuja
Federal Government moved to address some of the logistic complaints of the confab leadership by providing four official vehicles one each for the chairman, Justice Niki Tobi, Deputy Chairman, Alhaji Sule Katagum, Secretary, Rev. Fr. Matthew Kukah and the Deputy Secretary, Mr S. Arikarwe.
Contrary to widespread belief that decisions at the confab would be solely based on ethnic or geo-political bloc interests, most of the new groups emerging are pan-Nigerian in outlook, with members drawn from the different ethnic and geo-political zones.
One of the major groups that is emerging, according to a delegate to the confab, is called The Nationalists, comprising mostly young delegates drawn from across the country, whose loyalty is largely to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The arrowheads of this group, are alleged to be Alhaji Mohammed Waziri, chairman of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), who is also chairman of the Finance Committee of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Chief Greg Mbadiwe, a former Ambassador to the Republic of Congo, who was also a director in "Legacy House", President Obasanjo’s 2003 re-election campaign organisation.
According to the source, pro-Obasanjo delegates are coming together on the platform of the Nationalists to advance whatever agenda the president would want to pursue using the conference. Though the source could not confirm whether the president was behind the formation of the group, he said that there was nothing wrong in anybody, including the president, having an agenda for the confab and pursuing it through such platforms.
A group being put together by Dr Olusola Saraki, the convener of the Northern Union (NU), is also working at establishing a pan-Nigeria network through which the NU can bargain with other geo-political or ethnic groups to ensure that everybody and every group gets something that would satisfy the group or bloc.
The camp of the progressives are also said to have started working outside their geo-political zones’ agenda to finetune a position that would be pushed by the progressives camp at the confab.
Prior to the inauguration of the conference, the different ethnic and geo-political zones had held meetings in different locations across the country, trying to arrive at common agendas that they would canvass at the confab.
The latest development, a delegate told Daily Champion, "would represent the reality as there would be serious negotiations that most times, would result in the ethnic or geo-political agenda giving way to a pan-Nigeria, ideological or class interest."
Hearkening to the demands of the confab leaders, government admitted that they needed working tools to enable them perform well.
The vehicles were routed via the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Ufot Ekaette.
Spokesman of the SGF, Mr Eric Teniola, confirmed that the four official cars have now been provided for the chairman, his deputy, the secretary and his deputy.
Teniola also disclosed that almost all the other requirements demanded by the delegates are now ready ahead of their resumption on Monday.
Posted by Publisher at 02:49 PM | Comments (0)
...S/East demands justified ––Azike
MORE light was shed on the South-East agenda for the National Political Reform Conference as the zone is said to be set to table issues pertaining to "true federalism and regional government."
NDIDI OKAFOR, Abuja
One of the delegates, Chief Chibuzo Ziggy Azike (Imo) disclosed the position of the zone to Daily Champion, stressing that it was jointly agreed on after several meetings.
Another delegate and former deputy governor of Imo State, Dr. Douglas Acholonu had said Civil War reparation to Ndigbo, which is inextricably tied to the vexed issue of Igbo property abandoned and officially acquired by some state governments, would be a major fulcrum of the South-East presentation at the confab.
Chief Azike noted that "some of the issues contained in our position document include true federalism, regional government, infrastructural federal character, proper census and enhanced revenue formula."
Azike said that the listed issues would be pursued by the delegates from the zone once the conference resumes, today.
Asked why the zone is going against the "no-go-areas" identified by President Olusegun Obasanjo in his inauguration speech, especially as it has to do with federalism and federal character, Azike said "the President said nothing should be done against the unity of the country and we agree. We believe in the unity of Nigeria. But what we are asking for is true federalism; we are also asking for infrastructural federal character so that the sidelining of the South East zone in terms of federal infrastructure will stop."
On what he meant by the demand for regional government, he said: "We demand true democratic practices, the system as it is now, is almost like a unitary government. What the Igbo are asking for is justice."
He further said that "proper census" is one of the demands of the zone.
By "proper census" Azike said, "we want a proper census where the necessary demographic indices of religion and ethnicity will be used; we also want an enhanced revenue formula; in other words, a review of the revenue formula."
Dwelling on whether the demand for an enhanced revenue sharing formula was not a tacit support of the zone for resource control, Azike said "the South East is not against resource control. The South-East delegates are not against resource control."
The conference took a one-week break on Monday, February 21, 2005 to enable government put in place materials for work.
Posted by Publisher at 02:48 PM | Comments (0)
IBB, Kalu, Malu honour Adisa
A GLITTERING array of prominent Nigerians yesterday witnessed the interment of former Works and Housing Minister, Maj. Gen. Abdulkarim Adisa (rtd) who passed on in a London hospital last Friday.
FELIX NWANERI, Lagos, VINCENT ADEKOYE, Benin, and JIDE BAKARE, Ilorin
Remains of the deceased were laid to rest in his private home at the Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
Dignitaries on hand at the burial included former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Govs Bukola Saraki, (Kwara), Orji Uzor Kalu, (Abia), Rashidi Ladoja, Oyo, and Abdulkadir Kure, (Niger).
There were also Communications Minister and former governor of old Kwara State, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, Chief of Staff to the President, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Abdullahi (rtd), former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Victor Malu and former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Chief Sunday Adewusi.
Former military governors and administrators who attended core Maj. Gen. David Jemibewon (rtd), Brig. Gen. Raji Rasaki (rtd) and Col. Theophilus Bamigboye.
Also in attendance were former National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Barnabas Gemade, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Tanko, chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi (rtd), and business tycoon and Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Azeez Arisekola Alao.
The late Minister’s body had arrived Ilorin International Airport aboard EAS Airlines placed with registration number 5N-BEY, about 10.55 a.m.
The body was accompanied by London-based daughter of the deceased, Moriamo, as well as the Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Dr. Suleiman Kuranfa.
Adisa was rushed abroad from UITH following injuries he sustained in an auto crash.
Before the internet, Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Mohammed Bashir, led the 10-minute funeral prayers.
Gen. Babangida, who spoke with journalists later, eulogised the late Gen. Adisa as an officer who served Nigeria all his adult life.
Gov. Saraki, earlier, described the deceased as a frank and brave Nigerian.
Said he: "He was the one that would say his mind. You may not like him and his politics, but you cannot deny him one fact that, unlike others, he will let you know his position on any matter. Take it or leave it."
Gov. Kalu, on his part, described Adisa as a good friend, generous and loyal to Nigeria’s cause.
Meanwhile, the body of the deceased yesterday arrived Lagos from London, from where it was immediately flown to Ilorin for burial according to Islamic injunction.
Major Gen. Adisa’s body arrived aboard a Virgin Atlantic Airways flight around 5.25 am and was flown to Ilorin.
Also accompanying Adisa’s body Group Capt. Patrick Ugbana (rtd), Senator Musa Adede and Gen. Sam Tiedi (rtd).
In their separate tributes, former Communications Minister, Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju, former Military Administrator of Imo and Lagos States, Brig-Gen. Muhammed Buba Marwa and Governor Lucky-Igbinedion of Edo State, on different occasions, described the late former military Governor of the Old Oyo State as a gallant soldier, accomplished administrator and a man of strong covictions.
In a statement, Gen. Olanrewaju who is also the Lagos State Co-ordinator of Project 007, a political movement of the former military Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), said the death of Gen. Adisa "is a great loss to the country and Kwara State in particular, where he played leadership role in the community."
Posted by Publisher at 02:43 PM | Comments (0)
Army explains invasion of Odioma
OPERATION Restore Hope, the Joint military Task Force (JTF) on the Niger Delta, yesterday explained its recent invasion of Odioma, Brass council area of Bayelsa State, saying it took the action to curb the rising wave of cultism and armed militancy in the area.
SEGUN JAMES, Warri
JTF alleged that the cultists "known as Isena Asawo led by Mr Clever Osei Farekuma" had constituted themselves into armed escorts to illegal oil bunkerers and pipeline vandals in the area.
Scores of people were said to have been killed and several buildings in Odioma destroyed during the invasion, which has risen to the centre stage of national controversy.
Apparently buffeted by criticisms of the action, which was also debated in the Senate last week, JTF in a statement signed by its public relations officer (PRO), Major Said Hammed, said Ferekuma should be blamed for the task force’s action.
Although the JTF was silent on the casualty figure after the invasion, it said that the three communities of Odioma, Ibedi and Obiaku had maintained a strained relationship over an oil rich, disputed parcel of land which subsequently, served as hide out for the dreaded cultists.
Hammed, who signed the statement on behalf of JTF commander, Brig. Gen. Elias Zamani, disclosed that soldiers were drafted to the area following reports that the cultists were serving as armed escorts to the bunkers and pipeline vandals.
But the situation got to a head, the spokesman said when the cultists who "have maintained a track record of criminal activities" killed 11 persons including four councillors of a local government in the area on February 3 this year.
He said that consequently soldiers were deployed to the three communities.
According to Maj. Hammed, while Ibedi and Obiaku cooperated with the soldiers and were spared in the ensuing invasion, the youths of Odioma allegedly ambushed the JTF in the mangroves and in the ensuing battle, they (youths) were subdued and the soldiers "gained access into the community."
Hammed stressed that it was in the cause of gun battle that some houses in which dynamites and petroleum products were stored went up in flames leading to the razing of buildings in the community.
The JTF spokesman revealed that following the vanguishing of Odioma, the soldiers recovered two boats mounted with General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) tripods belonging to the leader of the youth gang, smoke grenade, four long chain explosions, two cartons of dynamites, seven thunder flash and binoculars.
Other items recovered were 103 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition, three rounds each of .38 mm, .58 mm and 7.62 mm (NATO), two cartridges, four AK rifle magazines and one single barrel gun.
The task force also said that the deployment of troops to the area was meant to guarantee the safety of lives and property of people in the place.
The JTF urged all law abiding person living in the area to return to the affected communities assuring that they have no cause to fear.
Posted by Publisher at 02:41 PM | Comments (0)
FG won’t release Lagos LG funds until...Obasanjo
PRESIDENT Olusegun Obsanjo yesterday insisted that the Federal Government will not release the Lagos local government’s funds being withheld since last year until Gov. Bola Tinubu reverts to the 20 councils recognised by the constitution.
BISIRIYU OLAOYE, Deputy News Editor and FELIX NWANERI
President Obasanjo also said the ongoing government’s National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) is an alternative to the Human Rights Violation and Investigation Commission (HRVIC) (a.k.a. Oputa Panel) the release of which report, he said, was frustrated by court injunctions.
According to President Obasanjo, the withheld Lagos local governments’ allocations would only be released to the 20 local governments recognised in the constitution and not the 57 councils created by the state government.
He spoke on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) programme, Media Chat.
"This is not a matter of when two elephants fight. When I took the oath of office, I promised to abide by and defend the constitution. Twenty local governments listed in the constitution are recognised.
Posted by Publisher at 02:40 PM | Comments (0)
Obasanjo raises hope on 2nd Niger bridge
PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo last night reiterated his administration’s resolve to refurbish the River Niger bridge and also disclosed that work on the proposed second bridge will commence soon.
FELIX NWANERI
President Obasanjo revealed these while speaking during the monthly media programme.
Noting that the government cannot afford to ignore the existing bridge, President Obasanjo said work on the proposed new six-lane bridge will commence in the next six months once the National Assembly passes the law which will protect private sector investments in the country.
"You don’t ignore refurbishing a bridge until you have a new one. We have to refurbish and strengthen the existing bridge to avoid calamity.
"A new six-lane bridge to be built by both the public and private sectors is coming soon. A bill to protect private investments is already in the National Assembly. Within six months of signing into law of the bill, if it is not the raining season, the second Onitsha-Asaba bridge will commence," President Obasanjo explained.
On the Onitsha-Owerri road, the president expressed optimism that work on the road project will soon be completed, explaining that the project has been awarded to two contractors with each working from the Onitsha and Owerri axis respectively.
Commenting on the incessant power outage being experienced across the country, President Obasanjo assured of an improvement in power supply within the next few weeks as government will soon commission the 350 mega watts already generated by Agip Oil.
In his words, "Once we commission the 350 mega watts in March, these will be an improvement. Outage will not go but we will see an improvement.
Identifying water shortage at the country’s major dams at Kainji and Shiroro as well as vandalisation of National Electric Power Authority’s (NEPA) installations as major causes of the present erratic power supply in the country, President Obasanjo boasted that the nation will generate about 10,000 mega watts of electricity before he leaves office in 2004.
Posted by Publisher at 02:39 PM | Comments (0)
Presidency stops police transfers
THE Presidency may have stalled the plan of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Sunday Ehindero, to redeploy certain categories of officers as part of his plan to reorganise the force.
LUKKEY ABAWURU
Mr Ehindero had already warned officers and men of the force to desist from extorting money from motorists on the highways or risk being arrested and prosecuted for armed robbery.
To follow up his determination to cleanse the augean stable in the force, the acting IGP was said to have tried to effect the transfer of some officers. One of the redeployments, it was learnt, involved the Borno State Police Commissioner, Mr Ade Ajakaiye, who was expected to move to Lagos to replace his counterpart, Mr Israel Ajao.
But Daily Champion learnt that the exercise was stopped by the Presidency which was also said to have directed that the Commissioner of Police, Operations, at the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Abuja, Mr Lawrence Alaobi, who would have been redeployed, be rather assigned to oversee security at the on-going national conference in Abuja.
Mr Alaobi was said to have been penciled down to replace John Haruna, the incumbent Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations, Lagos, while Mr Haruna was to have been replaced by a newly promoted deputy commissioner of police serving as Area Commander at Lion Building, Area A, Lagos, Mr Fabian Ojiri.
At a recent function in Lagos, Mr Ojiri, told our reporter that he was aware of the plans to post him out of Lagos but did not know where.
"I know I will be posted out soon, but I have not known the place," he had told our reporter.
Daily Champion gathered that the Presidency’s directive to the acting IGP to put on hold the planned redeployment may be political rather than logistics problems.
Already some police officers who are aware of the plans of the acting IGP to effect changes in the Force have started expressing worries that the interference from the Presidency may weaken Ehindero’s determination to fight the ills in the force.
Some police officers and men who spoke with Daily Champion on condition of anonymity, said that "the president’s interference may affect IGP’s direction and success."
However, all efforts to get the Force Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Emmanuel Ighodalo, to comment on the issue proved abortive as he was said to have gone out on tour with the IGP.
Posted by Publisher at 02:37 PM | Comments (0)
Omoruyi warns PRONACO on parallel conference
FORMER Director General of the scrapped Centre for Democratic Studies (CDS), Professor Omo Omoruyi at the weekend warned delegates to the national conference against manipulating the exercise to assume a sovereign coloration, as that amounts to "a civilian coup."
VINCENT ADEKOYE, Benin
Professor Omoruyi also counselled the Pro National Conference Organisation (PRONACO) against convoking its Sovereign National Conference (SNC) billed for next June, pointing out that such would also amount to a civilian coup.
The former CDS boss spoke in Benin, the Edo State capital, while delivering a paper at the state’s mini-confab.
The forum was organised to enable Edo citizens to present a common thrust to be made public at the national exercise.
"If the national conference such as yours declares itself sovereign, that would amount to a civilian coup. This means that your act should be made applicable to the other levels of government," he said.
Professor Omoruyi, disclosed that the fear expressed by President Olusegun Obasanjo over the safety of his office is legitimate because past experience in some African countries where such sovereign conferences were held, had shown that it is always a threat to the office of the President.
He cited instances such as in Republic of Benin, the delegates declared the conference sovereign, dissolved the National Assembly and stripped President Kerekou of most of his powers and appointed an interim Government.
In Congo, delegates declared the conference sovereign and stripped President Debi Sasso Nguesso his powers and appointed a World Bank official, Prime Minister and Head of Interim Government.
According to him, in Niger, delegates declared the conference sovereign, suspended the constitution, stripped General Ali Saibu of all powers, dissolved the National Assembly e.t.c.
If the President bestows his power that he has in Section 5 of the Constitution on the National Conference that would mean that the President is abdicating his power. It will be unthinkable that President Obasanjo, short of impeachment, death or resignation, would abdicate office for other reasons.
Speaking at the opening of the mini-confab, Gov. Lucky Igbinedion stated that
As Edos, today, we are embittered by the brazen injustice meted out to us in the federation of Nigeria especially by the operators of the Central government. Take a look at the map of Nigeria today, and you will discover that Edo State is landlocked through manipulation of boundaries
. In a one page communiqué issued at the end of the one day mini-confab, stakeholders agreed that each nationality should be allowed to exist within the federation, with full representation at the Central and regional government and that problems of each ethnic nationality should be given priority attention by Central and regional government.
That the federation be re-structured along strong regional government and weak center The state also resolved that the creation of local government should be controlled entirely by the regional/state government. Elected members of the local government council should be on part-time basis in order to reduce cost All the delegates nominated by the state government attended the mini-confab.
Posted by Publisher at 02:36 PM | Comments (0)
NAFDAC sues drug dealer
NATIONAL Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has dragged a 26-year-old drug dealer, Mr Nonye Iwunze before the Federal High Court Kano on a two-count charge of illegal manufacture and possession of two different brands of fake and counterfeit drugs.
ADEZE OJUKWU, CAJETAN MMUTA
Mr Iwunze was arrested last year by the NAFDAC regulatory officers at his residence in Bachalawa quarters, Kano which he allegedly uses for producing fake Barbicillin Ampicilin syrup and Rampicillin Ramsey syrup (powders).
Also in the net of the agency is a middle-aged woman, Mrs Taiwo Osibodu for allegedly revalidating expired caned Coca Cola drink containers.
According to the charges levelled against Mr Iwunze, his action contravenes section 1(a) of the counterfeit and fake drugs and unwholesome processed food (miscellaneous provisions) Act Cap C34 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under section 3 of the same act.
He was put in the dock before Justice Adeniyi Ademola Adetokunboh and pleaded guilty to the charges even as he had no counsel to represent him in the case. Prosecuting counsel and NAFDAC’s deputy director of Legal Services, Mr Kingsley Ejiofor had prayed the court to commence immediate trial of the case since the accused had pleaded guilty to the charges.
According to the agency’s deputy director, Legal Services, there were six prosecution witnesses to testify against the accused with evidence of samples of the fake drugs and materials used by the accused tendered before the convict, Mr Iwunze, following the testimonies of the two witnesses, Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Attande Elijah and NAFDAC Chief Regulatory Officer, Mr Kehinde Mamudu who effected the arrest of the accused.
Justice Adetokunbo had on listening to the submissions of the prosecuting counsel, posited that eventhough the case professed against the accused had been proved beyond reasonable doubt there was need for the NAFDAC laboratory experts to come up with proof before the court for confirmation that the products were fake.
The case was adjourned till March 3 this year and Mr Iwunze risks a maximum of five years jail term or payment of five hundred thousand naira option of fine if found guilty and convicted by the court.
Meanwhile, the agency in a statement issued weekend by its Public Relations Officer Christy Obiakwozor said the agency’s enforcement team swooped on Mrs Osibodu at the premises of 189 A Cooperative drive in Dolphin Estate Ikoyi, Lagos, following a tip off.
The team led by Mr Shaba Mohammed caught the workers in the act of changing the dates on the soft drinks from the production date of January 2004 and the expiry date of December, 2005 to production date of December 2005 and expiry date of January 2006," it revealed.
NAFDAC’S director of enforcement, Mr Dioka Ejionueme, lamented "the deleterious effect the release of such a large quantity of expired products would have had on the health of consumers," warning that likes of Mrs Osibodu to desist from acts capable of endangering the public or face the full weight of the law."
He called on members of the public to be on the look out for tell-tale signs of faking or counterfeiting and to report any untoward incident to the nearest NAFDAC office."
He noted that "many of the coke cans were rusting and bursting yet the workers continued cleaning the old dates and re-inserting new ones."
According to him, the accused tried to negotiate with the agency’s officials which was promptly rejected by the team.
He assured of the agency’s determination to intensify the battle against adulteration in the country.
Posted by Publisher at 02:35 PM | Comments (0)
2007: Abia govt urged to respect Charter of Equity
A socio-political group-Old Aba Divisional Forum in Abia State, has called on the state government to respect the Aba Charter of Equity and allow Ukwa-Ngwa area to produce the next governor, chairman of the forum, Dr. Rowland Ubani-Ukoma, argued that political parties should consider the prevailing nuances, sensibilities, and peculiarities of the state while nominating candidates for 2007.
JAYNE UCHE-UKONNE, Aba
Ukoma said the recent experiences in Nigeria’s political history, where the zoning of the presidential position to the South West by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Nigeria Peoples Party, Alliance for Democracy (APP/AD) attest to this.
"This was clearly reflected in the response and in respect for circumstances and considerations which informed the stated decision and declaration of Abia state government with regards to 2007 Governorships of the state.
"Furthermore, the Abia state government’s decision in reference here, deserves further commendation because it is like standing to uphold basic declarations and provisions in the icing PDP’s resolution of July 28, 1998 by the founding fathers of the party", he said.
He noted that the people of old Aba Division believe that Abia State government is appreciative of the need for creating socio-political conditions, conducive for peace and unity in the state.
He said this will bring about the much needed harmony and good neighbourliness between the two geopolitical groups in the state: Old Aba zone and Old Umuahia zone.
He urged Governor Orji Uzor Kalu to willfully resist every wind of temptation to either renege on this decision or to contradict himself and his government
Posted by Publisher at 02:34 PM | Comments (0)
ICPC prosecutes 5 ex-LG bosses
AT least five former chairmen of local government councils in the country are presently being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) following allegations of graft against them.
NNAEMEKA MERIBE
Also, the commission has lamented that the absence from the country of former state governors, Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju (Anambra) and Alhaji Abubakar Audu (Kogi) is frustrating investigations into allegations of corruption running into billions of naira levelled against them.
ICPC put the totality of fraud committed in the banking sector since 2002 at N33.546 billion even as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it has moved to acquire legal backing to dispose of seized property of detained persons under investigation.
Both ICPC and EFCC made these pronouncements on Saturday at a retreat organised by Project Edge, a firm, for joint managers under the theme: "Antic - corruption Reforms; Imperative Code of Operational Due Diligence for Bank Managers," at Ikeja, Lagos.
Head of the Lagos zone of ICPC, Mr Akeem Lawal, said the five past council bosses being prosecuted include two from Ebonyi State, one from Rivers one from Lagos, and one from Ogun State even as the trial of an unidentified former local government chief from the same Ikorodu is to commence this week.
Mr. Lawal also noted that the absence of ex-governors Mbadinuju and Audu has posed a cog in the wheel of efforts to charge them for alleged corrupt enrichment.
Besides, the ICPC Chief said, the commission has found the immunity clause in the constitution an impediment to the task of bringing adjudged corrupt high political office holders to justice.
According to Lawal, the constitution only empowers the ICPC to, upon receipt of allegation of graft against such officials, merely authorise an independent counsel to investigate and report his findings to the National Assembly, in the case of the President or Vice President.
Findings on allegations pertaining to state governors or their deputies, he said, are passed on to Houses of Assembly.
Chairman of ICPC, Justice Mustapha Akambi (rtd), in a paper on "Anti-Corruption Reform Initiatives in the Banking Sector: The ICPC Perspective," presented on his behalf by Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, head of education unit of the commission, however, urged bankers, as an imperative, to inculcate high ethnical standards in their operations.
Corporate governance in banks, he said, will be incomplete without mainstreaming issues of ethnics, integrity, transparency and accountability especially "as bankers are entrusted with other people’s hard-earned money."
He regretted that the banking sector, in the last three years, has had incidences of fraud "involving a whopping sum of N33.546 billion through the active connivance of some supervisors and managers."
Director-General of EFCC, Alhaji Nulu Ribadu, whose paper was presented by Mr Emmanuel Akomaye, disclosed that the commission has no right to dispose of seized property of those under investigation, but noted that it was already taking steps to be granted such powers.
He said that when granted such powers, the commission would lodge proceeds from such property into a special account, adding that the proceeds would be released to the Federal Government if the owners are convicted, but if discharged, such would be released to them.
The commission, he noted, acknowledges the possible depreciation, in value, of such property overtime, hence it is taking such steps.
In his paper titled "Banks and Other Financial Institutions in the New Reforms Initiatives of Government," Executive Director, Operations, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Prof. Peter Umoh noted that the proposed reforms for the financial sector were timely, given that the alternative would have been the massive liquidation activities as witnessed in 1988.
He maintained that industries may be able to stave off liquidations if the reforms, particularly in respect of mergers and corporate good governance, are faithfully implemented.
Speaking on "Anti-Corruption Reforms: Imperatives, New Code of Ethnical Due Diligence in Dealing with Politically Exposed Customers," the immediate past president, Chastered Institute of Bankers (CIBN), Mr O.C.K. Unegbu, represented by Mr Emeka Okoh, listed politically exposed customers as government officials and other individuals in positions of authority as well as their family members.
He noted that dealing with such people required enhanced customer due diligence of account opening and on-going transactions review.
Unegbu urged bankers to conduct risk assessment on them and ensure that controls are proportionate to the customer’s risk level.
Earlier, in his remarks, the national coordinator, Project Edge, Mr Ike Onyechere, had noted that since banks are repositories of money, and bank managers the gate keepers, they are natural attractions to fraudsters and criminals.
He added that the "fact that every Nigerian is now regarded as guilty in the matter of corruption puts bankers particularly on the spot."
For him, the safest thing for any banker therefore is to keep their mistakes at minimal levels saying this means that the banker must be knowledgeable, current and must acquaint themselves with the new rules, regulations and laws.
Posted by Publisher at 02:29 PM | Comments (0)
Labour asks confab to reduce powers of President, governors
WHEN the National Political Reforms Conference begins full debate today, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will press for a reduction in the powers of the President and state governors.
From Mike Osunde (Benin) and Yetunde Majekodunmi (Lagos)
The workers, who unfolded their agenda at the weekend in Benin, Edo State, also asked its delegates to canvass that the talks should not be restricted to political reforms.
NLC President, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, told journalists that the new constitution, which would receive input from the conference, should cut the enormous powers of the President and governors, especially in the appointment of ministers and special aides.
Oshiomhole said that although the NLC endorsed the retention of the presidential system of government, the envisaged constitution should specify the number of ministers and aides that should form the cabinet.
He argued that the freedom given the President to pick his team had resulted into an over-bloated cabinet, with its harmful consequences on the economy.
"We believe the constitution can be reformed in such a way that the discretionary powers of the President to determine the number of ministers and advisers should be limited by law. The same is valid for states," he said.
In his opinion, the problems inherent in the system were with the various actors, because the presidential system did not say the "president must have 40 ministers and God knows how many special advisers and special assistants."
Oshiomhole said the congress also believes in the principle of federal character but that it was being abused and so had made it suspect on the part of many Nigerians.
He suggested that the principle should be applied more justly, given the fact that there was no part of Nigeria that could not boast of competent men and women in all fields of human endeavours.
He said the problem in implementing the principle had been that of nepotism, undue favouritism and corruption.
Oshiomhole also commented on the separation of powers and said the NLC would canvass a reform that would insist that the Executive arm must not ignore judicial pronouncement of the legislature, and that money should not be spent when such amount had not bean appropriated.
The NLC also discussed the issue of federalism and concluded that Nigeria could benefit from the principle of true federalism as well as downsizing the centre in favour of the states by putting more resources in the states and less at the federal level.
"In other words, even the principle of federalism must also take on board the principle of fiscal federalism. So you cannot practice one and leave the other," he said.
Oshiomhole added that the NLC subscribes to the retention of the constitutional provision that cover directive principles on state policies, but argued that the principle could be of doubtful, value if the issues contained were not justifiable.
He advised that constitution should be amended to make economic and social rights justifiable, otherwise they would have no value to the ordinary Nigerian.
He also said that since the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS) document was one of the working papers of the confab, it behoves on the delegates to critically review NEEDS with a view to assisting the government to evolve an economic policy that favours most Nigerians.
The NLC also opposed calls for state police, adding that for democracy to survive, the electoral system should undergo radical changes that would make the agency independent of the executive.
Oshiomhole noted that if the discussions were limited to political reforms, ordinary Nigerians would not gain from them.
Oshiomhole said: "If we reduce the confab merely to political issues without the economic content, for majority of our country men and women, they will not really see the relevance between this debate and their material conditions."
The NLC President who spoke just before the end of a two-day meeting of NLC's Central Working Committee (CWC), said that Labour preferred an all-inclusive approach to the debate at the conference.
Oshiomhole said that the CWC, which discussed various issues was unanimous that the delegates should not be teleguided through the "so-called no-go areas."
"All the issues must be discussable," stressing that the NLC believes in the oneness and indivisibility of Nigeria as a nation, and would therefore continue to champion the cause of its unity.
He, however, said that those who have contrary views should be accommodated, arguing that to deny them the opportunity would not be helpful to Nigerian cause.`
Posted by Publisher at 02:27 PM | Comments (0)
PRONACO free to hold confab, says Obasanjo - Forecloses release of Lagos council funds for now
PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday declared that the Pro-National Conference Organisation (PRONACO) headed by elder statesman, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Professor Wole Soyinka and others can go ahead with their planned alternative national conference.
From Martins Oloja and Madu Onuorah, Abuja
The President, who spoke during the month's edition of the Presidential Media chat yesterday, observed: "Let me deal with this PRONACO thing. We are in a church and you say we establish a choir so that the church can have melodious hymns. Somebody says I have a very good voice, I want to go solo. You don't stop him from going solo. The good thing is the conference presupposes we have alternative views. We bring the different views, harmonise them. Everybody has the right to call a meeting, they can go ahead and call their own conference."
President Obasanjo also foreclosed, for now, the release of council funds to Lagos State, insisting that he was only following the judgment of the court.
Said he: "It is not an issue of two elephants fighting. As far as the constitution is concerned, all the local governments` are spelt out in the constitution. Five governors, four of them reverted. One of them decided not to. What do you expect me to do. The judgment said give the money to 20 local governments. What do you expect one to do. Let the governor of Lagos State do what his fellow governors have done. For me, I will do what is only constitutionally right."
The President also gave more insight into why his government convened the National Political Reforms Conference, which begins deliberations today.
According to him, he expects the delegates to "come up with decisions that will strengthen our system of government."
The President said the second thing he expects is a "new legislation for electoral act or amendment to existing legislation to ensure justice, unity, gender equity."
President Obasanjo, who has been reported as having imposed no-go areas, said the third expectation is "we have to go to how the constitution can be amended."
The fourth one, according to him, "are things the executive can undertake on its own", noting that "the first three we will execute with the legislative."
He did not explain what he called "those things that will not be of constitutional nature but will enhance our unity, practice of governance."
The President said the inclusion of the Oputa panel report as reference matter is not illegal as the government has obeyed the court's injunction.
He said the report is not a wasted effort as "now we have found a way to bring it out in the open."
On the sovereignty of Nigeria, he said: "I have not minced my words about the sovereignty of Nigeria. We are not averse, but it must be a purposely planned and focused conference. Also, I have found out privately what people want. Three years ago, I called all the zones to find out what they want. And they all want equity, fairness and development. No zone talked about breaking up Nigeria or diminishing the bond that holds us together. So, the time has come for the exercise we have put in place. We also consulted people on why they want a conference. One said we want to produce the next President.
"He said he wants it in his lifetime. The other said the constitution we have now said we, the people of Nigeria..." but he doesn't like that. Another said, what we have now is good, nobody is complaining too much; that what we have now continues but people have a sense of participation for development. You have different people asking for national conference. But for it is to strengthen the bound of unity of Nigeria."
On the reported 'no-go areas, the President noted: "What you call no-go-areas, I don't regard it as such. I said with the experiences we have, attempts at constitution making after independence, we must take certain things as given. It's like a wife and children. Unless you accept your marriage is given, there is no point sitting down to talk about it. Then, if you accept your marriage as given, you can't sit down and talk about it. If you don't accept Nigeria as given, why are you sitting down to discuss? I don't say don't discuss. I say we should regard some things as given..
"I hope this conference will be the mother of all conferences. The speech was to leave nobody in doubt as to the aims and objectives. A leader is to lead. The purpose of leadership is to lead. And if I cannot lead, I should go back to my farm."
On the National Assembly's attitude, he said the National Assembly has right to take its own decision, adding that he "consulted them all the way. Should we establish the conference by legislation or not? We talked about all the problems we will have. We agreed we are not establishing the conference by legislation. They said the way we have been managing your budget go and manage it that way. Democracy is the leeway to abuse and all that. I have called meetings. They believe if they don't establish it by legislation, they cannot approve the budget for it. They asked me to look inwards and be creative for funding not specifically budgeted for."
On the Oputa panel, he noted: "It is up to you; that Oputa panel was meant to be for reconciliation, an opportunity to open up to let the truth be known. The fact that today we have a democracy, to nurture it, to widen it, you got to be reasonably satisfied that what we suffered for is coming with fruits."`
Posted by Publisher at 02:26 PM | Comments (0)
Govt to treat 250,000 'persons with AIDS' by 2006
PLANS have been initiated by the Federal Government to treat 250,000 persons living with the Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) by June 2006.
By Chukwuma Muanya, Senior Health Reporter
The scheme will be executed under the National AIDS Treatment Programme.
The government has said however, that it would not be able to meet the World Health Organisation (WHO's) target of treating 400,000 infected persons by the end of this year.
WHO, through its "3 by 5" initiative hopes to provide three million AIDS sufferers in developing countries with life-prolonging anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs by end of 2005, with Nigeria billed to cater 400,000 of the infected persons.
Health Minister, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo had on Wednesday last week announced plans to treat 100,000 Persons Living With AIDS (PLWHA) by June this year.
But, the Chairman of the National Action Committee on AIDS(NACA), Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, at a press conference at the weekend in Lagos, said the government had scaled the figure to 250,000. The forum was addressed by the Global Funds Chairman, Prof. Richard Feachem and Dr A Nasidi of the Federal Ministry of Health.
Lamb said: "with grants from Global Funds, President Bush Relief Project for AIDS in Africa (PEPFAR) and the Federal Government, the country will be able to treat 250,000 PLWHA by June 2006.
"The target of meeting the World Health Organisation (WHO) initiative of treating three million PLWHA in developing countries by the end of 2005, that is treating 400,000 in Nigeria is ambitious. I am not sure we will be able to meet that plan."
"We are beginning to move beyond the 15,000, we are adding an additional 50,000 from the PEPFAR grant. We have a situation that we hope by the end of the year we will be treating at least 100,000. With the Global Fund we hope to treat 50,000, and another 50,000 with PEPFAR grant. The Federal Government also gave money on Wednesday last week, and we hope by June next year, we will be able to treat at least 250,000 PLWHA." <