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August 31, 2005
841 dead in Baghdad stampede; 323 hurt as bridge railing collapses amid panic near mosque
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Deaths mounted steadily in northeast Baghdad after a massive midday Shiite religious procession erupted into a chaotic stampede Wednesday, causing the drowning and trampling deaths of 841 pilgrims.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005; Posted: 1:29 p.m. EDT (17:29 GMT)
Authorities believe a rumor raced through the crowd that a suicide bomber was in their midst, and that created panic among the waves of pedestrians trying to cross the Al-A'imma bridge over the Tigris River. The throngs of Shiite faithful had been stopped by security checks and bogged down by concrete barriers.
Three hours earlier, an insurgent mortar attack near the Kadhimiya mosque killed seven people and wounded 36 others.
Government officials are investigating that attack and the stampede itself -- which also led to the injuries of 323 people. The death count could rise as crews search for more victims.
They also want to explore the extent of any "technical defects" on the bridge.
"This will leave a scar in our souls and will be remembered with those who died in the result of terror acts," said President Jalal Talabani, echoing the sorrow across the nation over the tragedy, which prompted comparisons to stampedes at other religious events, such as those in Mecca during the annual pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Wednesday's ceremony is one that annually attracts millions of Shiite pilgrims to Baghdad.
The Shiite faithful converge on the Kadhimiya mosque in the northeastern part of Baghdad to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Moussa al-Khadhem, a prominent figure in Shiite history. He is buried at the Kadhimiya mosque, the largest Shiite mosque in the capital.
The stampede occurred at about 11:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. EDT) near the mosque.
As the people made their way to the mosque, authorities said, it appeared that someone in the crowd stoked fears about a bomber, apparently sparking widespread chaos among the crush of people.
In the confusion, the crowd pushed against a railing on a bridge over the Tigris River, forcing it to collapse and sending dozens into the water. Police said most people drowned but some people were crushed to death. (See video of the bridge still jammed with people after the panic.)
Health Minister Abdul Muttalib Ali confirmed that that "the chaos that happened at the Al-A'imma bridge" because of a "rumor" of a bombing. "This led to a very horrible chaos," the official said, causing people "to run in an uncontrolled way and this led to suffocation of so many people and drowning of some of them in the river."
Defense Minister Saadoun al-Dulaimi told reporters that there were concrete barriers on the bridge and people moving forward on the structure had to be searched "for security concerns."
"There had to be a search operation at the end of the bridge. So crowds gathered and a certain scream caused chaos in the crowds and the crowds just reacted and this sorrowful incident took place."
Maj.-Gen. Jawad al-Daini, commander of the al-Rusafa sector of eastern Baghdad, said barricades and barbed wires made it hard for people to walk and "that caused a congestion and suffocated some of the visitors."
Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari -- who announced a three-day mourning period -- tried to calm his beleaguered fellow citizens in a speech that addressed both the mortar attack and the stampede.
Speaking in a nationally televised TV address, he tried to calm fears and tempers, urging Iraqis "to be patient with the current circumstances" and called on the country's Shiites, Sunnis and Christians "to think about the benefit of Iraq."
"We heard the news that some of those enemies attacked innocent people with mortars killing our faithful sons. This attack caused chaos among the Iraqi people in other areas in Baghdad and then because of the technical defects of the bridge, many people were martyred."
Al-Jaafari also offered his "gratitude and appreciation to the Iraqi people who continued with their commemoration despite what happened and I want to thank the Iraqi government who helped the Iraqi people and did not stop providing their assistance and security to the people."
The tragedy came amid an atmosphere of general tension in the capital and throughout the society -- daily warfare across the nation, suicide bombings that had been rife in the capital, the continual tensions between Sunni Arabs and Shiite Arabs, and an attack in the same area in March 2004 during the Ashura commemoration, another Shiite holy period.
Al-Dulaimi -- who spoke at a press briefing later with Interior Minister Bayan Jabr -- stressed that the security had been tight in Baghdad and in southern cities around the so-called Triangle of Death for the Shiite pilgrims heading to the capital.
They pointed to a number of security actions that helped keep order, such as the foiling of car bombings and suicide attackers and the disarming of improvised explosive devices. In one case, an Afghan insurgent headed toward Kadhimiya was killed.
Al-Dulaimi believes all necessary measures had been taken to protect the pilgrims.
The bridge across the Tigris, called the Al-A'imma, is not only a main thoroughfare leading to the shrine, it is also an important juncture in Baghdad -- separating Kadhimiya and Adhamiya.
The largest Shiite mosque in Baghdad is in Kadhimiya, where there is a strong Shiite community, and the largest Sunni mosque in Adhamiya, which has been a longtime insurgent stronghold with a strong Sunni Arab presence.
Al-Dulaimi discounted any theories that this incident was sparked by Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence.
He and other officials thought the bridge should have been closed. Instead, it was opened to accommodate the throngs of pilgrims.
The bridge -- which frequently has been closed to vehicle and/or pedestrian traffic for security reasons over the past few months -- is also near a joint U.S.-Iraqi military base.
-- CNN's Kianne Sadeq, Cal Perry, and Enes Dulami contributed to this story
Posted by Publisher at 06:58 PM | Comments (0)
2,000 divorcees in search of life partners
More than 2,000 divorcees and widows in Bauchi state have declared their desire to re-marry.
The women are pursuing their ambition under the aegis of Widows Association in Nigeria (WAIN).
They have therefore lobbied the Bauchi state government to bear the responsibility of paying bride prices for any of them, who secures a willing partner.
The state coordinator of WAIN, Hajiya Sa’adatu Umar, told newsmen on Monday in Bauchi that the women were also willing to take part in any match-making arrangement if the government was willing to coordinate it.
Umar said the association had registered some 276 members in Bauchi metropolis, and more than 100 in each of the 20 local government areas.
She attributed the high number of unmarried women in the state to the prevalent economic hardship, which, she said, made it difficult for women to marry.
Umar noted that the prevalence of the HIV/AIDS in the society was also scaring eligible husbands from marrying, especially those whose husbands died of such causes.
She expressed deep concern that the women had failed to secure any support either from government or individuals to undertake some trades to support them and their children.
“Even the continued pledge to the association to act as guarantor to enable the women have some access to credit has yielded no result,’’ she said.
Umar, however, commended the patron of the association and a traditional chief, Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero, “for the moral and financial support he had being rendering to them’’.
She said he believed that it was in the best interest of the society to facilitate the marriage of the over 2,000 divorcees and widows to enable them contribute to the development of their communities.
It would be recalled that hundreds of such women were given out in marriage during the defunct military administration of Governor Sani Sami, who paid their bride prices at a public ceremony.
Members of the association, Umar said, were willing to take part in such public ceremony to enable them get married.
Posted by Publisher at 05:55 PM | Comments (0)
2007 saga: Obasanjo, Atiku rift deepens
... Mr. President denies swearing before Atiku over third tenure
President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that he did not need to swear to an oath to show that he would leave office at the expiration of his tenure in 2007.
Answering a question on the issue during his monthly television programme on Sunday, Obasanjo said that he did not swear, as claimed by his Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, that he would leave by 2007.
He explained that as a man of honour, he did not need to swear to any secret oath before anybody on his exit from office at the end of his tenure as enshrined in the constitution.
A national daily had quoted the vice-president as having claimed that Obasanjo swore before him that he would not extend his tenure in office beyond 2007.
But in his reaction to a question, which sought to know if he indeed swore to leave office by 2007, Obasanjo said the only oath he took was to protect the constitution and rights of all Nigerians.
He explained that on his assumption of office in 1999 he swore to an oath to protect the constitution, adding that with such an oath, he believed that the question of his leaving in 2007 was a settled issue.
The president said he had wanted himself and Abubakar to swear by the Bible and the Qur’an respectively over alleged questionable loyalty, but that the vice-president declined to take the oath.
He explained that evidence was brought before him to show that Abubakar had not been “very loyal’’ to him and so he decided to confront the vice-president with the facts, but he (Abubakar) declined to swear.
He said it was also not true as portrayed by the vice-president that he wept when doctors approached him for injection, while at the Jos prison during his travails over his alleged participation in a military coup in 1995.
The president recalled that more than a dozen Nigerians called him, while in Copenhagen to warn him not to return to the country and that the vice-president “was definitely not one of them’’.
He said, however, that Atiku was at his farm to tell him about the arrest of his military colleague, the late Gen. Shehu Yar’adua when a police officer came to arrest him.
Obasanjo recalled that far from the claims that he wept when some medical personnel requested to inject him, what happened was that they approached him to take his blood sample to test for cholesterol level, a request he rejected.
Posted by Publisher at 05:55 PM | Comments (0)
Atiku wants Islamic, Western education married
VICE President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Islamic Schools and Teachers Council of Nigeria (ISTECON) to integrate the Islamiyya school syllabus with the Western education.
From KABIRU YUSUF, Abuja
Abubakar stated this yesterday in Abuja when he granted audience to members of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Schools and Teachers Council of Nigeria (ISTECON) led by its national president and coordinator general, Sheikh al-Bashir Salihi Sulaiman.
He advised the council to register all Islamiyya schools in the country, saying, ‘’it is very important for a uniform and unique system to be put in place especially affiliating such schools to the existing universities,’’ he added.
The vice president then asked the scholars to consider the task as gigantic, and assured them of his support and commitment to the council, commending them for the visit.
The national president of the council, Sheikh Al-Bashir Salihi Sulaiman, had earlier told the vice president that they were in the State House to communicate to the vice president the resolution of the board of trustees to confer on him, the most distinguished special national merit award for his tremendous contributions to the development of Islam.
Sheikh Sulaiman informed the vice president that a committee of about 27 members have already produced a harmonized syllabus for use in all Islamiyya schools in the country with the Islamic Schools and Teachers Council of Nigeria having the Sultan of Sokoto as the National Grand Patron.
Posted by Publisher at 05:54 PM | Comments (0)
Kano gov challenges NIPC on socio-economic strategies
NIGERIAN Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) has been charged to evolve strategies that would promote socio-economic and business activities in the country.
By ADAMU ABDULLAHI
Kano state governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau made the challenge when the Director of Policy and Advocacy of the commission, Alhaji Lawan Gana Lantewa led the management team of the commission to a courtesy call on the governor.
Governor Shekarau observed that the commission has a great role to play in harnessing the resources of the country as well as attracting foreign investors to develop the business activities of the country.
Malam Shekarau pointed out that his administration is ever ready to join hand with the commission to ensure that Kano maintains its position as a leading centre of commerce in the country.
Commenting on the conference which the commission is holding in the state, Malam Shekarau urged it to sensitise the business community on the need to attract foreign investors into the country.
He then assured the commission that his administration is persuading the federal government to improve power supply in the state for the sustenance of industries.
Earlier, the director of policy and advocacy of the commission, Alhaji Lawan Gana Lantewa had told the governor that the commission is holding its national conference in the state to discuss problems facing investors and provide panacea to collapsing industries in the country.
He said the commission would collaborate with state governments in the country to facilitate the promotion of investment in the country.
Posted by Publisher at 05:53 PM | Comments (0)
Engr. Abdullahi returns with ‘bags full of pride’
KANO state deputy governor, Engr. Magaji Abdullahi, has returned to Nigeria from Stockholm, Sweden, where he attended the 15th World Water Week.
About 1,400 delegates from over 100 countries attended the annual event organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute in collaboration with 80 other governmental and voluntary agencies.
A press release signed by Abdulkadir Ahmad Ibrahim, Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, the event featured seminars, symposium, technical tours, presentation of awards and exhibitions.
Speaking at the opening ceremony held at the Stockholm City Conference Centre, the Swedish minister of environment, Prof. Lena Sommersted, said democratic institutions and public cooperation are necessary for sustainable global water development.
In a keynote address, South Africa’s minister of water affairs and forestry, Mr. Buyelwa Patience Sonjia, said Africa needs social and economic development and the role of water in this effort cannot be ignored.
He said large dams to store water, pipes, water works, waste water treatment plants and other water related infrastructures are necessary for safe water.
There was a standing ovation for Ms Sunita Narain, the Director of the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, India when she delivered the Stockholm Water prize lecture.
Ms Sunita Narain’s lecture deeply touched the minds and hearts of the big audience especially where she said: ‘’We see that drought is more or less permanent. After floods there are droughts. Many cities get water only three days per week. Is this because of lack of government programmes or lack of new thinking.’’
She stressed that water shortage in India and indeed, in other parts of the world leads to conflicts between communities, villages, cities and states. ‘’We must create a change in approach and achieve real political leadership. Water is everybody’s business and concern,’’ Ms Sunita Narain concluded.
At the conference, the Kano state deputy governor held fruitful discussion with other participants who are professionals in water engineering, geology and hydrology and visited the stands of governmental and private agencies who exhibited their products on water and other related matters.
In an interview with newsmen at the conference centre, Prof. Boniface Egboka of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, in Anambra state, commended the commitment of Kano state deputy governor to the cause of clean water and healthy environment.
Prof. Egoka who is a member of the technical committee of the world water week was not happy with the non attendance of policy makers and experts on water and environment from Nigeria apart from Engr. Magaji Abdullahi.
He said that experts from all over the world gathered at the yearly Stockholm water week to discuss the problems of drought, loss of dams and rivers, gully erosion and water pollution and propose solutions.
Posted by Publisher at 05:48 PM | Comments (0)
No shaking, say Atiku’s loyalists • Obasanjo, Atiku meet • They should part company – Nzeribe
Loyalists of Vice-President Atiku Abubakar have said they are not rattled by the latest assault on his political profile.
Sam Akpe, Musikilu Mojeed and Segun Olatunji
According to them, the camp will give a good fight against attempts from any quarter to frustrate Abubakar’s presidential bid in 2007.
They specifically said they would rebuff any possible move to remove the vice-president from office.
The loyalists spoke on Tuesday as controversial Senator, Chief Arthur Nzeribe, canvassed a parting of company between President Olusegun Obasanjo and Abubakar.
Tuesday’s statements were made against the backdrop of comments by the President on Sunday that he doubted Abuba-kar’s loyalty.
Obasanjo spoke during his monthly interactive television programme, on the heels of news of a raid by the American Federal Bureau of Investigation on Abubakar’s Washington home.
Our correspondents learnt that the leadership of Abubakar’s camp has put its members nationwide on the alert.
The members were reportedly directed to brace up for any eventuality "should there arise the need to engage the President and the PDP in a dirty fight."
There were also indications that top shots of the pro-Abubakar group were scheduled to meet in Abuja on Tuesday night, to take a stand on the Obasanjo-Atiku row.
Abubakar’s loyalists said they were bracing up for a showdown with the President and the PDP over possible impeachment proceedings against the vice-president.
The group, made up largely of members of the Peoples Democratic Movement, a bloc within the PDP, also said it would give Obasanjo a fight if any attempt was made to use the instrumentality of power to frustrate Abubakar's presidential ambition.
Deputy Secretary of the group, Alhaji Umar Shittiem, in an interview with our correspondent, said, "The PDM will issue a statement on the development in the next 24 hours."
But he alleged in the interim that Obasanjo's comments did not catch the PDM unawares.
He said his group was adequately prepared "for a fight to the finish with anybody who thinks he can frustrate Abubakar."
Shittiem explained that the camp had remained calm despite moves to frustrate it out of the PDP because of its desire for peace and tranquility in the party, adding, "Nobody should mistake our peaceful disposition for cowardice.”
He added, "Nobody should think he can use the machinery of government to frustrate Atiku. We shall fight anybody who tries that to a standstill. Nigerians should be allowed to decide who governs them. We are moving into action and we are confident that nobody can frustrate us except God."
Another member of the PDM, Mr. Sirajo Marshall, said the group was watching the developments and would soon take a stand on the issue.
The disaffection between the President and Abubakar temporarily melted on Tuesday as the two met publicly for the first time since the matter blew open on Sunday.
Both leaders attended an official engagement in the President’s office at the State House, Abuja, and exchanged banters without betraying the feud between them.
Abubakar had led the visiting Prime Minister of Sao Tome and Principe, Mrs. Maria Do Silveira, to the President’s office where they both officially received the guest.
While the meeting lasted, the two leaders displayed conviviality and concealed all indications of a subsisting cold war.
President Obasanjo even thanked Abubakar for being a good host to Silveira.
The vice-president, listened with rapt attention as Obasanjo, discussed bilateral issues with the visitor.
Abubakar had on Monday hosted a dinner in honour of Silveira.
He listened intently and beamed on Tuesday as Obasanjo counselled his guest that countries in the Gulf of Guinea Commission should do all that was possible to foster peace and political stability in the region.
The President and Abubakar met, just as reports emerged that contrary to claims by the Peoples Democratic Party that it had intervened in the face-off between them, the ruling party was yet to commence any reconciliation.
Though the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. John Odey, insisted on Tuesday that the party had opened talks with the President and Abubakar on the matter, sources close to the two leaders told our correspondents that no attempt had been made.
Sources at the national secretariat of the party said the National Working Committee had toyed with the idea of an emergency meeting on Monday to enable it work out modalities of reconciliation.
The meeting did not hold and aides of the vice-president said on Tuesday that no party leader met with their boss.
Meanwhile, Senator Francis Arthur Nzeribe has said that Obasanjo and Abubakar needed to part company because their feud is not only capable of bringing government to a halt but can compromise national security.
Nzeribe, who described the development as “unfortunate,” called on the Senate to investigate the allegation of disloyalty by Obasanjo against Abubakar.
He told journalists at the National Assembly in Abuja that public name-calling was the least Nigerians expected from their leaders.
The senator, who is said to be close to both the President and Abubakar, said it was too coincidental for the news of the raid on the vice-president’s house in the United States to be published at a time both men were trading words.
Nzeribe said, "It (accusation) shows that there have been continuous feuds between both men for them to (finally) come so publicly calling each other liars.
"Somebody has to give way. I don't see what we can patch up in the circumstance. What is happening now demands a parting of company.
"I read this morning that the party stalwarts and leaders want to step in. That is not the matter for them to step into.
"This is a matter that requires Senate investigation because it affects the security of the country and the image of the country.
"The party cannot deprive Senate of its powers under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution. We need to investigate the matter.
"Under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, we are free to investigate anything that affects good governance. And this (quarrel) affects the good governance of the country.
“What the President said amounted to calling the vice- president a liar.
"I have been waiting since Monday to see the vice-president's reaction. And I have seen none.
"I will bring a motion on this. I will. In fact, I think this deserves recalling the Senate. This is more important than asking us to come and approve ministers.”
"I am surprised that the nation is not reacting more seriously to this event because it is unprecedented.
"Okay look at what happened in South Africa between Mbeki and his vice. It made no difference of what we are seeing here and you know what was the outcome in the South African case.
Also on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, Alhaji Balarabe
Musa, described the frosty relationship between Obasanjo and Abubakar as a manifestation of the alleged third term agenda of the President.
He said that the feud was aimed at rubbishing a man (Abubakar) who was being touted by many Nigerians to succeed him (Obasanjo) in office in order to stamp out opposition.
Musa said, “We have been saying in the last two years that Obasanjo has a third term ambition and he is prepared to pursue it by any means and he has to do it because of the implications of his handover of power to anyone.
“Obasanjo has been demonstrating that everybody is dispensable irrespective of the person’s contributions to his success.
The PUNCH, Wednesday August 31, 2005
Posted by Publisher at 05:46 PM | Comments (0)
EFCC seizes Balogun’s houses
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has taken over six prime properties believed to be owned by the former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun.
Everest Amaefule, Tobi Soniyi and Akinpelu Dada
The properties, located in Lagos and Abuja, include those alleged by the EFCC to have been acquired by Balogun with N1.565billion, being part of the sum he illegally amassed while in office.
The properties are a five bedroom detached house located at Road Three, Plot J, Victoria Garden City, and a block of six three-bedroom flats at Olusegun Aina Street, Park View Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Those in Abuja are the Shakir Plaza at Plot 1029, Cadastral Zone, A3, Garki II; Yasuha Plaza, Plot 1046, Adetokunbo Street, Wuse II; and two double-duplex apartments on 110 Tunis Street, Wuse Zone Six.
The properties were bought in the names of Ceejay Properties Nigeria Limited, Olatrade Nigeria Limited, and Renovations Constructions Limited, all companies in which the former police chief are said to have interests.
The EFCC, in a correspondence to tenants in the Shakir Plaza dated July 4 but administered on August 25, said it had appointed Diya, Fatimilehin and Company, a Lagos firm of estate surveyors and valuers, to manage the property.
The letter reads, "Following the interim forfeiture order by the Federal High Court, Lagos on the above mentioned, the commission wishes to inform you of the appointment of the under- mentioned firm of estate surveyors and valuers to manage the said property.
"You are therefore requested to give them maximum cooperation in this regard at all times and direct all matters concerning your tenancy to them."
The letter by Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde on behalf of the EFCC Executive Chairman, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, also outlined the duties of the estate firm.
These include to demand and collect rents as and when due; to take charge of, manage and control the property Relationship; as well as to renew, terminate and document tenancies of the property.
The firm is also required to manage the property on day-to-day basis; evict any tenant; and re-let the offices as it deems fit and proper.
Shakir Plaza has 102 offices.
Firms engaged in businesses ranging from engineering to architecture occupy most of the offices. Some offices are however vacant.
An office at the complex goes for N360,000 per annum.
It was learnt that the same letter served on tenants at Shakir plaza was replicated for those occupying the five other properties.
When contacted, Counsel to Balogun, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, declined comment on the grounds that he was not holding brief for the companies named as the owners of the buildings.
At the office of Diya, Fatimilehin and Company, a female official in the Legal Department, said, “Where did you get your information ?
“We don’t talk to the press here. You should find out from the EFCC whatever information you need.
“I can’t confirm anything to you about our client.”
Another source in the company however, admitted that the anti-graft body had mandated them to manage some seized properties.
“Yes, the EFCC asked us to manage some properties. Invariably, those you are talking about are part of the properties.
“The EFCC uses professional managers for properties seized from suspects. You can’t allow such properties to be locked up and become derelict.
“We remit the proceeds to the court since the (Balogun’s) case is still in court.
“We are rendering a professional service. The EFCC gave other seized properties to other firms to manage. You know, there are many of such properties like those belonging to Amaka Anajemba and those facing trial for defrauding a Brazilian bank.”
Balogun is standing trial for corrupt enrichment while in office.
Counts seven, eight, nine, 10, 11 and 12 of the charges against him and seven others gave details of the properties.
Count seven for instance reads, "That you Tafa Adebayo Balogun being the former Inspector-General of Police, Ceejay Nigeria Limited and Gbenga Ajala, Relationship Manager, Abuja Branch of Fountain Trust Bank Plc (now at large) sometime in May 2004 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal High Court did use the sum of N350 million which you knew represented the proceeds of crime with the aim of concealing the nature of proceeds of the said crime, to buy a block of six numbers of three-bedroom flats at Olusegun Aina Street, Park View Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos in the name of Ceejay Properties Nigeria Limited and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 14(1) of Money Laundering Act 2004.”
The PUNCH, Wednesday August 31, 2005
Posted by Publisher at 05:46 PM | Comments (0)
Three die as students protest against new fuel prices
Three people died on Tuesday as a protest against the new prices of petroleum products turned awry in Benin, the Edo State capital.
Olamilekan Lartey, Doyin Adebusuyi, and Hassan Adenike
Two of the victims died on the spot around the King’s Square area of the city when a commercial motorcyclist (okada) ran into a bus while trying to avoid the protesters, comprising mostly University of Benin students.
The third was said to have been taken to an undisclosed hospital where he later passed on.
Many people were also injured around the Oba Market as miscreants seized the opportunity to loot.
The state House of Assembly at the famous Ring Road was ransacked and workers forced to flee .
Also, many private and government vehicles as well as commercial motorcycles were hijacked by the demonstrators during the protest which started around 8am
Bottles and other improvised weapons were freely used as okada riders resisted the attempt by the protesters to take their motorcycles forcibly from them.
Sounds of gunfire reverberated intermittently from different parts of Benin as policemen tried to contain the riot .
Panic-stricken motorists placed leaves on their windscreens in solidarity with the protesters who later made their way to the Government House in a convoy of seized vehicles.
Our correspondent reported that, for almost an hour, armed security operatives at the main gate of the Government House tried to keep the protesters at bay.
The students were later addressed by the Deputy-Governor, Chief Mike Ogiadomhe; the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu; the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Chief David Iyoha; and other top government officials.
Ogiadomhe advised them to always avoid endangering lives and damaging property when protesting.
He said, “It hurts me. It hurts the governor (Lucky Igbinedion) just as it hurts you. But what you are doing will further empower us to help our people. We must ensure, however, that there is no damage or destruction to lives and property.”
The students had demanded a reversal to the old pump prices of fuel to avert an imminent strike by the local chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Meanwhile, commercial banks in Ilorin, Kwara State witnessed a large turnout of customers on Monday and Tuesday as the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress called on the residents to prepare for a strike.
Some of the customers, who said they supported the NLC, added that they needed to pile up foodstuffs ahead of the planned strike.
One of them, Mr. Segun Olabiyi, said, “I support the NLC and other human rights groups in calling on Nigerians to resist this inhuman action of the Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration.”
The state NLC had in a statement called on the residents to be ready to join other “progressively- minded” Nigerians to resist the new fuel prices.
The statement by the Chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Ayeoribe, described the new prices as another “round of unnecessary attack on Nigerians under the deceptive defence of market force modulation.”
It added, “It is now clear that President Olusegun Obasanjo and his cabinet have lost touch with the people. This latest increase is a flagrant betrayal of the trust vested in the government.
“It also demonstrates President Obasanjo’s pathological hatred for the masses of Nigeria. Clearly, President Obasanjo is no longer in control of this government.”
In Lagos, the Public Relations Manager and Coordinator of Chanchangi Airways, Alhaji Muhammed Tukur, said that the new fuel prices could result in higher airfares.
He said, “The rise in the cost of petroleum products will also lead to a rise in jet A1 or aviation oil and this will affect the industry.”
The PUNCH, Wednesday August 31, 2005
Posted by Publisher at 05:02 PM | Comments (0)
Oil sales: NNPC withholds N112bn
There were strong indications on Tuesday that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation may not remit N112billion it is owing the Federation Account.
Oluyinka Akintunde and Michael Faloseyi, Abuja
The money is part of the proceeds that accrued from the sale of crude oil at the international market, which ought to be paid by the corporation into the Federation Account.
While the Federation Account Allocation Committee has directed the NNPC to pay the money, the corporation is insisting that the FAAC also owes it N98billion.
FAAC is made up of the accountant-general of the federation, commissioners of finance in the 36 states, a representative of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission among others, and is chaired by the minister of state for finance.
An impeccable source in the corporation, who confided this development to our correspondents in Abuja, disclosed that the NNPC had decided to withhold the money to defray the cost of the subsidy on domestic consumption of petroleum products borne by the corporation since crude oil prices skyrocketed.
The source said, “The inability of the corporation to pay the money is because of the precarious financial position the organisation has found itself, which was occasioned by the subsidy on the domestic consumption of petroleum products”.
He said that the increase in fuel prices did not completely address the situation and that NNPC would continue to defray costs from crude oil sales.
The NNPC, the source added, was incurring N22 per litre in providing subsidy on premium motor spirit or petrol consumed in the country prior to the increase in fuel prices last Friday.
The Group General Manager, Public Affairs, NNPC, Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, confirmed that there were issues to be sorted out concerning the money with FAAC, but would not comment further.
The Ondo State Commissioner for Finance, Chief Tayo Alasoadura, had last Friday told newsmen that the FAAC had established a Post-mortem Sub-committee to scrutinise the revenue paid into the Federation Account by revenue agencies such as the NNPC, Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigerian Customs Service.
The creation of the subcommittee was not unconnected with the rendering of inaccurate revenue figures to the Federation Account and the committee by some revenue collecting agencies.
The sub-committee is chaired by the representative of the RMAFC in the FAAC and co-chaired by the Chairman of Commissioners for Finance Forum of FAAC, who is the Ondo State Commissioner for Finance.
Giving details on the committee, a source in FAAC explained, “The sub-committee meets on a monthly basis to resolve all issues that are contentious. One of the issues is the debt liabilities between the NNPC and FAAC.
The PUNCH, Wednesday August 31, 2005
Posted by Publisher at 05:01 PM | Comments (0)
FG and CBN’s forex intervention
The recent initiative by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to reduce pressure on the Foreign Exchange Market through a special auction arrangement should, ordinarily, be seen as one way of reviving the nation’s comatose economy.
In a circular of August 22, the CBN said it injected $500 million into the forex market under a new “Foreign Exchange Market Special Auction” that is expected to complement and run simultaneously with the existing Dutch Auction System. The decision, according to the apex bank, was necessitated by the urgent need to attain the long term objective of stemming inflation and stabilizing the forex market, while maintaining positive CBN monetary policy targets. In the immediate short run, the CBN hopes the measure would check the sliding exchange rate of the naira, enhance its value against foreign trading currencies, and drive down the cost of imported raw materials.
Similarly, the CBN has announced its withdrawal of an estimated N21 billion in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) accounts from commercial banks nationwide. The move was in line with its decision to ensure accountability in sensitive parastatals and other government agencies and mop up excess liquidity.
Indeed, Foreign Exchange Market operations and achieving a realistic naira exchange rate have, for many years, remained the most contentious issues in managing the nation’s economy. Until now, and perhaps for inexplicable reasons, the CBN had left the determination of the naira exchange rate to unpredictable market forces. The result had been persistent depreciation of the value of the naira. Market operators, particularly banks, deliberately positioned themselves by relegating their traditional responsibilities to the background and, instead, plunged enormous human and financial resources into forex transactions, including round tripping and arbitrage. This explains why the CBN decided to halt the age-long irregularity through a stabilized forex market and a better valued naira.
In fact, for once in more than 20 years, the CBN has taken a bold, pragmatic step to carry out its core function of monetary policy management. The magnitude of the dollar injection ($500 million), which is well above the current demand level in the forex market, would ensure supply confidence. Likewise, the gradual withdrawal of government accounts from banks would clear the system of excess liquidity and check reckless bidding and demand for forex.
But while the benefits of CBN’s new monetary policy are yet to be felt, the Federal Government has engaged in contradictory fiscal policies that are not only highly inflationary, but completely at variance with the apex bank’s macro-economic stability target. Among the major policy somersaults is the over 44% increase in the pump prices of petroleum products announced last week by the government. The FG, according to reports, is also bent on raising Value Added Tax (VAT) from 5% to 10%. The gains derivable from forex market stability are thus waiting to be devoured by a new round of inflation, economic and other social dislocations. Such contradictions strengthen the belief of many that the FG gives with the right hand, and takes with the left; or robs Peter to pay Paul.
Indeed, it would seem that all government departments are working at cross purposes. The CBN needs the support of all relevant stakeholders in the economy if its latest initiatives must yield the desired results. Wider government fiscal policies, for instance, need to be reconciled to complement CBN’s monetary policies. It is time the FG demonstrated coherence and consistency in policy making, as well as sensitivity and responsiveness to the plights of the citizenry. The proposed increases in the pump prices of petroleum products and VAT are patently inauspicious. They should be halted to allow the economy benefit from the latest CBN initiatives.
THE PUNCH, August 31, 2005
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3 students killed in fuel protest
THREE students of University of Benin (UNIBEN) yesterday became the first major victims of the recent hike in pump price of petroleum products as they were allegedly shot dead in Benin City, Edo State capital while protesting the hike.
VINCENT ADEKOYE, Benin, CAJETAN MMUTA, Asaba (with agency reports)
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) meets today in Abuja over the hike.
The protest also left 30 others injured while 16 were arrested by the police. Unconfirmed reports said suspected robbers shot a filling station attendant on Urubi Street in the city for telling them that government had increased petrol price.
The development came even as condemnations continued to trail the increase with the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), saying the hike was unacceptable while former national vice-president, Association of Small Scale Industrialists (ASSI), Chief Michael Esuzor, questioned the rationale for the incessant increase.
Also, international price of crude oil which shot up to $70 per barrel Monday following Hurricane Katrina which swept the United States (.S.) from the Gulf of Mexico, dropped to $68 yesterday with a possibility of further downward movement by tomorrow.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government has last week announced an increase in the price of petrol from N51.00 to N65.00 thereby forcing a spiralling hike in the price of other commodities in the city.
The protest initiated by students of the University of Benin before it was hijacked by some street urchins who looted and vandalised property in all parts of the state.
But, spokesman of the Edo State Police Command, Mr. Peter Ogboi who spoke to Daily Champion on the incident denied that it was police that killed the protesters, saying that they might have been trampled upon during the stampede that ensued from rushing. He, however, said he was awaiting full briefing on the matter.
Investigations conducted revealed that the protests, originally designed to be peaceful started in an orderly manner about 8.00 am from the gate of the main campus of the university towards the city with police escort until the students got to the busy Ring Road, where some street urchins infiltrated the students.
The first premises the irate protesters swooped on was Total Filling Station along Sapele Road where they vandalised the station, looted its safe and took as much as fuel as they wanted, free.
Many traders also had their wares destroyed at the Oba market situated at the Ring Road while all commercial banks in the area were forced to close down.
The protesters were, however, unlucky on their way to Akpapakva, the street where a greater percentage of commercial banks in the city, are situated, as they were confronted by armed anti-riot policemen deployed on the streets by the Edo State police Commissioner, Mr. Muktar Abbass.
It was at this juncture that the victims were allegedly shot dead while others sustained injuries. Addressing the protesters earlier before the protest became bloody, Edo State Deputy Governor, Chief Mike Oghiadome, told the students that their action was justified in view of the hardship being faced by such increase.
The deputy governor, however, called on the students to go back to their campus peacefully, adding that the state government would make their grievances known to the appropriate authorities.
Meanwhile, a middle-aged fuel attendant was yesterday shot in the head by a gang of armed robbers for daring to tell them to pay the new fuel price.
Reports said the four-man gang had driven to the station along Urbi Street in a Toyota jeep and were about to buy fuel when the attendant told them of the new price. One of them was said to have come out of the jeep, angrily opened fire on him after which they filled their tank free and left. He was immediately rushed do nearby private hospital.
Meanwhile the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has rejected the hike and demanded for rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries.
Posted by Publisher at 04:48 PM | Comments (0)
2 die as truck plunges into Lagoon
TRAGEDY struck yesterday at Apapa Port complex when a truck fell into the lagoon killing at least two people.
WILLY EYA
The incident which happened at Berth 17A of the ever-busy premier port, left many port operators devastated.
Daily Champion investigation revealed that owing to the slipperysurface of the berths, the driver of the truck lost control and afterwards plunged into the lagoon with his conductor who was also in the vehicle.
As at press time, about two hours after the incident, only the body of the driver had been recovered even as fire officers of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) were seen making efforts to recover that of the conductor.
An official of NPA who requested for anonymity, cautioned against recklessness of drivers in the ports.
He noted that the berths are usually prone to such accidents especially during the rainy season as the rains mix with fertilizer, rice, oil and other goods being discharged from the ships, to make the surface slippery.
It will be recalled that last year, at last five people lost their lives in a similar incident at the same port.
Posted by Publisher at 04:47 PM | Comments (0)
Investors scramble for Citizens Bank IPO
INVESTORS, stockbrokers and customers on Monday turned out en masse in the commercial city of Aba, Abia State, to rally support for the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Citizens International Bank Plc.
OKEY NWANKWO
They gathered at an investors forum organised by the bank to sensitise potential investors in the South East on its offer.
Speakers at the event held at Hotel de La Paix expressed confidence in the bank’s new board and management led by Prof. Anya O. Anya an d Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu, chairman and managing director respectively, to take the bank to greater heights.
Chairman of the occasion and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hotel, Chief Okebulu Jumbo, in his remarks, described Citizens Bank as a franchise established with the welfare of the people as its major priority.
According to him, the bank’s offer is a great opportunity for the public to turn their fortunes around, emphasising that his optimism derives from his personal experience with the bank’s spanning over a decade.
Jumbo noted that the integrity and credibility of the management and staff and the professional touch they give in their service delivery are some of the factors that will market the bank’s shares on offer. He also urged the business community to support Citizens Bank in meeting the N25 billion minimum capital requirement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Nitex Nig Limited, Aba, Sir Nduka Ikoro, attributed the success of his numerous business engagements to a resounding business relationship with Citizen Bank, saying "with a little below N10 million deposit in Citizens Bank about 10 years ago, I am now a proud owner of a chain of businesses owing to the tremendous support I received from the bank."
While applauding the management and staff of the bank for maintaining high professional standards, the businessman called on Nigerians to buy Citizens Bank shares on offer.
Other speakers were full of commendation for the new management, pledging their support for the bank in raising its shareholders’ funds to the minimum required by the CBN.
Earlier in his address, Citizens Bank’s boss, Mazi Unegbu had told the audience that the bank is shopping for N22.5 milion to enable it meet the minimum requirement for consolidation.
He recalled that when the bank began operations over a decade ago, Aba was among the first cities in Nigeria where the bank’s branch was established. This, he said, accounts for the importance shareholders of the bank attach to the business city of Aba.
While appealing to Abia people to support the bank’s IPO by investing in the shares on offer, the CEO explained that at N1.50 per share, the bank deliberately subsidised the offer in order to make more Nigerians co-owners of the "great institution." The event started with a road show round major streets of Aba metropolis.
Posted by Publisher at 04:46 PM | Comments (0)
7 African immigrants die in another Paris fire
SEVEN African immigrants including four children were roasted to death Monday night in a fire which gutted a building in Paris, France.
CHIKE ONWUEGBUCHI (with agency report)
The incident came barely four days after a similar lethal blaze killed 17 West Africans in another Paris apartment and another claimed 24 in April.
In the latest inferno, however, the victims were said to be among 12 families from Cote d’Ivoire, living in deplorable conditions in the house located in the central Marais area.
In a swift reaction, French President Jacques Chirac expressed sadness over the incident and ordered a review of housing policy for immigrants.
The fire broke out at 2200 (2000 GMT) on Monday and firefighters took 90 minutes to control it.
A child who jumped from a window in the building died in hospital. Six other bodies were found in the ruins.
Most of the building’s residents survived the blaze
Friday’s deadly fire - also in a building used by African immigrants - provoked street protests in Paris.
Fourteen of the 17 who died in that blaze were children. Members of the African community took to the streets over the weekend, urging the authorities to provide better housing for immigrants.
They were joined by left-wing activists and pressure groups who accused French leaders of neglect.
Some 100 firefighters and 30 vehicles were used to control the latest fire, which is said to have started in the lower part of the building - reportedly an old squat.
Fourteen people were injured, three of them seriously, fire officials said. The cause of the fire was not known.
Pierre Aidenbaum, mayor of the third district, said he had been dealing with the building "for many years now, telling the police headquarters about the living conditions, because I considered the conditions to be totally unacceptable".
He said the building’s 40 residents were to have been relocated in September to allow for renovation work.
In all three lethal blazes that hit African immigrants the flames spread quickly from the stairwell to the dilapidated wooden interiors of the apartments, the French news agency AFP reports.
According to the French lobby group, Right to Housing, only 60,000 apartments or houses are being built in the public sector each year - half the amount needed.
The group accuses the authorities of failing to requisition empty private accommodation to house those on the waiting lists. But Paris City Hall said that in the past four years it has identified 1,000 private apartment blocks to refurbish or replace. It said it has already renovated some 300 of them, 20 times as many as in the preceding period.
Reacting to the latest fire, French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said "we must close down all these squats and all these buildings, to prevent such tragedies."
Posted by Publisher at 04:45 PM | Comments (0)
Atiku meets Obasanjo
"I should also be thanking the Vee Pee for being a good host." With these words, President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday openly expressed camaraderie with his estranged deputy, Atiku Abubakar.
LERE OJEDOKUN and COSMAS EKPUNOBI, Abuja
Obasanjo spoke while receiving the Vice President, who had led the visiting Prime Minister of Sao Tome and Principe, Mrs. Maria Do Silveira, to his office at State House, Abuja.
It was their first joint public outing after the President said he doubted Atiku’s loyalty while speaking on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Sunday night.
The meeting happened just as three senators called for caution in the face-off and described it as a major threat to the nation’s democracy.
During the meeting with the visitor, however, the two leaders exchanged banters with no apparent display of animosity.
The Vice President had on Monday evening hosted a dinner in honour of the visitor.
Relationship between the duo had last weekend taken a dive as the President during his monthly media chat on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), expressed misgivings on Atiku’s loyalty to him.
He had also faulted his deputy over a recent remark in an interview he granted a newspaper that he (Obasanjo) swore to him (Atiku) that he was leaving office by 2007.
President Obasanjo spotted blue brocade with adire agbada while Atiku, who wore light orange kaftan listened attentively as the President discussed bilateral issues with the visitor.
The President said that it was in the collective interest of countries in the Gulf of Guinea Commission to foster peace and political stability in the region.
He added that the rich oil and hydrocarbon reserves in the region could be exploited for the benefit of the citizens of the area in an atmosphere of peaceful cooperation and collaboration.
"The Gulf of Guinea has become the cynosure of world attention. Next to the Middle East, it has one of largest deposits of hydrocarbons. It is also a very peaceful region. That is why we have established the Gulf of Guinea Commission to maintain the peace and promote greater collaboration", he said.
Besides the existing bilateral cooperation in oil exploration and exploitation, Obasanjo explained that the two countries should collaborate in agriculture, education and tourism development.
Responding, Mrs. Silveira while revealing that her visit to Nigeria was to explore ways of enhancing relations noted the ther country’s embassy in Abuja would be opened soon.
She welcomed Nigerian investors willing to tap the abundant resources in her country while assuring that laws to protect foreign investments were being worked out.
The Sao Tome and Principe leader further pointed out that like Nigeria, her government was also contending with higher domestic prices of petroleum products due to the continued rising prices of crude oil in the international market.
She praised the African Union (AU) chairman for his relentless campaign for debt relief and development of the continent.
Meanwhile, Vice President Abubakar has urged both countries to expand areas of mutual interest as well as diversify their economies.
"There is no alternative to a more intense economic cooperation in a world of growing global independence", he stressed at the dinner just as he noted that the signing of the Joint Development Zone (JDZ) treaty involving both countries underlined the need for intra- African and South-South cooperation.
He also said that the Abuja Declaration by both Presidents Obasanjo and Fredique De Menezes was in demonstration of commitment to the principles of good governance, transparency and rule of law.
In her remarks, Mrs. Silveira revealed that one of the fruits of mutual cooperation between the two countries was the opening of a Nigerian bank in Sao Tome and Principe.
She called for more cooperation in sports, health and agriculture while urging the Federal Government to grant her country debt forgiveness.
Meanwhile, chairman of the Senate Committee on Industries, Senator Felix Ogunwale, Senators Abu Ibrahim, and James Kolawole yesterday called for extreme caution in the face-off between President Olusegun Obasanjo and his Vice, Atiku Abubakar, just as they described it as a major threat to the nation’s democracy.
They also said the possibility of National Assembly impeaching the latter (Atiku) based on the said misunderstanding is very remote and condemned in strong terms the August 3 raid on Atiku’s Maryland, United States (U.S.) home by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents.
The senators, in separate interviews with Daily Champion, described the raid as a national insult and embarrassment.
Operatives of the FBI had carried a comprehensive search in Atiku’s U.S. private home as part of a bid to nail Congressman William Jefferson who had met with Nigeria’s Vice President barely 24 hours earlier.
Senators Ibrahim (ANPP, Katsina) Ogunwale (PDP, Osun) and Kolawole (AD, Ekiti) in their separate reactions yesterday, blasted the FBI, insisting that the invasion should be viewed as a direct insult on Nigeria and Nigerians, even as the lawmakers demanded unreserved apologies from the FBI.
The senators warned on the grave political implications of the face-off between President Obasanjo and his vice, even as the lawmakers saw the misunderstanding as a major threat to democracy.
Senator Ogunwale warned that the consequences of the face-off between the two leaders is better imagined.
According to him, the two leaders "should tread with caution, because their face-off could lead us to a new Nigeria which would not be in our interest."
He, however, ruled out impeachment proceedings against Atiku, adding that the situation cannot be likened to the circumstances that recently claimed the job of the South African Vice President Mr. Jacob Zuma.
The senators who tasked the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Senate to resolve the face-off as a matter of urgency, however, said that the use of force, intimidation and impeachment threat against any of the leaders would not be in the interest of the nation.
Senator Ibrahim, who described the media war between the president and his vice however, said that the impeachment of the vice president is almost impossible, pointing out that the process is cumbersome and unnecessary.
Recalling what he described as possible genesis of the face-off, the senator said that it was politically wrong for the president to have told his vice in whatever way that he cannot succeed him.
According to him, the president has continued to allow his military background betray him in his relationship with the Vice-President and other politicians, but the president cannot on his own remove Atiku because only the National Assembly can do so.
He, however, said that no senator, to the best of his knowledge, was considering impeachment move against the Vice President, adding that the process would take several months.
Senator Idris Kuta had in his earlier reaction linked the face-off to the alleged third term agenda of The Presidency just as he cautioned the two leaders to be careful.
Posted by Publisher at 04:45 PM | Comments (0)
Cardinal Arinze visits Onitsha prison
AS part of activities marking his 40 years of episcopacy and 20 years as a cardinal, Cardinal Francis Arinze on Sunday visited Onitsha prisons donating N100,000 to the inmates and promised to renovate the chapel there.
ALPHONSUS NWEZE, Onitsha
Speaking during the visit, Arinze who is also Prefect for the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacrament in The Vatican, exhorted the prisoners that their stay in the facility was just for a while and prayed that God will help them learn how to live a good life when their jail terms expire.
The cardinal who said the teaching of the church was more important than food, urged them to avail themselves of any opportunity to hear God’s word.
He promised to celebrate mass with them on September 11 in order to share the gospel with them.
Earlier, a set of prisoners who were repatriated from Thailand in 2003 for various drug offences, had urged Cardinal Arinze to prevail on Federal Government to grant them amnesty.
Austin Umego, who spoke on behalf of the prisoners noted that they were about 339 and scattered all over prisons in Nigeria, even as he said that some of them have stayed between 14 and 16 years in prison.
He commended Cardinal Arinze for being instrumental to the treaty the Federal Government signed with the Thailand Government leading to their repatriation to Nigeria.
According to the Umego, some of the prisoners who were jailed in 1988 are in Onitsha, Owerri, Ilesha, Calabar,Kuje prisons.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Arinze has said that the selection of Pope Benedict XVI as leader of the Catholic Church worldwide was a blessing to the world and the church.
According to Arinze, it was worth praising God that the selection was peaceful, even as he thanked Nigerians who were part of the four million pilgrims who visited Rome to pay their last respects to the late Pope John Paul II
Posted by Publisher at 04:44 PM | Comments (0)
Obasanjo charges investors on banking reform
PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday in Lagos charged industrialists and investors in the country to develop investment programmes that would enable them benefit from the banking sector reform, especially the recapitalised development banks.
EBERE NWOJI
Obasanjo who gave the charge at the official commissioning of the N6.5 billion All Steel Radial Truck Tyre (ASRT) factory built by Dunlop Nigeria Plc, said the on-going banking sector reforms were geared towards establishing a reliable financial system that could promote and assist both short and long term industrial projects.
The President who was represented on the occasion by Industry Minister, Ambassador Fidelis Tapgun, said that the 2005 appropriation was structured in a way that would improve the capital base of all development banks in the country.
According to him, such banks include Bank of Industry (BOI), NeximBank and Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank (NAC RDB).
He said he was aware of companies which have benefitted from funds managed by the BOI, adding that with the improved capital base of the development banks, more companies would benefit for them.
"I am aware that Dunlop Nigeria Plc had benefitted from the Auto Development Fund being managed by BOI; I therefore challenge other industrialists and interested investors to come up with their programmes and benefit from the recapitalised banks." Obasanjo stated.
Her described the commissioning ceremony of the Dunlop Plant as a testimony to the fact that the policies, programmes and initiatives in the macro-economy put in place by his administration since inception were yielding practical results in factory expansion, business growth and employment generation.
"Capacity utilization in the manufacturing sector has increased from 25 per cent to 50 per cent on the average but above 80 per cent in Dunlop Nigeria Plc," he observed, adding that investments in the economy both foreign and domestic, were growing by the day.
He assured industrialists that his administration was irrevocably committed to the provision of regular power supply in the country, adding that this had informed the recent reforms in the energy sector.
Posted by Publisher at 04:41 PM | Comments (0)
MAN decries govt policy inconsistencies
MANUFACTURERS Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the Federal Government to refrain from policy inconsistency and take steps to check high incidence of unfair competition from imported and smuggled goods in the country.
FUNKE ODUWOLE
Chairman of MAN, Ikeja branch, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, made the call yesterday at the 38th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association held at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja.
He said the reported cancellation of the Bonafide Manufacturing Scheme and Manufacturers in Bond Scheme was a fatal blow on government’s avowed policy of promoting local industries.
"This unfortunate development will severely jeopardise the competitiveness of local products because of the prevailing high cost of doing business which has put Nigerian manufacturers at a glaring cost disadvantage," he stated.
Mazi Ohuabunwa, at the meeting which has the theme: The Challenge of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff to the Nigerian Manufacturers, said the suspension of industrial incentives truncated the projections and adversely affected the profitability of many local manufacturers.
He, however, noted that MAN’s end of the year analyses revealed significant achievements.
"A Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 5.5 per cent exceeded the five per cent target under the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), due largely to the sharp increase in earnings from crude oil and a noticeable growth in non-oil export," he said.
The MAN boss stated, however, that not much significant success was recorded in the privatisation programme " especially in the petroleum and energy sector."
He said "even though foreign exchange stability was achieved with the naira ending year 2004 at N132.85 to the US dollar, as against the N137.00 target under NEEDS and inflation rate perched on the single digit mark at 9.5 per cent, the interest rate remained high and unacceptable."
Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State was represented on the occasion as special guest of honour, by his Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Chief (Mrs.) Oluremi Adiukwu-Bakare.
He solicited support of MAN in the area of discharging its social responsibilities by urging its members to promptly pay their taxes and rates.
Posted by Publisher at 04:36 PM | Comments (0)
Draft national health bill for N.Assembly soon — Lambo
HEALTH Minister, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo has said that the draft of a National Health Bill is ready and will soon be sent to the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Lambo told a stakeholders’ workshop on the Health Sector Reform Programme, yesterday, in Bauchi, that he was editing the draft and that "it will be sent to FEC in a few weeks".
However, a top pharmacist has strongly criticised the proposed law as unworkable, pointing out that the lack of adequate number of drug prescribers nationwide will torpedo it.
The bill, when passed into law, would serve "to sanitise chaotic health practices in the country", Lambo promised.
Lambo said the law would also ensure that the HSRP was fully implemented and sustained.
Responding to a question on NAFDAC’s new regulation on the prescription of drugs, he said he had noticed unhealthy rivalry among health professionals.
The minister stressed the need for all health professionals to work as a team, noting that "those at the receiving end of such rivalry are sick people who need treatment".
Earlier, the North East zonal officer of the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria. Mr. Peter Iliya, had said the new policy would not work out as expected, because there were a few qualified drug prescribers in the country.
Posted by Publisher at 04:35 PM | Comments (0)
Sao Tome PM visits Delta State
PRIME Minister and Head of Government of Sao Tome and Principe, Mrs. Maria Do Carmo Trovoada Silveria, will be treated today to a rousing welcome by the people of Delta State as she arrives for one-day working visit to the state.
CAJETAN MMUTA, Asaba
The Sao Tome and Principe Prime Minister who arrived Abuja, Sunday on a three-day state visit to Nigeria at the instance of the Federal Government, is expected to fly into Benin Airport, Edo State, where she will be received by the Delta State acting Governor, Chief Benjamin Elue.
According to Mr. Magnus Onyibe, the state Information Commissioner, the minister would be treated to a reception at Alifekede, the boundary town between Edo and Delta States after which she will hold an interactive session with students of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Warri, as well as visit some project sites across the state.
While calling on Deltans to turn out en masse and accord the visiting prime minister a rousing welcome, Onyibe said the august visitor would see the situation of things in Delta State which, he said, had the same environment with Sao Tome and Principe.
Posted by Publisher at 04:34 PM | Comments (0)
ECOWAS Central Bank govs meet in Abuja
GOVERNORS of Central Banks in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member countries are converging today in Accra, Ghana, for the 15th meeting of the Committee of Governors (COG).
Okey Nwankwo
The Governors are expected to deliberate on plans for advising macroeconomic convergence criteria in the subregion, which is a precondition to the introduction of an ECOWAS regional common currency, the ECO.
According to a statement issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the COG will deliberate on the reports and recommendations of the technical committee of the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ).
The technical committee has been working on the various reports of "experts working groups" under the auspices of the West African Monetary Authority (WAMA) since last week in Accra in preparation for the COG meeting.
The statement added that the technical committee is examining issues relating to the various elements of the work programme, and the agreed action plan and strategies for effective and efficient delivery benchmarks on convergence.
Posted by Publisher at 04:31 PM | Comments (0)
NMA holds stakeholders’ forum
NATIONAL Maritime Authority (NMA) is organising series of interactive sessions with stakeholders in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
In a statement by Mr. Charles Maduagwu, media consultant to the organization, the first phase of the interactive sessions will be for two days beginning tomorrow (September 1).
The programme is part of the capacity-building role of NMA under its present leadership of Mr. Festus Ugwu.
Speakers at the sessions will include Minister of Transport, Dr. Abiye Sekibo; Director-General (DG) of NMA Mr. Ugwu. DG of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mrs. Modupe Adelaja and Managing Director of Genesis Worldwide Shipping, Capt. Emmanuel Ihenacho.
The programme is being facilitated by the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping with Octagon Capital Limited as consultants.
Posted by Publisher at 04:29 PM | Comments (0)
Reps deny plot to impeach Atiku
The House of Representatives has denied speculations that impeachment proceedings might have been set in motion against Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Apart from the official refutal of the speculated impeachment moves against Atiku, some House members dismissed it as unfounded rumours while others debunked it outrightly.
By Hammeed M. Bello
A section of the media yesterday reported that the disagreement between President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar over a third term has prompted the presidency to sponsor impeachment moves against Atiku. It is the National Assembly that has the constitutional responsibility to impeach the vice president.
The chairman of the Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon. Abike Dabiri, who gave the position of the House when contacted, said the House as an institution, is not aware of the impeachment moves, neither is it aware of any offence by the vice president.
Hon. Dabiri said such moves are premature if it is following from the raid on Atiku’s house in the US by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
She said the report of investigations by the FBI must be awaited before insinuations are made. “And if there is such a move, what are the V.P’s offences?”
The chairman, Rules and Business Committee, Hon. Ita Enang (PDP, Akwa-Ibom State), said when contacted for comments, that he was not aware of the moves, not even as a rumour.
He said he only read about the differences in opinion between the president and his vice. “We should not blow it out of proportion because it would endanger democracy to even contemplate such a move.”
The Leader of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), in the House, Hon. Wunmi Bewaji, who is also chairman of the South West caucus, said it would be suicidal to contemplate such a move.
Bewaji who is a constitutional lawyer, based his argument on the fact that leadership of the country is a collective responsibility, adding that both Obasanjo and Atiku ran on the same ticket.
He said the presidency is indivisible and that the president himself only narrowly survived an impeachment move by the House of Representatives. He said the president has “zero level popularity,” alleging that no member can vouch for him.
He said however that if the vice president be impeached, the president will be impeached in the process.
“If anybody brings any register for the impeachment of Atiku, we will simply replace wherever Atiku appears with Obasanjo,” Bewaji said.
When contacted, Hon. Bala Na’allah (ANPP, Kebbi), said it was not in his character to get involved when two big men are fighting. He said he would only pray for the country.
He however said that just as Obasanjo could not be impeached by the National Assembly, “I don’t think parliament will entertain the impeachment of anybody. All we will do is to ensure a smooth transition in 2007.”
Daily Trust checks show that members held different caucus meetings yesterday just after the House rose from sittings at about 12 p.m.
Meanwhile, Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State, said in Ilorin yesterday, that he was hopeful President Obasanjo and his deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, would put the country above them and resolve their differences.
Fielding questions from newsmen after receiving Glo Mobile phone business beneficiaries on a thank you visit to Government House, governor Saraki said, “I am sure at the end of the day, they will be able to resolve their differences and ensure that it does not in anyway, go beyond what it is now.”
According to the governor, “there is need for concern but I think as mature leaders who have constitutional responsibilities, they will also ensure that despite all these issues, the country they have sworn to protect would be protected.”
Governor Saraki said, “when people have been together for so long, worked together for six years, in the same party and government, there are bound to be issues here and there but I am sure they will be able to resolve their differences.”
Posted by Publisher at 04:27 PM | Comments (0)
Health workers’ strike shuts Abuja hospitals
Medical and health workers in all the hospitals spread across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), began a mass strike at 12 midnight yesterday over non payment of twenty-two percent increment in their emoluments, among others.
By Nasir Imam, Sunday Ejike Benjamin & Abdullahi M. Gulloma
Secretary, Health and Human Services secretariat in the FCT, Hajiya Amina Bala Zakari, who disclosed this to newsmen yesterday at a post-exco briefing, said that the strike action embarked upon by the medical and health workers is coming on the heels of a meeting held Monday night which ended in a deadlock.
The workers downed their tools to also protest the uncertainty over the sale of government hospital quarters to them, improper conditions of service and lack of a conducive working environment.
She said that the payment of arrears of the 22% increase in the workers’ emoluments, which has already been implemented, or is being implemented in other states, had already been approved and would be paid either in September or latest October and attributed the delay to late passage of the budget by the National Assembly.
On another demand of the workers over the sale of government houses, the Health and Human Services Secretary said the FCT administration has accepted to facilitate the financing of health workers who are residing in hospital quarters to purchase houses of their choice, even though they do not qualify for mortgage through the sale of housing guidelines.
Hajiya Amina Bala Zakari said government was not unmindful of the welfare of medical and health staff especially in the area of proper placement and promotion, training and recruitment, including dual employment which only health workers are allowed to enjoy.
She said the FCT administration had since September last year, commenced the payment of staff monetization benefits before any other government parastatal started doing so.
Meanwhile, the strike action has started biting hard on patients who were allegedly discharged against medical practice.
Patients were left unattended to, thereby worsening their health condition. A patient, Miss Ugo Ogbauche, who was operated upon on August 17, 2005, for fibroid at the Asokoro General Hospital, told Daily Trust that she was sent out of the hospital last Saturday even though she still experiences pains on where she was operated upon.
According to her, she was at the hospital yesterday morning to complain of the pains only to meet the entrance of the hospital under lock, as doctors and other medical personnel were said to have commenced a strike which she said they had been planning since the past two weeks.
Ogbauche who is contemplating going to a private hospital for treatment, also expressed fears that private hospitals will take advantage of the strike to increase their bills which she said, will not augur well for patients.
The visibly sick 28-year old Ogbauche called on the MFCT administration to quickly address the issue so that doctors can return to work, adding that, “it is the patients that will suffer during the strike. Government should treat this issue with utmost urgency to save people’s lives”
She appealed to doctors to reason with the MFCT administration to handle the problem, with a view to returning to work in the interest of patients whose lives it is their duty to save.
When Daily Trust visited the Wuse General Hospital, Abuja, at noon yesterday, few doctors were seen carrying out skeletal services. Checks at the hospital revealed that only emergency cases are being attended to.
The ever bubbling Wuse General Hospital, Daily Trust gathered yesterday evening, was devoid of its hustle and bustle as doors leading to the wards were halve closed with few patients lying unattended to.
All efforts to reach the national president of the Medical and Health Workers Union, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, at the time of going to press, proved abortive.
Posted by Publisher at 04:25 PM | Comments (0)
Fuel price hike: Labour may call for strike today
There are strong indications that the 29 trade unions affiliated to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), will today at a meeting in Abuja, mandate the congress to embark on a nationwide strike to protest the recent increases in the local pump prices of petroleum products by the federal government.
By Abdullahi M. Gulloma
This is coming on the heels of remarks by another trade union body, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), that it will mobilise its members to protest the recent hike in the prices of petroleum products.
One of the leaders of the trade unions who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity, said that the strike action was necessary in order to compel the federal government to revert to the old prices of the products.
He said that Nigerians will not accept any increase in the pump prices of petroleum products at this material time in view of the “abject poverty in the country.”
“Majority of Nigerians are living in abject poverty that has not been witnessed in the history of this country as an independent nation. It is callous for anybody to increase the prices of petroleum products because such increases will no doubt worsen the living conditions of the masses,” he said.
Also, a highly placed source in the NLC told Daily Trust yesterday in a telephone chat that the recent adjustments of the local price of petrol will not go unchallenged as according to him, the protest will make the government realise that it cannot take Nigerians for granted.
“I am saying without fear of contradiction that we will definitely challenge the recent increases because we have taken enough from this government as far as obnoxious policies are concerned. We voted this government to improve our well being not the other way round,” the source said.
The recent hike in the price of petroleum products has attracted condemnations from marketmen and women, trade unions, students, civil society groups, political parties, senators and members of the House of Representatives and indeed all segments of the Nigerian society.
Some commercial vehicle drivers and university students in Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti state and Zaria in Kaduna state have already commenced peaceful demonstrations to protest the increase.
The demonstrations according to labour experts, is just the beginning, especially in view of the incessant increases in the prices of crude oil in the international market. The price of crude oil is said to have notched a record of $70 per barrel.
With the persistent increase in the prices of crude oil at the international market, local marketers of the products, particularly the independent marketers, said in Abuja that the N65 per litre fixed by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), was not sustainable in view of the current market fundamentals.
The PPPRA is insisting however that petrol should not be sold above the stipulated N65 per litre. The executive secretary of the agency, Mr. Oluwole Oluleye, told newsmen that the PPPRA would ensure nationwide compliance with the N65 per litre, adding that hoarding of the products will not be tolerated.
Posted by Publisher at 04:23 PM | Comments (0)
Senate seeks powers to extradite Taylor
A Bill seeking to empower the Senate to extradite foreigners granted asylum by Nigeria is now being considered by the upper chamber. When the Bill becomes law, the Senate will have powers to extradite persons on asylum to any requesting country to be tried for war crimes.
By Habeeb I. Pindiga
Exiled former Liberian president, Charles Taylor, may face extradition under the new bill, as America among others, has been advocating his extradition to the International War Crimes Tribunal.
If passed into law, the legislation will confer powers on the upper chamber to ratify or reject granting of asylum to a foreigner and order the extradition of a person already on asylum upon request by the United Nations, African Union or a third country.
Section 5 of the Bill says: “When a person has been granted asylum, he shall be released immediately to either the United Nations or the African Union or any of their agencies upon application in order to answer allegations of war crimes or related crimes or for such other purposes as may be stated or revealed in the application.
“Where it is a country that has applied for the release or extradition of an asylee, it must be considered wholly in conformity with the individual standing on international laws or treaty of extradition with Nigeria.
“In the event that there is no standing law or treaty of extradition with the individual country, the asylee shall be released to such country discretionally on a resolution of the Senate.
“An application by an individual country for the extradition of an asylee shall contain in details, amongst others, as may be required by the Senate, the following: (i) Details of the nature of offences and times of commission of offence (ii) Reasons for not trying the asylee for the offence before the application (iii) Satisfactory evidence of a possible fair trial or hearing in accordance with international standards.”
Also under the new legislation, no foreigner would be granted asylum for an indefinite period, as the initial maximum period to be granted is pegged at one year but subject to periodic review of six months with the approval of the upper chamber.
Section 2 of the Bill says: “No person shall be granted asylum without the consent of the Senate.” However, section 3 says a foreigner seeking asylum may be kept in protective custody pending a Senate resolution on the request. “Where the Senate refuses to ratify the granting of asylum, the person granted asylum shall be extradited within 24 hours upon such refusal.”
The Bill also slated conditions upon which the president could grant asylum to a foreigner, including “urgency of the occasion that warranted the grant of the application without consent” and “possible envisaged consequential damage to the nation or a friendly country.”
On the review of the initial period of the asylum, the Bill says “Where it is necessary to review and extend a current period of asylum, an application for such consent must be made and considered before the expiration of seven days to the previous tenure. Failure to apply for a review within the stipulated time frame, the asylee shall be extradited on the last day of the current tenure.”
Posted by Publisher at 04:22 PM | Comments (0)
Man, 32 marries AIDS victim
The campaign against stigmatization and discrimination against People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), seems to have started yielding dividends as a 32-year HIV negative legislative aide, Mr. Simon Omeka, got wedded to one Linda Cynthia Omeka who lives with the virus.
By Sunday Ejike Benjamin
Speaking yesterday at a journalists roundtable organised by Internews Local Voice Project in Abuja, Mrs. Omeka said that inspite of her plea that he (her husband) should leave her alone, “he stuck to me until he got me wedded despite my HIV status”.
According to her, they have gotten an issue from the marriage, adding that with the knowledge on the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS, her child is negative of the virus.
Her husband’s action, she explained, was carried out to tell the world that HIV/AIDS should not be a barrier to marriage, “as somebody with the virus can be pregnant and bear children without infecting her unborn baby and her spouse with the virus.”
Mrs.Omeka who has just been treated for tuberculosis, called on government and organisations to increase awareness on tuberculosis which is responsible for most deaths of people living with the virus, pointing out that most PLWHAs are not aware of the existence of free TB treatment centers in the country.
“People should not only be sensitized about the existence of the TB treatment centers but should also be adequately informed that the treatment of the disease is free at those centres”, the HIV positive mother maintained.
Speaking earlier at the journalists roundtable discu-ssion, tagged, “Imperative for Handling Tuberculosis and HIV in Nigeria”, the Focal Officer, TB/HIV Collabor-ation in the ministry of health, Dr. Asadu Emeka, said government is doing everything possible to increase the number of treatment centers as well as the Directly Observed Therapy Short-Course (DOTS) centers in the country.
He said there are over 8,700 DOTS centers and about 900 treatment centers for the disease, adding that treatment is free in government approved treatment centers and that efforts are being made to increase awareness of the existence of the centers and the services rendered.
Dr. Emeka who identified under funding, human and infrastructural capacity as the major constraints facing the TB/HIV collaborations, also noted that, “it is government’s vision that there should be DOTS and HIV/AIDS treatment centers within a walking distance”.
Posted by Publisher at 04:21 PM | Comments (0)
Hurricane kills 90 in US
At least 90 people were reported dead in Mississippi while Louisiana officials scrambled yesterday to rescue hundreds stranded by high waters after Hurricane Katrina cut a deadly swath through the US Gulf coast.
The killer storm inflicted widespread catastrophic damage along the coast as it slammed into Louisiana on Monday with 140 mile per hour (224 kph), winds, then swept across Mississippi, Alabama and western Florida.
Throughout the region, shattered buildings sat among flooded streets and fields, broken boats and cars lay strewn about the landscape with debris and uprooted trees were everywhere.
Officials told Mississippi newspapers that at least 80 people were known dead in that state.
Harrison County Emergency Management spokesman, Jim Pollard, told the Jackson, Mississippi, Clarion Ledger that 30 of them died at a Biloxi apartment complex where they were drowned or crushed by debris.
Most of the deaths appear to have been caused by a massive storm surge that swept in from the sea and as far as a mile (1.5 km) inland in parts of Mississippi.
Others died, officials said, from falling trees and weather-related car wrecks.
“The state has suffered a grievous blow on the coast,” Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, said.
In many areas, rescuers struggled to reach potential victims because of high waters or mountains of debris. In New Orleans, police said many people escaped rising waters by climbing into their attics or up on their roofs.
Police said they were using boats to go into flood stricken areas to get those trapped in their homes. Some were plucked from roofs by helicopter.
People used axes and in at least one case, a shot gun to blast holes in roofs so they could escape their attics. Many who had not yet been rescued could be heard screaming for help, they said.
“This is a horror story. I’d rather be reading it somewhere else than living it,” said Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson parish which includes parts of the New Orleans area and goes south to Grand Isle on the coast.
He said that because of the devastation there, residents would not be allowed back to their homes until Monday, and then only long enough to pick up essential items.
As Katrina roared through the gulf, it was feared that New Orleans, most of which lies below sea level and is protected by levees, would be devastated by floods.
But the storm veered east at the last moment, striking the outlying parishes hard and damaging, but not devastating the city’s historic center.
Katrina’s winds shattered high-rise windows, littered the streets of the historic French quarter with debris and tore through the roof of the Superdome football stadium where 10,000 people had taken shelter.
There was only minor flooding in the city center as Katrina passed by but there were new concerns on Tuesday about high waters.
Tulane University Medical Centre vice president, Karen Troyer-Caraway, told CNN that waters were rising in downtown New Orleans because a nearby levee holding back Lake Pontchartrain had suffered a two-block long breach.
“We are now completely surrounded by six feet (two metres), of water and we’re getting ready to get on the phone with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), to start talking about evacuation plans,” she said. The hospital has over 1,000 patients.
“The water is rising so fast I cannot begin to describe how quickly it’s rising,” she said. “We have whitecaps on Canal Street, the water is moving so fast.”
Katrina knocked out electricity to about 1.3 million people in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, utility companies said.
On its way to the coast, the storm swept through oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico where 20 percent of the nation’s energy is produced.
At least two drilling rigs were knocked adrift in the gulf and another in Mobile Bay, Alabama, broke free of its mooring and slammed into a bridge.
U.S. oil prices on Monday jumped nearly $5 a barrel in opening trade to peak over $70 before settling back to around $67 on Tuesday.
Risk analysts said the storm could cost insurers up to $26 billion which would make it the most expensive storm in U.S. history.
By Tuesday morning, Katrin, had moved inland to northeastern Mississippi where the National Hurricane Center in Miami said it was downgraded to a tropical storm with 60 mph (96 kph) winds.
Posted by Publisher at 04:20 PM | Comments (0)
FG clears N48.2bn debts to road contractors
Works Minister, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, has announced that the federal government has cleared all outstanding debts and certificates owed to contractors for federal road projects.
By Nasir Imam
He made the disclosure yesterday at a meeting with contractors, consultants and officials of the Ministry of Works to review progress of federal road projects, outstanding payments to contractors and consultants and public opinion on the performance of the projects.
The debt profile of the ministry at the inception of the tenure of the minister in July 2003 was N48.2 billion.
Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe disclosed that the federal government has disbursed about N25 billion to the ministry for its on-going capital projects within the first half of the year. He added that another sum of N37 billion was about to be released from the total allocation of N68 billion for capital (road) projects of the ministry in the 2005 budget.
Senator Ogunlewe assured that all road projects which have attained 70 per cent and above levels of completion will be completed within this year. He urged the contractors to expedite work on their projects and send in their certificates for prompt payment.
The minister announced the reduction of tender fees from the previous sum of one million naira to one hundred thousand naira. He said the reduction was to encourage more contractors to participate in bidding for federal road projects and thereby increase competition and the quality of service provided by the ministry.
Senator Ogunlewe appealed to the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), of the NNPC and the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company, to allocate bitumen directly to contractors and not through any third party, marketer or agents. He said bitumen was a product consumed solely by construction firms, and the direct sale of the product to them will enhance their performance, quicken the pace of work and reduce both the costs and time of construction.
In the course of the meeting, the minister also received the report of the ad-hoc committee set-up to examine ways of improving relationship between the Federal Ministry of Works (client), consultants and contractors on highway projects which was inaugurated on Wednesday, 6th July, 2005, by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed (OON). Senator Ogunlewe challenged the consultants, contractors and officials to address the seeming disparity in standards of works on roads in the FCT and other parts of the country. He said there was need to maintain a uniform high standard of roads construction all over the country irrespective of costs or any other considerations.
Posted by Publisher at 04:20 PM | Comments (0)
Obasanjo, Atiku mourn Ishaya Audu
President Olusegun Obasanjo has sent a condolence message to the family of late Prof. Ishaya Audu, second republic external affairs minister and former vice chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, who died recently in the United States of America.
By Adaobi Ike
In a statement made available to Daily Trust in Abuja yesterday, the president’s senior special assistant (Media), Oluremi Oyo, said Obasanjo received the news of Prof. Audu’s death with shock.
According to her, the president said he will miss the wise counsel of the former minister whom he described as not only a trail blazer, but one who contributed to the strengthening of relations between Nigeria and other countries.
As former vice chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, the president noted, Audu worked tirelessly for the growth and development of the institution as well as education in Nigeria.
In a related development, Vice President Atiku Abubakar in his condolence message, said the late Audu would be remembered for his sterling qualities and professional excellence in the field of paediatrics.
Atiku who said he was also shocked by the news of Prof Audu’s death, urged his wife, Mrs. Victoria Audu, to take solace in the fact that he lived a fulfilled life and positively touched the lives of those who came in contact with him.
“In fact, many of us who have had the privilege of knowing him admired his intelligence, sound judgement and courage,” the vice president said.
Both leaders prayed that God gives the family the fortitude to bear the loss.
Posted by Publisher at 04:13 PM | Comments (0)
2 killed, 10 injured in Benin fuel protest
BENIN —AT least two persons were killed yesterday in Benin, and 10 others injured in a violent protest by students of the University of Benin over the latest hike in fuel prices.
By Rotimi Ajayi, Osaro Okhomina, Simeon Ebegbulem & Umar Yusuf
Posted to the Web: Wednesday, August 31, 2005
The Federal Government, reacting to threats by Niger Delta groups to Chinese and Korean companies that succeeded in last Friday’s oil/gas block licencing to steer clear of the area, vowed to deploy all resources at its disposal to "preserve the unity of Nigeria."
Meanwhile, prices of food items, essential goods, services and transport fares have shot up to between 20 per cent and 30 per cent in Yola following the increase in the pump prices of petroleum products.
A survey conducted by Vanguard in Jimeta and Yola markets indicated that consumer goods such as rice, yam, beans, garri, among others have risen up by about 25% while plantain, Irish potato, orange and other perishable items transported from other states have equally up by about 30% to35%.
Traders attributed the sharp increase to the recent increase in the pump prices of petrol. They argued that the increase was necessitated by the high transport fees, saying that they now pay double for such goods to be transported to the state
One Alhaji Yasha’’u Abdulrahman, a major yam dealer in Yola told Vanguard that before the latest fuel price increase, a lorry load of yam transported cost between N40,000 and N50,000 depending on the distance but has now gone up to between N60,000 and N80,000 now.
Also affected by the sharp increase are inter-state and intra-city transport fares. For instance, fares from Yola––Kano, Yola- Kaduna, Yola- Abuja and other Northern states have gone up by about 25%. Yola ––Kano and Yola-Abuja which hitherto cost N2, 000 and N3, 000 have risen to N2, 500 and N3,500 respectively.
Benin protest
The Benin protesters stormed the Delta State House of Assembly and vandalised vehicles along their route to Government House. They accused the state legislators and government of not showing solidarity in the fight against the increase in the prices of fuel.
The All Nigeria Peoples Party(ANPP) in the state accused the Federal Government of foisting on the people hardship dictated by some few individuals interested solely in the importation of refined products and asked the people to rise against the hike.
The protesting students, who caught many traders and commuters unaware, launched off the protest around 9a.m. from the Ugbowo and Ekenwa campuses. Some of the protesters attacked vehicles and commandeered them. Some others resorted to the use of bottles and sticks to whip commercial motorcyclists popularly known as Okada, who presumably failed to stop.
An Okada man apparently in an attempt to escape being lynched by the protesters, swerved on the way of an on-coming car and two passengers riding on it died instantly, while the Okada man was rushed to the state-owned hospital, Cantral (Specialist) hospital.
Undaunted, the protesters proceeded to the state Government House, where a team of policemen led by the Chief Security Officer was waiting.
Responding to the grievances of the protesting students, the State Deputy Governor, Chief Mike Oghiadhome, said though the state government could not change the situation and would not support any policy that would cause hardship for the people,"the manner you have conducted yourselves here today shows the level of maturity the Nigerian students have reached. We will want you to articulate your grievances and we will pass the message to the president."
Meanwhile, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) through its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Godwin Erhahon, yesterday condemned the fuel price hike, describing the Federal Government action as a betrayal of trust and a ploy to implement the plan of few individuals interested in the importation of refined products and exportation of crude.
FG warns
And responding to the threat by some Niger Delta groups to stop Chinese and Koreans firms that won oil/gas blocks in last week’s licencing round in Abuja, the Federal Government vowed to deploy all at its disposal to preserve the unity of Nigeria.
Presidential Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, warned the groups not to under-estimate the resolve of the present administration to preserve peace and unity in Nigeria. He said: "Our position is that this government is committed to preserving the peace and unity of Nigerian state. We will do all that is in our powers to ensure that the lives, properties and assets of every Nigerian and non-Nigerian within the Niger-Delta area and outside the Niger-Delta area is secured and protected.
The Niger-Delta groups had threatened to prevent the new foreign oil companies which won the oil blocks licence at the just concluded 2005 bid round licensing from the zone.
The group, acting under the aegis of Ijaw Monitoring Group, had declared that the grants given to the Chinese and Korean companies were not acceptable to them. Apart from the latest threat, another group called the South-South Liberation Movement had also at the weekend threatened to initiate succession move for the Niger-Delta zone to actualise the campaign for resource control.
Posted by Publisher at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)
Report indicts govt bodies on N30bn export grant claims
LAGOS — THE interim report of Price WaterHouseCoopers, on the running operation review of the Export Expansion Grant, set up by the Federal Government to verify claims made by exporters, has indicted the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Customs for conniving with exporters to defraud the Federal Government.
By Omoh Gabriel, Business Editor
Posted to the Web: Wednesday, August 31, 2005
The report, a copy of which Vanguard sighted, said: "There were many errors and irregularities both with claims and with claims processing."
According to the report, "the Nigeria Customs did not really confirm the volume or price of the export for which claims were made. In the case of the CBN, the report said it did not directly vouch individual exports proceeds before confirmation to the NEPC. This enabled fraudulent exporters to make spurious claims from the Export Expansion Grant.
The report further said the NEPC accepted photocopy claim forms for the processing of export claims. Also the report said about N1billion worth of NDCC, a quasi cash negotiable instrument used to pay claimants, were not in the record of the NEPC.
According to the report, "22 exporters of a total of 211 had by last year received 75 per cent of all grants of the over N30 billion spent on the scheme. Five of the exporters received over N1billion each while two of the five exporters had the same management and received about N6 billion, 20 per cent of all grants.
"One of the exporters that received over N2 billion had made a profit of N472 million over a four year period. Exporters that received N1.1 billion had made only N54 million profits in aggregate over four years.
"Visits to one of the company’s premises indicated that the factory had closed in 2002 yet made claims in 2003. The report also stated that "several exporters who did not qualify made claims and were paid just as payments were made to exporters at grant rates higher than their entitlement under the rules."
The report o