Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Press statement >>> Correction please.

In our earlier statement on the report of the PDP ad hoc committee on Adamawa Crisis and Reconciliation, we erroneously stated that the NWC has received the report of the Committee.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the managing director of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, Mr Ifeanyi Ubah.
Sources at the agency told Saharareporters that Mr. Ubah was arrested by a team of operatives at his Maitama home in Abuja.

By SaharaReporters, New York

Former Nigerian lawmaker, Dino Melaye, has sued ex-Governor Ibrahim Idris of Kogi State over alleged corruption, looting and massive misappropriation of state funds. The former lawmaker accuses Mr. Idris of squandering N57 billion of the state’s fund during an eight-month period that the Supreme Court decided that the governor overstayed in office.

•I loved Ezinne, my first wife, but she was deceitful, greedy

• If I hadn’t left Lillian, my second wife, I would have committed suicide

• Uloma gives me true love, inner joy

On Saturday, April 13, Nigerians were shocked when the supposed wedding of Nollywood actor, Mr. Solomon Akiyesi, to Ms Uloma Agwu, turned into a major scandal in Lagos.

2015: APC goes for the kill

The All progressive Congress(APC) may look like it is going nowhere judging by past political mergers in the country but Sunday Sun can authoritatively report that the coalition is not only lacing up its kicking boots, it is also going full speed for the ruling PDP’s political jugular. Unlike in the past, the APC would adopt an uncommon approach to turn the table against the PDP, which has been in power since 1999. According to a reliable insider source, the opposition coalition’s strategy will be rooted firmly in a concerted effort to weaken the ruling party and cause as much rancour within its ranks as much as possible.

Ahead of the forthcoming election for the chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), the presidency and the supporters of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State are set for a “do or die” contest.

While some governors of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) want Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State as the sole candidate for the chairmanship position of the NGF, others want Governor Amaechi to run for a second term. Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of

Kano State and his Jigawa State counterpart,

Speaker of the House of Reps, Tambuwal and Chairman of NGF, Chibuike Amaechi

Rivers State government,yesterday, alleged that an aircraft, scheduled to fly Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, among others, out of Akure, Ondo State, was grounded by the aviation authorities on spurious grounds.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal

The search in the North for a consensus candidate to challenge President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election may soon be over.

Although Jonathan has not signified an intention to seek re-election, there is serious speculation that he will.

Multiple sources told SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday that the region’s powerbrokers are rooting for the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, to run for President.

According to Okupe, “Bola Tinubu who spoke about poor budget implementation at the federal level never attained 60 per cent budget implementation while he presided over the affairs of Lagos State…”. Of course, the facts are there for verification if Dr.Okupe cares to check. The average percentage budgetary performance of the Lagos State government under Tinubu’s leadership was 71.5%.

FG blocks installation of 10,000 security cameras in Lagos

The cold war between the Federal Government and Lagos State Government may be the reason why the latter has stopped the Lagos Safe City Project, a scheme aimed at providing 10,000 solar-powered closed circuit cameras all over the metropolis.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described yesterday’s cancellation of council elections in Esan North East Local Government Area by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission as a rampaging evil and another evidence of rabid desperation by the opposition to truncate the wishes of the people

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withdrawn recognition for 113 secondary schools nationwide, as punishment for examination malpractices. Also, results of 30, 654 candidates, who sat for the May/June 2012 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) have been cancelled. According to Saturday Sun findings, WAEC has also cancelled individual subject results of 83, 745 candidates, released the results of 1, 549 and barred for two years 3, 321 candidates from sitting for the council examination over misconduct during the school exam, in line with the rules and regulations guiding the conduct of the examination.

Lagos-based lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), was at the presidential villa yesterday where he held a closed door meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan.

BOSTON:How do you miss a spouse's 'secret life'

What's clear: Katherine Russell claims she was completely in the dark about her husband's alleged plan to bomb the Boston Marathon on April 15.

What's unclear: How could she not know?

Prof. Izevbigie

…By discovering Edotide, used in U.S., and now in Nigeria, to treat cancer and diabetes

Benson Idahosa University (BIU), Benin, Edo State, has become the first university in Africa to be accepted as a member of the prestigious National Academy of Inventors (NAI) which comprises of over 60 other universities worldwide.

The real reason popular TV personality and comedian, the man popularly known as Saka dumped Etisalat for a rival telecoms brand, MTN, has been revealed.

Saka who has been the most prominent brand ambassador for Etisalat defected to MTN in what insiders say is a multi-million-naira deal.

Though, details are still sketchy, sources say the decision by Saka to dump Etisalat for MTN was not unconnected with the mouth watering deal he got through the assistance of a frontline Lagos agency and now the comedian is smiling to the bank.

“Happy times are here for Saka, the major face behind Etisalat ad campaigns. He is now working for MTN and henceforth he will feature prominently in all MTN brand campaigns as the war between the networks rages.

I can assure you that Saka was handsomely paid for the new deal. When the MTN offer was made to him, it was huge and irresistible, so he fell for it.

2015 Election: You Have 7 Days To Apologise To Akpabio, Politicians Warn Senator

Gov. Akpabio vs Sen. Etok

The Chairmen of the 10 local government areas in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district of Akwa Ibom, have handed down a 7-day ultimatum with effect from the 24^th of April 24, 2013 to Senator Alloysius Etok, to retract his statement on stalling the nomination of Governor Godswill Akpabio, as the aspirant for the senatorial district in the 2015 general elections.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has described as a “media creation” the purported rift between him and President Goodluck Jonathan.

“I am not aware that Mr. President and I are quarrelling. As far as I am concerned, we are not quarrelling”, Amaechi told reporters on Thursday in Kano State.

>Communities shut down N’Assembly as Senate intervenes

> Alison-Madueke not involved –Aide

Five aggrieved oil-producing communities in Delta State yesterday shut down the National Assembly over allegations that Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Limited were involved in a N58.9 trillion shady oil deal.

The chairman of the Contact and Mobilization Committee set up by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to mobilize support for the ongoing merger talks, Senator Solomon Ewuga, has disclosed that not fewer than 15 PDP senators are making various forms of donation to his comiittee towards the success of the merger.
Sen. Ewuga, who represents Nasarawa North in the National Assembly, made this disclosure in Lafia when his committee visited Nasarawa state as part of their ongoing sensitization tour across the federation. He said when successfully launched, All Progressive Congress (APC) shall receive a deluge of members from other political parties.
He also took liberty of the occasion, which saw large turn out of party executives from the north central states and the FCT, to charge his party members on the need to be cohesive and united preparatory to the merger.
The erudite Nasarawa Senator also said their visits to varoius states have yielded commendable results in re-uniting the party, adding that in all the states visited, party members who have cases in court have all withrawn such while those who have trangressed party rules have written apology letters to the hierarchy of the party.
Sen. Ewuga who hinted at the possible emergence of Gen. Mohammadu Buhari as the flagbearer of the APC, noted that merger alone can salvage Nigeria from its present unfortunate state. He said with over 12 million votes in the last general elections, the CPC is a strategic partner in the merger.

ACN, activists: Jonathan should face Criminal Court

The Defence Headquarters dispatched yesterday a fact-finding mission to Baga, the border town 180 kilometres north of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, where 185 peoples were killed last Friday.

The massacre drew more flaks from a cross-session of the society yesterday.

Majority of the dead were women and children.

In Yobe State yesterday, 25 people died in a battle between security forces and Boko Haram insurgents.

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) described the attacks on the civilian population as crimes against humanity, which it said should attract the attention of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The party said the intervention of the ICC became necessary because the Federal Government has not demonstrated enough willingness to bring the masterminds of the killings to book.

It said the killings in the North, especially the latest at Baga, fall within the temporal jurisdiction of the global court.

In a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said far beyond the justifiable call for a judicial commission of inquiry into the massacre, the time has come to hold to account the leaders under whose watch these killings are being perpetrated.

The statement reads: “The killings in Baga, like previous ones in the areas where Boko Haram and the military Joint Task Force (JTF) have been engaged in clashes, are undoubtedly a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population – the definition of crimes against humanity, which is one of the four groups of crimes under the jurisdiction of the ICC.

“Those engaged in the killings, including the Boko Haram sect, cannot and must not get away with these heinous crimes. The only reasons that the killing and maiming of innocent citizens have continued unabated in Nigeria is because such killings in the past, either in Odi, Bayelsa State, or in Zaki-Biam, Benue State, under the watch of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, went unpunished.

‘’Enough is enough! Even in countries at war, innocent citizens are not being daily mowed to death either by insurgents or state forces, as we are experiencing in Nigeria. It is clear that the Nigerian government is either unwilling or unable to prosecute these crimes, despite the deceptive assurances by those at the helm, hence the ICC must immediately beam its search-light on the situation in Nigeria.

‘’While we are aware that the killings in Odi and Zaki Biam occurred before July 1, 2002, when the Rome Statute setting up the ICC came into force, the killings in the North, especially at Baga, fall within the temporal jurisdiction of the global court.”

The party blamed the Baga killings on President Goodluck Jonathan, who it accused of failing to distinguish between support for security agencies battling the insurgents in the North and the incitement of the same forces against civilians who are caught in the crossfire.

It said: “When the President issued his tactless vituperations against community leaders, and by extension hapless civilians, during his visit to Borno and Yobe States, we warned that he was further victimising the victims of the insurgents’ attack. That action helped to set the stage for the mindless massacre in Baga.

“According to a statement signed by the Director of Defence Information Brig-Gen Chris Olukolade, the military delegation to Baga is being led by Maj-Gen Lawrence Ngubani, the Chief of Training and Operations (CTOPS) in the DHQ.

The DHQ statement said the Multi National Joint Task Force troops on routine patrol in Baga, Malam Garati Road, had an encounter with some members of the Boko Haram at about 7.30pm on April 16.

According to the statement, a soldier was killed and five others injured in the confrontation.

It stated that 30 Boko Haram terrorists died five were arrested and many escaped with bullet wounds.

The release also stated that six civilians were killed and 10 others were injured in the crossfire.

But some clerics urged the military to apply the rules of engagement in tackling insurgency, with a view to avoiding civilian casualty.

Allegation insulting, says Presidency

The Presidency reacted last night to the allegation that the President Goodluck Jonathan’s statement may have sparked the Baga massacre.
Presidential spokesman Dr. Reuben Abati said: “Must ACN play politics with everything? Reducing the Baga incident to another opportunity for name-calling and the politics of blame and abuse is irresponsible to say the least. In no manner can President Goodluck Jonathan be accused of having incited the security agencies or the insurgents against the people of Bagga during his visit to Yobe and Borno states. To make such an allegation is preposterous and insulting.
“President Jonathan is committed to the cause of peace and stability, and he has remained consistent in this regard. He is a responsible leader, a man of peace and a defender of the people’s causes. Trying to say what he did not say, or trying to twist his statements out of context to justify their own purposes seems to be a stock in trade for those who seem desperate to discredit the administration at every score.
“These promoters of the aphorism that a lie when reported too often may begin to sound like the truth, must begin to realize that they cannot fool the people all the time. President Jonathan has ordered an investigation into the incident in Bagga and has publicly condemned it, including clear assurances that whoever may be behind the incident will be sanctioned accordingly, and where rules of engagement have been violated, appropriate cause of action will be taken. He has also ordered the deployment of relief materials to the area, and directed immediate collaboration between Federal agencies and the Borno state government.
“It is further amazing that Lai Mohammed has not heard of the Multinational Joint Task Force that was set up under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission to ensure security along the joint borders, involving Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. He could simply have done a little research to know this. Having failed to do so, I recommend that simple exercise to him now and always, as a reality check before he makes his usual wild and incorrect allegations.”

Why is India, one of the largest countries in the world, ranked 143 out of 205 in FIFA world rankings

"Theatre of Dreams" reads the plaque on the classroom door of Manchester United Soccer School in Mumbai. Nutritional advice and tactics are scribbled on the whiteboard and a Wayne Rooney portrait hangs on the wall.

But if the future of the domestic sport lies at the feet of new talent, youngsters are dreaming of playing in stadiums abroad, not at home.

Endemic problems over the last four decades have slumped the nation to a low 143 out of 205 in FIFA's world rankings, moving FIFA president Sepp Blatter to describe Indian football as a "sleeping giant."

However, the arrival of Dutch coach Robert Baan as the nation's first technical director signals a possible revival of a country with a 1.2 billion population.

Appointed in October 2011, Baan was previously the technical director in the Netherlands and caretaker coach for the Australia Under 23 team. In India, he says he had spotted about five boys aged below 10 whose skills were on par with European youngsters of that age group.

Qualifying for the World Cup

Football heads to India

High hopes for Indian football

It is still early days, but Baan believes with continued development of India's grassroots, the country might be ready to participate in the 2022 World Cup. "Or more realistically, 2026 or 2030," he adds.

"As India has just started to implement grassroots football it will take 10 years or more to get these players to the same level as in Japan, Korea, or Europe and South America."

This grassroots project involves the All India Football Federation (AIFF) opening residential academies all over the country, free to athletes and providing education alongside football training.

These are different to the academies run by overseas clubs such as English Premier League champion Manchester United, which require fees and are non-residential.

The first AIFF academy opened in Navi, Mumbai in May 2012, the second in September 2012 in Pailan, another recently in Goa, with a fourth coming soon in Bangalore.

"We already have our under-19 boys in Goa and that will now be our elite academy, possibly moving to Pune in the coming months," said Baan.

Sunando Dhar, CEO of the AIFF's domestic I-League, has high hopes for this new development.

"I think this is the first positive step that Indian football and the AIFF have taken in the last 30 years," he said.

Up until the 1970s, India, which has long been one of the world's top sides at cricket, was among the best sides in Asian football and the national team was even invited by FIFA to play in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil.

In the end India failed to make it to Brazil. According to football historian and statistician Gautam Roy, the journey by ship was too expensive and the players were unable to fulfill the compulsory requirement to wear football boots, as they usually played with bare feet.

The AIFF has governed football in India for 75 years and was responsible for appointing Baan. Located in Dwarka in southwest Delhi, the AIFF's headquarters is an impressive building crowned with a huge football.

Is India a sporting country?

Despite that bold architectural statement, Dhar is more downbeat in his assessment of the country's competence: "India lacks sporting passion and is not really a sporting country."

That surprising admission provoked astonishment from two Indian football experts.

"India has been playing football, as well as cricket, for over 100 years," Roy told CNN. "There are so many individuals in cricket, football, athletics and hockey.

"We've won gold medals and been world champions, despite being amateur players. If India is not a sporting nation, then why are there so many people playing sport on the ground?"

Former Indian soccer star Baichung Bhutia, who briefly played for English lower division team Bury FC in 1999, added: "If the AIFF says India's not a sporting nation, then what are they doing there? You have to make it a sporting nation!"

Dhar defends his view and says India does not have a strong presence at the Olympics.

Referring to how interest in cricket soared after the first World Cup win in that sport in 1983, he says: "If the national team does well, it suddenly changes the equation completely."

India's national captain Sunil Chhetri believes the AIFF's criticism of the team dampens their confidence and argues everyone should be working together.

Chhetri gave India a sign of hope when he joined the reserve side of Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon in July last year, with Indian football pundit Arunava Chaudhuri describing the move as the "biggest ever transfer of an Indian footballer."

But the main goal should be for Indians to renew national pride in their home game, which currently rejoices in its past.

Beating the British

British soldiers introduced the sport to the country in the 19th century and an Indian team even beat them at their own game to win a domestic tournament in 1911. Roy says this victory gave India the confidence to make the move towards independence, which finally happened 36 years later.

However the influence of England -- or rather the English Premier League -- still hangs heavy over Indian football.

At Bhutia's academy in Delhi, 14-year-old Somil, Vansh and Tannay say they stay awake until the early hours to keep up with the European Championships and the World Cup. And they all wish to go to Europe to play professionally.

"In the English Premier League, I support Chelsea. And for La Liga, it's Barcelona," says Somil, without hesitation. "But I don't really know much about Indian football."

In December 2010, AIFF signed a 15-year lucrative seven billion rupee ($1.3 million) marketing deal with India's IMG Reliance --- a world-leading sports management company -- to boost the promotion of domestic football.

Dhar says revamping the I-League is a priority. But that was over two years ago and experts say little improvement has been made since.

The Indian Football Association (IFA), which manages football in West Bengal, organized the country's first international friendly between the hugely popular Venezuela and Argentina in 2011. Crowds packed out the 120,000-capacity Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata for a glimpse of Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi.

But while tickets were in short supply to watch arguably the world's best player, local matches remain abandoned on unpopular television channels and without effective promotion.

Last year, private company Celebrity Management Group organized a Premier League Soccer, spending almost $7 million bidding for retired World Cup players, including former France international Robert Pires.

However, the stadiums were not ready in time, which led to an indefinite postponement and players left in limbo without their wages. Again, these efforts, independent of the AIFF, did not make noticeable improvements to the home game.

Kolkata-based Mohun Bagan A.C. and East Bengal F.C. are the biggest Indian clubs with a historical 86-year long rivalry, comparable to the Scottish clubs Celtics and Rangers. In fact, a derby match can attract a crowd of 100,000 people.

"These clubs don't know how lucky they are because they did absolutely nothing to get this kind of commitment from fans," says Hindustan Times sports journalist Dhiman Sarkar.

Anjan Mitra, general secretary of Mohun Bagan A.C., boasts about the club's "worldwide" following. But when asked about the lack of merchandise available for fans, he says they have run out and will re-order soon.

Sarkar says: "Mismanagement is a huge part of the problem."

Bhutia now co-owns the United Sikkim club, which has risen to the I-League's top division just five years after its formation.

He argues that AIFF should be working with and advising clubs on management, attracting investors and developing players.

"The AIFF doesn't help people who aren't as knowledgeable as me," he said. "Football hasn't changed; it's still the same from the '60s and '70s. It hasn't caught up with world football and where it's gone.

"That's the story of India itself."

If Messi was growing up here, he may not have been so successful
Shaji Prabhakaran, FIFA's South Asia development officer

'Unclaimed territory'

However Roy feels worldwide perceptions are changing.

"Everyone's looking towards India," he said. "Here you have over one billion people; if you can make football popular, it will be one of the most popular things."

The scope for development is also being keenly monitored by some of Europe's leading clubs.

Along with Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona have also opened football academies in the country. Dhar describes India as "unclaimed territory."

Former Liverpool player Steve McMahon began the Steve McMahon Football Academy in October 2011 in New Delhi.

Anshuman Tripath, supportive father of 12-year-old Utkarsh who attends the school, says it has "the best facilities and training, much better than government facilities" and that "British coaches also bring a completely different perspective."

Education, education, education

But these initiatives still have to overcome the emphasis Indians place on education, which has traditionally overshadowed sports.

Shaji Prabhakaran -- FIFA's South Asia development officer -- says schools in India should give sport as much importance as math and promote its health benefits.

Baan says children aged between six and 12 years old need to be offered a weekly program of fitness and sports run by quality coaches at all schools. "Let the child learn to play all kinds of sport and find out for which he has most talent."

According to Baan, Indian children are increasingly able to tell their parents "what they want." In addition, attractive salaries, and the opportunities to become a coach or a physio, are incentives for parents to allow their children to pursue football.

In fact, Roy says I-League players earn more than cricketers: "The prize money is low at 5 million rupees ($93,000) but the clubs are paying a lot because they're sponsored."

Last year, India placed a bid to host the FIFA Under-17 World Cup tournament in 2017, and would be given automatic participation if it is successful. Das points out that this would be the first time that India would play in a World Cup.

But FIFA is demanding certain guarantees from the Indian government, such as security, tax and foreign exchange inflow, and acceptance of the bid is uncertain.

However, Baan is hopeful: "It will give Indian football a big boost."

Ultimately, heroes are made, not born.

"The Messis of the world only come through if we create the right kind of environment," Prabhakaran argues.

"If Messi was growing up here, he may not have been so successful."

PDP crises: Respect INEC report, Govs tell Tukur

THE crises rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have taken a new twist with governors elected on the platform of the party now pushing for the full implementation of the report of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on the 2012 National convention.

The governors at the end of a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, it was learnt, also pushed for the adoption of a political solution to the problem that led to the exit of the party’s National Secretary, former governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi has said that he would be glad to contest as presidential running mate of Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in 2015.

Amaechi spoke in Kano Government House yesterday shortly after having a closed-door meeting with his host. They later moved to a site along Aminu Kano International Airport to commission a road project.

When asked on the propriety of his posters in Kano and Jigawa State where himself, Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido appeared together as contesting for 2015 presidency, Amaechi said, “I will be glad to contest as presidential running mate to either of the two.”

Amaechi further laughed, looking at his side where Kwankwaso was standing and asked rhetorically “ including kano”.
When Amaechi was asked whether he was at loggerheads with President Goodluck Jonathan, he replied, “I am not in quarrel with Mr. President.”

And what would be his position if he was not elected chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for a second term? He said that he would accept defeat and continue to be an obedient member of the forum.

The Rivers governor made other remarks: “I appreciated the level of development I witnessed in the state and I believe you cannot judge any governor’s performance until you visit his state.”

Governor Kwankwaso described Amaechi as a friend, brother and colleague who was in the state to witness ongoing projects.

Kwankwaso also revealed that Kano and Rivers are to partner on an educational programme, saying that the Rivers governor had promised to sponsor and train six indigenous students to study in some secondary schools in his state.

According to Kwankwaso, Amaechi’s visit was an informed one and he was in the state to see for himself the level of development and transformation he had been told about

Thursday, April 25, 2013

FG blames power problem on military rule........for real?

THE Federal Government, yesterday, shifted blames for the problem of power in the country on the 30 years of military rule, just as it said that planning was relegated to the background during the period.

Speaking when he presented his scorecard to the National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and other members of the National Working Committee, NWC, Minister of National Planning Commission, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman was pessimistic on achieving the set goal of becoming one of the top 20 most developed economies by the year 2020.

Shamsuddeen Usman said: “During the military era planning was relegated and for more than 30 years we neglected the power sector”.

The minister also disclosed that the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, NIMP, designed for the next 30 years will be ready in July, even as he said 50 percent of the nation’s bilateral agreements were presently not functioning as some of them were already dead.

50% of bilateral agreement not functioning

He added that the Commission at the moment had reviewed 488 of such agreements, noting that it was quite unfortunate that Nigerians were not getting the full benefit of the signed agreements.

On Vision 2020, Shamsuddeen, who noted that Nigeria was number 44, said if by 2020 the nation rises to number 25 he would be a proud man.

President Goodluck Jonathan

According to him, “Where were we in 2009? We were number 44. By the end of 2011, we were number 39, by the end of 2012, we were in number 36, this is progress. We made quite a lot of progress. In other areas we are not.

“I don’t want any of you to meet me in 2020 and say you are the one telling us that we are going to be among the top 20. But what I am saying is that even if we are not among the 20 by that time, we were number 44 in 2009.

“If by 2020 we are number 25, I will be a very proud man. The reason is because we are consciously moving and doing all the necessary things to move up there”.

He added: “It’s not saying we must be there. What it’s saying is if we get there then these are the actions we need to take as a country. We must do this and that in governance, in human development, in infrastructure. That is what the document is saying and we are actually taking those steps”.

The minister explained that the Federal Government was on its way to transforming the power sector as the telecom sector had already been handled.

Explaining the challenges facing the Commission, Shamsuddeen, however, lamented inadequate funding of programmes and projects as well as capacity gaps in Ministries, Departments, Agencies, MDAs, due to high turnover of staff, the pooling system and current subjective training and performance measures.

Other challenges include “late feedback/communication from MDAs which hinders prompt delivery of actions; many MDAs not using officials NBS statistics; absence of strategic plans in some MDAs; inadequate Information Technology hardware for MDAs networking; National Planning and projects continuity Bill dormant in the National Assembly; absence of a legal framework for the performance contracting system,” among others.

Earlier, the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur said through planning the party could navigate its manifesto and that planning must go with implementation, adding that the idea behind the interaction was for Nigerians to know that the PDP-led government was doing the right thing, as Nigerians expect rehabilitation of infrastructure.

Tukur who charged the minister on implementation, said, “besides this presentation, I hope you connect with your colleagues on implementation.”

BOKO HARAM "On the contrary, it is we that should grant you pardon” Alhaji Shekau

In the quest for amnesty for Boko Haram, we saw it coming. We warned against granting amnesty to a faceless group of criminals who had not asked for amnesty. Our fear was that if they rejected the offer, we would have no place to hide our faces in embarrassment. All the same, there was no doubt in our minds that the moment the political adventurer, our President, perceived any political gains in granting amnesty to Boko Haram, he would grant it before we woke up the following morning.

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Sources: Bombing suspect had no guns when captured in boat

Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev apparently was unarmed when he was wounded in a barrage of gunfire that ended with his capture after a tense standoff, sources told CNN Thursday.

No firearm was found in the boat where he was hiding, in the yard of a home in the Boston suburb of Watertown, Massachusetts, said several sources familiar with the investigation, from different agencies.

Earlier, Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, had allegedly shot and killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus police officer sitting in a patrol car. Shortly afterward, the two engaged in a shootout with police. Tamerlan died after the shootout.

It's unclear why Dzhokhar may have hidden without any weapons.

Sanusi

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Sanusi Lamido Sanusi on Wednesday said huge spending on security and use of guns by security forces would not guarantee security of lives and property of Nigerians.
The governor said this in a lecture paper he delivered at the Abia Youth Empowerment Summit in Umuahia.
He called for a more proactive measure to curb insurgency in the country, stressing that government owe it a duty to provide means of livelihood for the citizens.
“No matter how much we spend in security, no matter how many guns we give to security forces, there will not be security until these people have food on their table.
“Addressing security problems without addressing the fundamental economic causes is only a short-term measure.
“Yesterday it was Niger Delta militancy, today it is Boko Haram, tomorrow it will be something else. We have to address the problem of youth and their future across the country.”
He also advocated “difficult” structural reforms to grow the nation’s economy to scale.
He noted that more than 90 percent of religious, social, and political crises in the country had their roots in the economy.
“It’s about unemployment; it’s about poor infrastructure; it’s about an economy that is essentially dysfunctional; this is a country that imports what it can produce and exports what it does not produce.
“So the solution is simple. It’s about the difficult structural reforms that are required to grow the economy on scale.”
The dignitaries at the event included former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara and the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu, among others.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Jonathan’s super minister

WHEN the story broke last week, that Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had ORDERED Information Minister, Labaran Maku, to punish Yushau Shuaibu, spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), for daring to criticise her, I wasn’t too surprised really.

The story was that Ngozi not only insisted that the young man be removed from NEMA, he must be posted to one of the Boko Haram areas of the North, as punishment for the “temerity” of criticising the “super minister”, Ngozi! Shuaib’s offence was to have written an open letter to Ngozi, but the super minister’s grouse was located in the last paragraph of the letter: “For those of us who still respect the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development, we strongly believe she should dissociate herself from the current allegations of ‘biafranization’ of top public offices in Nigeria.

THE Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar, needs to exercise utmost restraint in the enforcement of laws on tinted glass in vehicles. Obviously worried by the worsening insecurity across the country, the police authorities are falling back on a number of laws in the statute books to address the challenge. Understandably, terrorism is a potent threat that must be crushed. But they need not inflict unnecessary pain on the citizens by stretching the provisions of the laws too far. The Senate is, therefore, right in considering a bill to stop the Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Corps and other security agencies from harassing people who use vehicles with factory-fitted tinted glass. The ban should be on the use of a tint beyond permissible limits.

from left; Shema, Aliyu and Amaechi

There were indications, yesterday that the attempt by forces close to the Presidency to influence choice candidate for the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, might backfire, as most of the governors were opposed to the idea.Similarly, it has emerged that most of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors tapped by the Presidency to replace the current chairman, Rotimi Amaechi, were not too keen on the offer.

Jonathan Profiting From Nigeria’s Insecurity Problems - Buhari.

General Muhammadu Buhari led CPC today pointedly accused President Goodluck Jonathan of profiting immensely from the series of security challenges facing the nation. The party in a statement by its spokesman, Rotimi Fashakin said the administration has turned the bombings and killings across the country to a business venture through which the nation’s treasury is being daily looted.

THE HISTORICAL PLIGHT AND PRECARIOUS FUTURE OF IGBO PEOPLE IN NIGERIA:

A Speech Delivered By Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, Former Governor Of Abia State, Nigeria, and Coordinator of Njiko Igbo, To The British House of Commons On April 18, 2013

Lagos State Government on Tuesday made a U-turn on its stance not to waive restriction on movement during monthly environmental sanitation for any reason.

The government said there would be free movement of human and vehicular activities during the April edition of the exercise to allow students, invigilators and other stakeholders to participate effectively in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination organized by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board expected to be held across the country on Saturday.

Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, who made this known, explained that the government changed its mind because of appeals from parents and stakeholders in the education sector.

People of Nembe in Nembe Local Government of Bayelsa State, on Tuesday demanded $1bn (about N160bn) compensation from Shell Petroleum Development Company and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company over devastation of their environment.

The people made the request in a petition they sent to the United Nations.

In the document dated April 16 and signed by the Chairman and the Secretary of the Nembe Oil and Gas Committee, Chief Nengi James and Francis Furo, respectively, the people lamented the many years of gas flaring in their community.

According to them, gas flaring, oil spillages and dumping of industrial wastes in their environment, have reduced their lifespan.

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EFCC withdraws N4.5bn pension charges against 40 suspects

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday withdrew charges it filed in 2011 against a former Director, Pension Administration, in the Office of Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Sani Teidi, and 39 others.

In June 2011 the EFCC arrested Dimeji Bankole, former speaker of the House of Representatives, and Deputy Speaker Usman Nafada for the alleged misappropriation of one billion naira ($6.4 million) and 40 billion naira ($256 million) respectively. The case continued throughout the year, but the court adjourned the trial until January 2013.

Niger State Governor and Chairman, Northern Governors’ Forum, Dr. Babangida Mu’azu Aliyu, yesterday in Lagos, advised leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to disappoint Nigerians.

National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur

The Presidency and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party are in a dilemma on how to produce a candidate that would win the May election of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.

This is because a majority of the governors are aware that the constitution of the NGF allows for a second term for both the offices of the chairman and vice-chairman.

Article 6 of the NGF constitution, under the headline, “The Governing Board,” stipulates how the members of the forum and its officers are to emerge.

The three-member tribunal hearing the petitions on the declaration of Governor Olusegun Mimiko as winner of the October 2012 election on Tuesday adjourned for judgment.

The development followed the successful adoption of written addresses by counsel for the petitioners and respondents in the presence of their clients.

The adoption of the written addresses ended the works of the parties, thus leaving the judges up to May 10 to deliver their judgment.

The law permits 180 days within which the tribunal mus sit on cases and pass verdict.

The written addresses centred on whether or not the Voter Register used by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the governorship election in the state was valid.

what is the Chief servant up to?

The verbal war between the presidency and opposition parties reached its peak yesterday as former governor of Lagos State Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former head of state and presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) General Muhammadu Buhari came down hard on the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration, saying his administration is one with a trademark of corruption and impunity.

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KATSINA: ‘How we built N3bn Govt House with accrual from bank lodgements

KATSINA-NORTHWEST NIGERIA

New Government House Katsina

Democracy seems to be yielding huge dividends in Katsina State where lodgement made by the Shema administration in banks provided the funds to build a new Government House. The state Commissioner for Works, Mustapha Kankia, tells the story in this interview. Excerpt:

AWKA — THERE was a stormy session at the Federal High Court, Awka, Monday, as counsels to the two factions of the crisis-ridden All Progressives Grand Party, APGA, spent time during the sitting arguing about who should represent the party.

The court, presided over by Justice M.T Salihu, had on April 15 granted an interim order of restriction against Okwu and other officers elected with him.

At the resumed hearing of the case, yesterday, there was a near pandemonium as two leading counsels, Mr. Kingsley Awuka and Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN fought tirelessly on which of them should represent APGA, which is the 4th respondent in the judicial review application brought by Nwazojie.

As soon as Ikpeazu informed the court that he was representing APGA, based on the mandate he got from Maxi Okwu, the national chairman of the party, Awuka raised an objection, saying he was the person properly briefed by Chief Victor Umeh to represent APGA in the case.

Both lawyers cited various authorities in law to support their positions.
Ikpeazu, who spoke first, argued that he was properly brought into the case, having been duly authorized by Chief Maxi Okwu and, therefore, should represent APGA.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013