Anambra State government said, yesterday, that it spent more than N80 billion on the construction of 700 kilometres of roads across the state in the last seven years.
The Commissioner for Works, Mr. Callistus Ilozumba, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Awka that the feat was recorded under Gov. Peter Obi’s administration.
Ilozumba said that the administration had undertaken the construction of more than 20 bridges within the period under review.
He said that the bridges included the three along Atani-Ozubulu Road, which cost about N4 billion.
Ilozumba said that the total distance and cost of the road projects covered some ongoing projects which, he assured, would all be completed before the end of the current administration.
“Gov. Peter Obi’s administration is responsible. It does not award contract for the sake of doing so without completing it.
“For every road project we flag-off, the money has already been made available,” Ilozumba said.
The commissioner said that the state government was currently negotiating for small mobile asphalt plants to assist the Anambra Road Maintenance Agency, ARMA, maintain the roads effectively.
“The government is also working round the clock to establish a laboratory where materials would be tested to ensure high quality of road projects,” Ilozumba said.
According to him, the governor has demonstrated that prudent management of scarce resources could produce tangible achievements without borrowing.
“In the past, there were a number of donor agencies in the state, who left for one reason or the other.
“But when they found out that there was reasonable transparency in Obi’s administration they came back,” he said.
Ilozumba said that the state government was still awaiting Federal Government’s approval to re-construct the Amansea-Amawbia and the Enugu-Onitshah express ways.
This, he said, was to give Awka, the state capital, a worthy status, as well as open up the state for more investment drive.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Two bank officials arraigned alongside former Managing Director of Bank PHB, Mr. Francis Atuche, over allegation of forging a company’s board resolution, yesterday, told Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, that the controversial documents were found in the bank.
The two officials, Joachim Nnosiri and Uguru Onyike, arraigned with Atuche on a nine-count charge of forgery, conspiracy and use of forged board resolutions belonging to Futureview Securities Ltd., Tradjeck Ltd. and Extra Oil Ltd., claimed in the averment contained in their bail applications that they were forced to make a false statements against Atuche to secure their jobs.
In their separate affidavits in support of their summons for bail before Justice Onigbanjo, they claimed they agreed to change their statements “because of the promise by an official of the anti-crime agency, EFCC, to use us as a prosecution witness against Atuche.”
In the 10-paragraph affidavits deposed separately by the defendants dated March 26, they claimed through their lawyers that they were forced to say the documents were given to them by Atuche.
One of them, Joachim, in one of the affidavits, alleged that he was intimidated and threatened by the chief inspector of the bank, Mr. Waidi Gbadamosi, the chief security officer and other senior officers of the bank for insisting that the documents were found in their department.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
A Lagos High Court in Ikeja on Monday sentenced two serial robbers Kazeem Jayesinmi and Babajide Popoola to 42 years imprisonment each for a robbery operation they carried out in Ikorodu on December 7, 2009.
They were identified by the victim of their crime, Mr. Aaron Okunlade, after they were arrested for another operation and presented for inspection parade at Igbogbo police station on December 29, 2009.
Each of Jayesinmi (33) and Popoola (27) was sentenced to 21 years for each of the offences of conspiracy to rob and robbery. The trial judge, Justice Lateefat Okunnu, said the sentence should run concurrently.
The convicts were charged with armed robbery, which would have earned them a death penalty if the trial judge had not commuted the offence to robbery.
Okunnu said the prosecution was unable to convict the accused for armed robbery since none of the guns which the duo allegedly used for the operation was tendered in court. “‘I have some doubts whether the weapons used for the operation on December 7, 2009 came under the definition of an offensive weapon under Section 403(b) of the Criminal Code, Chapter C17 Laws of Lagos State 2003,” Okunnu said. He said the court was unable to ascertain whether the weapon was a “toy or fake gun”, one which might be used to cause injury or intimidate the victims during the robbery operation. The convicts were said to have robbed Mr. Aaron Okunlade of a car and the sum of N21,000 at his house in Ikorodu around 11.05pm on December 7, 2009.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
What shocked many people about the death of Prof. Chinua Achebe last week was not because anybody expected him to live forever. At 82 years old, he was not too young to die. The shock came from the fact that there was no news that he was ill.
One does not need a prophet to tell one that in spite of Achebe’s renown in literature and the joy that should emanate from such a global fame, he did not die a happy man, and the source of his unhappiness was nothing else but the poor state of Nigeria, his fatherland. His writings since 1966 when he published A Man of the People (which prophesied a military coup that toppled a very corrupt government) showed that Achebe was not happy with the way his country had fared after the much awaited independence of 1960.
That unhappiness with the fortunes of Nigeria continued through the Nigerian Civil War. It is obvious that the tragic events that started from the massacre of the Igbo in 1966 and culminated in a war that was fought with so much hatred and blood-thirstiness between 1967 and 1970 shocked Achebe to the marrows.
Years later, Achebe seemed to turn to non-fiction, producing two well-discussed and well-quoted books: Trouble with Nigeria (1984) and There Was a Country (2012). It seemed Achebe got tired of talking to his countrymen in parables and riddles (of fiction) without them listening, and therefore decided to talk to them in the plain language of non-fiction, hoping that they would hear and understand.
That the Civil War of 1966 to 1970 left a deep scar on Achebe was manifest in his publishing his war memoirs (There Was a Country) 42 years after the end of that war, and expressing his views of the war in very strong terms. Those who disagree with his views in that book and consequently try to belittle his literary prowess are like those who dismiss the musical prowess of Bob Marley and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti because they disagree with their use of marijuana.
No doubt, the 1990 car crash which paralysed him from the waist downwards would naturally have had an enormous impact on him, but Achebe was a fighter that never gave up or wanted pity. No matter the impact of that accident on him, it could not have compared to the impact the poor state of Nigeria had on him. It was obvious that Achebe was completely disillusioned with what the country he joined to fight for its independence had turned out to be. He was constantly faced with the reality that this is not the country that he dreamt about: that there was a country called Nigeria, and that what he saw as the days went by was not that same country.
The accident that caused him the use of his legs was part of that rot. He blamed that accident on the effect of corruption, which made those in power embezzle the money that would have been used to construct roads across the country. He showed this dissatisfaction with Nigeria’s poor governance by rejecting two national honours.
And most instructively, that an 82-year-old national icon like Achebe died in the United States of America, not seeking medical care but working in a university, when there are many universities in Nigeria where he could have stayed to impart knowledge, if he so wished, is a reason for us to be ashamed of, if we have not gone beyond the bounds of shame. Achebe was a man who took pride in his culture and people. He was a man who would have preferred to retire to his hometown, Ogidi, as a literary oracle and sage, close to his people, while moving to universities and other intellectual arenas, where his wisdom was needed, to deliver lectures and touch lives.
But because that accident confined him to a wheelchair, he knew that it would have been suicidal for him to have resided in Nigeria. He would have died earlier than now if he had taken that decision. How many facilities are available in Nigeria for physically-challenged people? When people without any disabilities have not even been given basic amenities such as health care, electricity, good roads, etc, which government would have the time to attend to the special needs of physically challenged people? There is no gainsaying that Nigeria is apathetic – if not hostile – to physically-challenged people, the weak, and the vulnerable. It is a land where those on wheelchairs cannot access public buses, many offices including government offices, as well as religious institutions, because during construction of such structures, nobody remembers to make provisions for wheelchair access and other facilities so that the physically-challenged could come in without any difficulty or help.
After over 50 years of writing and seeking a country where justice and good governance reigned, his advice was snubbed. Yet, at his death, those who ensured that his dreams about Nigeria never came to fruition were among the first and loudest to eulogise him and his works. It has become a regular hypocritical ritual re-enacted at the death of every great man or woman.
Nigeria has become a land that detests intellectualism but celebrates mediocrity and corruption. No wonder, almost all our top writers – young and old – have relocated to the US or Europe. In medicine, engineering, finance, and other fields, it is the same story of the top brains being lured away from home either because their efforts are not appreciated and adequately rewarded or that the environment is anti-excellence.
Achebe was the African writer who made the world to have a dignified view of Africa as well as take a special interest in African writing. He brought pride to African literature and culture, and inspired millions of Africans and Blacks all over the world to beat their chests that contrary to the pictures the Western world had painted about Africa being a dark continent of culture-less and irrational people, Africa had an organised way of life before the invasion of the colonialists.
For many readers, Achebe made literature exciting rather than boring, simple rather than complicated, accessible rather than exclusive. Yet, in his simple narrative, the cerebral is not diminished. His humour is infectious, and remains with the reader many years after.
It is said that artists die but their art never dies. So, Achebe has not lost anything by his death. The top losers are the Nigerian nation and the Nobel Foundation. The Nigerian nation is a loser for failing to heed the exhortation of men like Achebe to build a country of justice, excellence and good governance, which would have propelled Nigeria to be in competition with countries like South Korea, India and China.
The Nobel Foundation and the Swedish Academy (which grants the Nobel Prize in Literature) are losers for allowing reasons other than literary works to becloud their judgment in awarding the most famous and popular African writer the Nobel Prize for Literature even after four Africans had been awarded that prize since 1986. It reminds one of how Mahatma Gandhi, who towered above most of his contemporaries in fame, was curiously denied the Nobel Prize for Peace. Geir Lundestad, Secretary of Norwegian Nobel Committee, the committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize, lamented in 2006: “The greatest omission in our 106 year history is undoubtedly that Mahatma Gandhi never received the Nobel Peace prize. Gandhi could do without the Nobel Peace prize. Whether Nobel committee can do without Gandhi is the question.”
Like Achebe, some other great writers have been denied the Nobel Prize for Literature: Leo Tolstoy, Ezra Pound, James Joyce, Arthur Miller, Mark Twain, and others. Such acts of omission or commission cast a cloud of doubt on the Nobel Prize, which is seen as the award to the crème de la crème of excellence in the world, and should not be tainted with bias or politics.
Those who appreciate Achebe will never mourn him; they will celebrate him, for he has affected many lives and will affect more in the days ahead. Dedicating my novel, Wings of the Night, to him early last year, I wrote:
“To The Eagle on the Iroko,
The Weaver of Words,
The Master Storyteller –
Professor Chinua Achebe.
Thanks for creating a pathway in the forest.”
While speaking about Julius Caesar in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony said of him: “Here was a Caesar! when comes such another?” And likewise, I say: “Here was a master storyteller; whence comes such another?”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
At the Eko Hotels last week, it was a gathering of captains of industry in Nigeria to discuss the way forward for the crawling Nigerian economy. The gathering was organized by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and sponsored by Etisalat. The summit members agreed on one very crucial issue, education as a necessary tool to move every aspect of the economy forward.
Though the two-day event, attracted eminent personalities from all walks of life from the private and public sectors of the economy, with discourse touching on several topics, education turned out to be one point that seems to have taken the lead over others. The organizers set education up for pre-eminence when they came up with the topic: “The Future of Education in Africa: a Dialogue with Hakeem Belo-Osagie,” for the second day.
The dialogue threw up education as the single most important factor in ensuring effectiveness of labour in making other factors of production yield desired goals, – enabling and implementing change; in the process generating intense intellectual fireworks that left many with the consensus that the Summit climaxed on the second day. The strong panel joined the Chairman of Etisalat Nigeria, Hakeem Belo-Osagie in dissecting the place of education in the evolving scheme of things in Africa, with specific focus on Nigeria. Driving the point home, Belo-Osagie said:
“To arrest the decay in education, efforts have to be concentrated on teachers’ training and welfare so that teachers would become self confident, proud of their profession and live well in the society.”
“The discussants at the Summit formed a consensus that “if Nigeria is to use her demographic potentials to create a dynamic economy, she has to improve education systems drastically; otherwise, the lack of skills would translate the growing population into growing unemployment, poverty and conflict.”
Belo-Osagie voiced his concern in these words: “How does the Nigerian State that has failed in so many respects succeed in the critical areas of education?” With unemployment, poverty and questionable leadership fuelling conflict, there is a growing tendency that only increased private sector participation as advocated at the Summit could save education from continuous decline in Africa.
Tending to agree with Belo-Osagie’s stance at the Rivers State Education Summit 2013, Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka pointed at defective education as the major cause of the reign of terror currently threatening security, peaceful coexistence, businesses and governance in certain parts of Nigeria.
It is alarming that these thought leaders see crisis in education moving on to afflict the society. Belo-Osagie addresses it frontally: “We do face a crisis in education and it will keep worsening until we view education as a critical national need.”
There seems to be solutions in sight for this critical national need with the federal government taking on the matter with the Almajiri initiative and private sector intervention with companies like Etisalat playing active roles.
Belo-Osagie counsels that governments in Nigeria ought to concentrate efforts on providing quality education at primary and secondary school levels as against the current proliferation of tertiary institutions that deliver little educational values to the people and the economy.
“My view is that the bulk of government spend should go to primary and secondary schools with fewer universities so that everybody gets quality primary and secondary school education.”
Similarly, Soyinka opines that ridding Nigeria of dangerous illiteracy would require a multi-pronged approach, for which he endorsed the Almajiri education programme being executed by the Federal Government. Incidentally, the Almajiri education programme focuses, like Belo-Osagie counselled on basic education for all, particularly the disadvantaged segments of the population.
Education for everybody The panellists shared Belo-Osagie’s view that corruption’s most deadly impact is the income it takes away from various tiers of government that would have gone into proper funding of education, necessary to propel human capital development needed to drive changes and sustain growth in several spheres of human endeavour in Africa.
Maintaining that quality basic education for everybody would aid both citizens and the society better than an army of tertiary school graduates who are ill-educated and ill-equipped to contribute to the economy, Belo-Osagie urged government to wake up to realities and address the decay of infrastructure in education.
He charged the private sector to step forward and redeem education as it has done in areas like banking, oil, telecommunications etc, where government is known to have met with limited success in the past.
He pointed out that the Nigerian model of active state participation in businesses in the 80s and 90s was not successful. “The economy has progressed to active private participation. What has been missing is the crucial role of education. The bulk of government’s spend on education goes to teachers’ welfare which remains incredibly poor, compelling many teachers to dissuade their children from aspiring to the profession,” he stated.
Contributing to the dialogue, Managing Director, Crown Agents Nigeria, Mark Abani, lent credence to the stance of Belo-Osagie, adding that the school system and curricular must be redesigned to ensure impartation of skills on students because “that would boost school products’ preparedness for and performance in the workplace so that graduates can add value to themselves and the economy.”
Stakeholders might still recall that a BusinessDay report in March 2011 following approval of four more private universities in Nigeria pointed out that that the approval brought the number to 45 private universities as against 70 universities then bankrolled by both federal and state governments in Nigeria.
Strategic drive This number has increased with various approvals believed to be politically motivated as against a strategic drive towards the provision of quality education for the people of Nigeria. This number of private universities might be at variance with the number of private tertiary institutions, though private universities have grown substantially from the three that pioneered investment in that segment in 1999. Nigeria’s first private universities are Babcok University, Ilishan Remo, Madonna University, Okija, and Igbinedion University, Okada.
Though opinions may differ on the quality, impact, access and mission of private universities, what no one can argue about is that they constitute an alternative approach to — and certainly fill a growing niche in higher education in Nigeria.
Public education system They also absorb the large chunk of young Nigerians who’s parents have lost faith in the public education system who ordinarily would have sought solution to their educations needs outside the shores of Nigeria, just as Belo-Osagie pointed out: “The bulk of government’s spend on education merely scratches teachers’ welfare on the surface, while quality of training and teaching are falling, forcing our young generation to seek quality education abroad.”
Probably the intervention of the private sector in education could help avert crisis or at least ameliorate a situation that has become so bad.
The Guardian newspaper’s survey in 2009 revealed that only 20 percent of parents would willingly send their children to public universities — largely because these are the only institutions that offer ‘dream’ professional courses in medicine, pharmacy, etc.
About 70 per cent, on the other hand, prefer degrees from private universities and 10 percent from abroad were cost not an issue. What is evident is that Africa and Nigeria are left with no other option than to improve on education at basic level to show readiness for the future, now characterized by change and technology.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Plans for the 100 birthday celebration of Nigeria as a corporate entity have kicked off and corporate Nigeria is deeply involved in it. They were there: Mrs Folorunsho Alakija of Famfa Petroleum, Reginald Ihejiahi of Fidelity Bank, Segun Agbaje of GT Bank, Aig Aig-Imokhuede and many others. Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga Jr. sent representatives.
It was a national call and they obliged President Goodluck Jonathan, who had sent an invitation to chief executive officers of major Nigerian companies to come to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to further talk about the centenary celebration of the amalgamation of Nigeria.
On the government side, President Goodluck Jonathan led the table. Secretary to the Federal Government, Anyim Pius Anyim and coordinating minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, were present, alongside other ministers and high-ranking government functionaries.
It was a Thursday dinner on March 14 and there was laughter amidst dining and clinking of glasses.
Historically, the southern and northern protectorates were united under a single administrative and political entity on January 1, 1914 under British colonial rule. It is this epoch event that the government has lined up a series of activities to celebrate and has given the private sector the task of funding.
The private sector had been involved in the project from the beginning. From the outset, the government had said it would not be financially involved in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of Nigeria but that the private sector would fund it.
Earlier, at the unveiling of the project on February 4 at the Presidential Villa in which all former living heads of state, except Ibrahim Babangida were present, it was corporate Nigeria that bankrolled the event.
At that occasion, Jonathan had declared that “the amalgamation of 1914 was not a mistake but an act of God to create a a unique entity of the globe called Nigeria, a beautiful country richly blessed and which had turned out innovative people across the world.”
Therefore, the dinner for chief executive officers of major Nigerian companies hosted by Jonathan on Thursday, March 14, Jonathan opined that the support of corporate Nigeria was crucial to the successful hosting of the year-long activities marking the centenary celebrations.
The support of the corporate chieftains, he noted, was all the more essential since The Nigerian Centenary Project would not attract any funds from the government but will be entirely financed by the organized private sector.
The president emphasised that the involvement of the private sector in the project was a demonstration of his government’s confidence in the sector.
He added that the Federal Government wishes to commemorate the 100 anniversary of the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914, with the development of a new city in Abuja to be called “Abuja Centenary City”.
He disclosed that beside the centenary city, which would provide all the facilities that Nigerians travel out of the country to go and enjoy abroad, unity squares would also be built in all state capitals to add to their beauty.
The support of the corporate chieftains, he noted, is all the more essential since The Nigerian Centenary Project will not attract any funds from the government but will be entirely financed by the organized private sector.
Jonathan emphasised that the involvement of the private sector in the project was a demonstration of his government’s confidence in the sector.
In his remarks, Anyim said that the production of the Centenary city’s final master plan was at advanced stage while foremost consultants, Price Waterhouse Coopers had been appointed financial consultants for the project. Anyim noted that frontline advertising agency, DDB, Lagos had been appointed the official marketer of the centenary activities while Sterling Partnership was appointed the legal consultant.
“The entire celebration is planned to be investment driven such that nobody should put in a kobo without getting value for it”, he said.
Okonjo-Iweala assured that government was taking necessary steps through the formulation of appropriate policies to ensure that the discernable growth in the private sector would be sustained.
Anyim, whose office is co-ordinating the project, had last January while briefing members of the House of Representatives on the centenary project, had said the project would create a total of 15, 000 jobs even with the government not putting one naira.
“With the support of and active participation of the private sector, the centenary celebration will provide 5,000 jobs directly and more than 10,000 jobs indirectly.
“We must celebrate because our unity is the common symbol of our collective existence that has put the nation on the path of development and potential global ascendancy,” he had said.
Documents on the centenary project reveal that till January 1, 2014, activities have been lined up to make the celebration a memorable one. These activities would involve Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora; corporate organizations in Nigeria and abroad; and friends of Nigeria from across the world.
Besides Abuja, the nation’s capital, the celebration is expected to hold in all state capitals, some historic towns and cities in Nigeria and in other cities around the world.
The project is anchored on three main pillars centered around the enduring legacy initiative, commemorative projects and the history and heritage programme.
The enduring legacy initiative is a collective name for a number of specially selected initiatives. These are needs-driven, socially impacting projects and events designed around strategic national institutions/assets and or local communities in each state of the federation.
New projects and restoration/rehabilitation of existing projects in communities will focus on such projects as a new Abuja City Gate, Abuja Centenary City, Unity Squares recommended in every state capital, a medical diagnostic centre in each geo-political zone; ICT Centres in all the universities that are yet to have one, modern libraries in six universities (one in each geo-political zone); science laboratories in six universities, one in each geo-political zone; building/Renovation of Sports Facilities, one in each of the Federal Universities in the country; and upgrade and naming/renaming of historical sites in the country.
The commemorative aspect of the centenary project began in February 2013 and will reach its peak in the centenary month of January 2014 and end with independence celebration on October 1, 2014. It will involve official flag-off by the president, military and para-military parades, music and fireworks, special legislative sessions and unity rallies in all state capitals and Abuja.
Others include Special Centenary Prayers (Christian/Muslim); Exhibitions, Symposia, Youth and Children Programmes; Women-Related Programmes; Programs for the Physically-challenged; Awards among other activities.
The history and heritage programme, which is the third component of the centenary celebration, according to the organizers, draws out the nation’s soul for the world to see and creates a new understanding of Nigeria’s history, strengthened by art and culture.
This component is expected to feature art exhibitions, literary festivals, essay competitions; photo exhibition, festivals and carnivals, a film festival;
presentation of some of Nigeria’s landmark plays; re-enactments of Nigeria’s story through captivating poetry and an interpretation of Nigeria’s globally acknowledged music; and acknowledgement of the exploits of young people, through sports, science, inventions and literature.
It is a programme that is packed full. In the weeks and months ahead, if the plan is followed, Nigerians will be thrilled by the epoch celebration.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
IN an unbridled breach of the 2005 Green Tree Agreement (GTA), Cameroun has sacked over 1,000 Nigerians living in Bakassi Peninsula who had accepted Cameroun’s sovereignty.
Already, two women among the returnees have put to bed in their refugee camp in Akwa Ikot Eyo, Akpabuyo Local Council of Cross River State.
The GTA arrangement, based on the 2002 International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment, specified that Nigerians could decide to live in the Bakassi Peninsula under Cameroun’s sovereignty without any harassment or molestation, but recent development is quite on the contrary.
Last year, the Cameroun authorities were reported to be harassing Nigerians in the territory, a development the Nigerian government frowned on.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Bakassi Local Council Chairman, Mr. Eyo Eyo, said the victims of the latest harassment “were living in Efut Obot Ikot and its adjoining settlements have been forcefully ejected by Camerounian authorities.”
According to one of the returnees, who simply gave his name as Etim, “five people died in the stampede by Camerounian authorities while several others were wounded, as the people now are completely cut away from their sources of livelihood.”
A spokesman for the displaced people, Chief Asuquo Etim Asuquo, said the incident occurred on March 7 when Cameroun invaded their settlements, accusing them of militancy. According to them, several persons were arrested and taken away, and it is not clear what their fate was.
Reacting to the incident, Chairman of Bakassi Local Council, Ekpo Ekpo Bassey, said the council was disturbed by the sad development because it shares common boundary with Cameroun in the west.
He called for the Nigerian government’s intervention, as “such cases and other security challenges were rampant in the area” and a “violation of the Green Tree Agreement which guarantees sovereignty for Nigerians wishing to remain in the peninsula and the right to their sources of livelihood.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Former Super Eagles Coach Bora Milutinović has given the Golden Eaglets tips on how they can conquer Africa at the CAN U-17 Championship, holding next month in Morocco.
Milutinovic, who was sighted at the AspireAcademy for Sports Excellence in Doha, where the Golden Eaglets are presently camping ahead of the biennial tournament, said that the players must not underestimate their opponents if they must go far in the competition.
“It is very important for your team to take all their opponents seriously. They must not look down on any team because it is a competition and anything can happen. An underdog can surprise the supposed big teams. So Nigeria, must be very careful not to take think teams for granted”, said Milutinovic.
he Serbian, who guided Nigeria to the France’98 World Cup, said it was imperative that the Nigerian youngsters be exposed to quality training facility at a centre such as Aspire, saying that the development of youths would eventually translate to success at the senior level on a long term.
“I’m happy to hear that the Nigerian Under-17 team is here at Aspire for training,” said the Serbian while on a short visit to the Aspire’s administrative block.
“There is no better place to be than Aspire and I’m happy that the Nigerian Federation has brought these boys here because it is good for Aspire and NFF,” he reasoned.
“I had other engagements and that was why I was not at Aspire to see the match.” Bora, Global Ambassador to Qatar 2022 World Cup and Technical Advisor at Aspire, said it was imperative to prepare youth teams ahead of competitions
“It is important to develop and prepare young players particularly for a Championship and it is good for Nigeria to be here. Qatar is the best place to be and bringing your young players is very nice because we have excellent facilities at Aspire.” The 68-year- old coach, who along with Brazilian Carlos Parreira, has guided five nations to FIFA World Cup, said he has good memories about his brief stint with Nigeria.
“I love Nigerians and I’m happy to have worked with the Super Eagles at the France’98 World Cup,” he noted.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Many followers of Nigeria‘s political development are worried about the year 2015. The prophets of doom have serious doubts about the future of Nigeria as one country before or after the 2015 elections. Many think that the year 2014 (when Nigeria will be 100 years old as a nation) would certainly foretell what the events would look like in 2015. Those who are planning for the centenary celebration are yet to be unanimous on what the celebration would represent- success or failure.
In a situation where the security situation is shaky and the poverty condition worsening in spite of the seeming steady progress of the transformation agenda of the Federal Government, it looks as if there should be a re-assessment of the condition of the state of the nation. It is not only the pessimists who fear the state of anarchy, also, the incurable optimists fear the steady march into the deep valley of a “failed state”.
The `pull` from the gorge of anarchy and uncertainties has now become a lively debate among many lovers of Nigeria, foreigners included. It is not that the present Federal Government is not trying, but its best seems not good enough to withstand the overwhelming forces of modern governance in a plural society and rural economy.
The present struggle of smaller parties to merge into a strong opposition is one of the democratic ways of providing an alternative government to the present one. This does not stop the agitation of the enlightened minds to engage in a constitutional dialogue to find ways on how Nigerians would work together peacefully in a prosperous country.
Many supporters of democracy place higher hope in the possibility of a better government in 2015. In short, some in their wildest imagination, hope that the yet-to-be registered All Progressives Congress (APC) would produce better programmes to run an effective and progressive Federal administration. But how possible it is to have an alternative government without defeating the present one? The answer is quizzical.
If the political question is put directly, can the present Federal Government be defeated in the 2015 elections by the combined strength of the opposition parties? I guess the answer would harp on the possibility of the defeat of any ruling party that fails to work in the interest of the people in a fair and clean election. But the problem is, can there be a free and fair election in an atmosphere of corruption and nepotism? And where money seems to be the arbiter in any dispute: Nigerian politics is money and money facilitates politics and politicians are rich because of politics. Thus, a perfect atmosphere for political contests is yet to exist in the country.
However, the present position of the PDP as the ruling party in the Federal Government; and its 23 Governors (out of 36) in the country looks unsalable. Judging by the circumstances of 2011, the position of President Jonathan (if he wants to contest in 2015) seems too strong for any opposition. Looking at 2011 Presidential election result, President Jonathan scored 22.5 million votes against all others with 15.7 million votes including the merging parties of CPC, ACN, and ANPP of about 15.2 million votes.
Apart from heavy votes of PDP in the South South zone, there was concentrated PDP support of over 5 million votes in the South Eastern zone. While the opposition votes were heavy in the North West and North-East zones, the results showed considerable show of strength by the PDP in these areas.
If the merger of the smaller parties becomes a reality; it means the opposition would expect to shine in the North-West, North-East and South-West zones of the country leaving the PDP to garner support from the South South, South-East, and the North Central zones in any possible election. The difference is that the opposition parties are very weak in the areas where the PDP is very strong, but the PDP has a strong base in areas where the opposition is very strong. It looks as if by relying on 2011 results, (which are not free from rigging), the PDP looks like the party to beat any day, year 2015 inclusive.
I must agree that the above analysis relying on 2011 election results looks simple but unrealistic. A cogent argument states that voters for President Jonathan in 2011 were not only PDP supporters but included thousands of those who envisaged a new change from the older military regimes and political hegemonies of Hausa/Fulani and the Yoruba.
Also, the high (turn-out above the normal 40-50%) in some specific areas suggested foul play and manipulations. The prediction of easy victory of PDP in 2015 ignores the persistent crisis within the PDP and the growth of the opposition parties and increase in political enlightenment of the present day Nigerians. Political enlightenment is represented in the careful examination of performance of any government in power and the ability of that government to carry the people along.
The present political enlightenment takes into consideration the drive by the Ibo to have one of them as the President of the country. This calls for their expectation of the Yoruba to repay the Ibo for the political support given to Moshood Abiola (whose election as President was annulled) and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who took the two slots allotted by the PDP to the Southern part of the country. There is Ibo solid block of about 6 million votes which could not be neglected in any race to the Aso Rock.
There is no doubt that in a situation where the Hausa/Fulani, the Yoruba have failed to produce the necessary tonic on Nigeria’s development and prosperity and the Ijaw man is in the midst of a turbulent sea, the campaign for the call for election of an Ibo President seems reasonable and desirable. Analysts who think that the place of one’s birth should not dictate the rise to political leadership belong to those Nigerians yet unborn.
Many Nigerians feel, and justifiably so, that any governing party that fails to solve the Power problem (with electricity supply in constant epileptic state); where poverty is endemic; where economic growth is not reflected in rising employment; and where insurgency is rife, it is possible to think and work for a democratic change. This may be the main reason why the PDP as a party may find it difficult to succeed itself in 2015, especially with its internal crisis and the general stamp of inefficient and ineffective management of economic and human resources.
However if the problems of governance is rooted in the deficient structure of the polity, there is no reason why the present leadership should not see the wisdom of forming a genuine national government and also initiate a Discourse on how Nigerian people could live in peace and prosperity with one another in a stable and prosperous polity.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
A pressure group, Dialogue House, yesterday, rose in defence of Customs Comptroller-General, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde, over his summon by the House of Representatives to answer questions relating to 2007-2012 remittances to the federation account.
President of the group, Mahdi Shehu, said in a statement issued in Kaduna on behalf of Friends of Dikko: “The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Dikko, is a well known respecter of constituted authorities and he holds the House of Representatives and other institutions of government in a very high esteem.
“Therefore the report that he shunned six invitations of the House Committee on Public Accounts to answer questions relating to the 2007 – 2010 remittances to the federation account, could not have been correct.
“By his well acknowledged unprecedented achievements at the helm of the Nigeria Customs Service, Dikko has become the proverbial gold fish who has no hiding place, and who has absolutely no reason to hide or shy away from discharging his statutory responsibilities.
“It is on record that since his appointment as CG of the NCS in 2009, Dikko has in very decisive ways contributed to the overall growth of the Nigerian economy by maximising revenue collections and facilitating trade and commerce through such noble innovative products as the Trade Hub Portal, Single Window, etc.
“It is a well known fact that Dikko’s strategic position as Vice-President of Confederation of West and Central African Comptrollers-General of Customs as well as his unprecedented achievements at the helm of the Nigeria Customs Service have brought a lot of honour to Nigeria, with the result being higher respect and courtesy accorded Nigerian citizens by the customs services of various countries around the world”.
“When last week it became necessary for him to travel to Ghana on one of such assignments, the CG, as a sign of courtesy and respect for the National Assembly, sent a worthy representative in the person of Deputy Comptroller General of Customs A. J. Atte.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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