The former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Presidential candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, saturday declared that Nigeria will not break up, despite campaigns by those he described as unpatriotic politicians and ethnic jingoists to ensure the disintegration of the country.
Ribadu made the declaration at a public lecture organised by the Students Representative Council (SRC) of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, maintaining that time has come for Nigerian youths to stand up and defend the nation’s unity and also fight against retrogressive elements who are working against the growth and development of the nation.
In his paper, titled “Political Engagement: A New Approach…Youth: The Fulcrum of Every Society”, Ribadu said “the biggest illusion we have lived in as a people, is believing the cry heard from various corners that Nigeria is an unnatural entity coerced together .“ He said such thinking was a very inaccurate judgement.
He lashed out at some leaders, who according to him, were using ethnic and religious factor as a political weapon to sustain themselves in public office and urged the youth to shun such divisive tendencies and work together for a strong and united Nigeria.
While canvassing for a dynamic change for the nation in the area of politics, social and economic development, Ribadu stressed that such change should lead to a functional society and a new Nigeria in the near future.
According to him, “change, in this time of political anarchy is the wisdom to see through the propagandas designed to destabilise the country. Change, in this trying time, is the strength to stand together despite the blowups of bombs-per-meter-square in our land.”
He noted that in 1999 when the country returned to democratic rule, Nigerians were hopeful for a civilian government in which everyone would be active an participant, lamenting however that “our democracy has led into chaos where the who and the what of our identifications are colourfully worn to pronounce our differences and divides”.
He said the future of a strong, united and prosperous Nigeria was in the hands of the youths who are the leaders of tomorrow and urged them to be patriotic and avoid being used by unpatriotic people to undermine the nation.
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.
After several weeks of suspense, the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution submitted its report during the week with lots of intrigues accompanying the recommendations. For advocates of state creation, it was end of the road as chairman of the committee and Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, said none of the requests met constitutional stipulations.
Ekweremadu told journalists after submitting the report that he had no apology for not recommending state creation because advocates of the agenda should have taken time to study constitutional stipulations regarding the subject matter before sending proposals. According to him, advocates of state creation thought all it required was just to submit memoranda and go to sleep without carefully studying its nitty gritty as spelt out in the constitution.
He said the process of creating states was herculean, which according to him, includes the approval of two-thirds of councillors in all local government areas where states are expected to be created as well as signatures of lawmakers representing affected constituencies. “People think they will come to Abuja and submit memoranda and the National Assembly will deliberate on it and then subsequently announce that so and so states have been created. Unfortunately, that is not the case. What happens is that you have to receive requests pursuant to Section 8(1) of the Constitution,” he explained.
Another intriguing issue is the single term of six years recommended by the committee for heads of executive arm of goverment. If the recommendation is approved by the National Assembly as well as two-thirds of members of state Houses of Assembly, then curtain is drawn on second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan as well as all first term governors.
Ekweremadu said recommending a single tenure for heads of executives became compelling “considering the financial expenses often associated with re-election and to ensure that the executive heads are freed from distractions to be able to concentrate on public policy issues.”
The committee also sealed the political ambition of any vice president and deputy governor who ascends the seat of his boss on account of death, by barring them from standing for election, saying if the former is allowed to contest for fresh election, the objective of a single term tenure, which he said was meant to forestall overheating of the polity, usually caused by second term ambition, would have been defeated.
However, having shown the general public the Senate’s proposal for constitution amendment in 2013, the general public can now join the debate. Public debate on these recommendations will go a long way in shaping the eventual decision of both the National Assembly as well as state legislatures which have the final say on the review process as the mood and reactions from the general public will no doubt provide a direction for the lawmakers ahead of voting.
It will also affect the decision of the state legislators who will vote on proposals sent to them by the National Assembly. Therefore, all and sundry have been enjoined to join the debate now; or else, as it is usually said during a church wedding, anyone who does not speak out now, should elect to be silent forever.
A Return Move to National Planning For two full days, the Senate Committee on National Panning and Poverty Alleviation, organised a public hearing on national planning and budgeting process last week. The aim of the hearing was to secure the opinion of the general public on the fresh move by the Senate to return Nigeria to the path of national planning which it abandoned over 30 years ago.
The move followed a motion by Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi (Ekiti North), which traced Nigeria’s stagnation to derailment from planning backed by effective budgeting process. Accordingly, stakeholders submitted that the decay in infrastructure, economic stagnation, increasing spate of poverty, among others, were part and parcel of the failure of respective governments in the nation to draw up development plans.
In his opening remark at the occasion, Chairman of Senate Committee on National Planning and Poverty Alleviation, Senator Barnabbas Gemade, did not mince words to emphasise that “a nation that fails to plan, has planned to fail.” This expression appears to succinctly describe the current state of Nigeria where its leaders every year prepares huge budget but fails to draw up the roadmap to which the budget will be channeled.
It was against this background that all stakeholders agreed that numerous woes befalling Nigeria today, began during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), when national planning which had driven Nigeria’s growth since 1962, was jettisoned. Gemade also argued that national planning “enables a nation to make a conscious choice regarding the rate and direction of its growth,” adding: “The input of national planning policies in budget making in Nigeria today is almost limited only to providing data on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) usually generated by the National Bureau of Statistics.”
In the same vein, a Professor of Economics and Vice Chancellor of Veritas University, Nigeria, Mike Kwanashie, while speaking on the topic, ‘’Reviewing of National Planning and Budgetting Process,” recalled that since planning was abandoned in the 80s, “planning infrastructure was relegated to the background and the manpower was scattered throughout the civil service. The absence of long term planning to drive growth and development reflects in the current underdevelopment of many aspects of economic life of the nation.”
Also speaking at the event, Prof. Olu Ajakaiye, of the Centre for Shared Development Capacity Building, Ibadan, advocated a synergy in planning process between the private sector-oriented economy and the federal government, noting that the move would help in “building consensus among all stakeholders, in all parts of the federation on the vision of development and securing agreement on the basic strategy as well as priority action plan for realising this vision at all levels of government of the federation.” It is expected that policy makers will seize this opportunity to put Nigeria on the pedestal of development once again.
End of Second Legislative Session During the week, senators ended their second legislative session and expectedly proceeded on a two-week recess. The recess which began on June 7 will end on June 25. The two-week recess period is a week shorter that the earlier three weeks scheduled in this year’s legislative calendar. According to the calendar, the recess ought to end July 1.
However, the senators seemed to have opted to reduce its break by one week in view of urgent legislative activities requiring their prompt attention. One of such urgent tasks is the debate on constitution amendment report and the pledge to complete the process by July and push the rest to the House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly. This move by the Senate to shorten its break appears to be thoughtful and patriotic.
Senate President, Senator David Mark, had told his colleagues last Wednesday to adequately prepare for the debate on the amendment report, saying voting will not be done by the regular voice vote. Rather, Mark said: “Everyone will answer his father’s name during the voting exercise.” Whatever this means, the day will explain it. It is expected that the recess period will be a moment of lobbying and background politicking. Until then, the status quo remains.
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.
There are fears that power projects worth N3.7billion may be abandoned in Kaduna State. Managing Director of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC), Alhaji Idris Mohammed, who expressed the fears saturday said electricity projects under the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company worth N3.7billion may be abandoned if the federal government fails to complete them before the eventual sale of the company to private investors.
Mohammed made the disclosure when the Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, paid a working visit to the company. He said lack of budgetary provision for the projects in the 2013 budget may stall the completion of the projects.
He noted that majority of the projects spread across Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi states are already 50 percent completed, adding that the company also need to install about 68,000 electricity metres before the end of the year in order to improve revenue generation.
But the minister’s visit to one of the projects sites was nearly marred by massive protest by some land owners in Kudendan ward in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The minister, who visited the area to inspect the 215 megawatts power station being constructed there, was met by the land owners who were protesting government’s alleged failure to give them alternative land to settle after taking over their lands for the project. The protesting land owners told the minister that four years after the government took their lands with a promise to provide an alternative place for them, nothing has been done.
Spokesman of the land owners, Francis Nwobodo, said when he was governor, “Vice President Namadi Sambo came here and told us that the government was interested in this land and that the power plant they will build will benefit all of us.
“He promised to give us another land and based on that, we willingly gave away our land. Four years after, we have not heard anything. The late governor Yakowa came here and promised that they will do something. Some of us have died and yet, we are yet to be given another land.”
The Minister however commended the protesting land owners for the peaceful nature of their protest and for giving their support for the project. He said the government was willing to fulfill its promise of giving them another land, pointing out that something must have happened which led to the delay in fulfilling the promise.
“I will talk with the governor of Kaduna State on this matter when we meet. I would have seen him today, but he is traveling. I want to assure you that I will talk with him. The power project that is being constructed here will give you more power than what you are currently enjoying,” the minister said.
The KEDC Managing Director however told the Minister that an average of N980.2 million is generated monthly by the company, while the total debt owed the company as at the end of May 2013 stands at N19.8 billion
He complained that 18 power plants under the National Independent Power Project (NIPP) were awarded to a single company, Newsman Engineering, which, according to him, had not shown any sign of completing them and urged the minister assist in finding out what why the contractor seems to be unserious with the work.
“Eighteen power projects under the NIPP were awarded to Newsman Engineering and they are yet to be delivered. We have been trying to access the level of completion of these projects without success. I am appealing to the Minister to use your good office to intervene and get them to give us a definite date of completion of these projects,” he said.
Responding, the Minister assured that the government will do everything possible to ensure that the projects are not abandoned. “I hate abandoned projects. But let me say that most of these projects were awarded long ago and abandoned due to one reason or the other,” he said.
Nebo noted that because of the belief within the ministry that the privatisation exercise would have been completed by December 2012, funds were not made available for the completion of the projects adding that intervention funds are being released for the completion of the projects.
“Everybody had felt, even within the ministry that the privatisation exercises would have been concluded by December last year. That did not happen and unfortunately, the ministry did not have money to complete distribution and generation companies whose privatisation would have been completed by December 2012 and unless there are intervention funds available, they are dead on arrival.
“Some of the Disco, including Kaduna has received intervention fund. There is another fund that will be released. We are going to source funds to do that even though it is not easy. It is like squeezing water out of stone. We are working very hard to ensure that we minimise incidences of abandoned projects,” he said
The Minister also assured that the Federal Government was doing everything possible to revive the Rural Electrification Projects which was long abandoned, stressing that the government was injecting money into the projects to ensure the provision of electricity to the rural consumers.
The Minister also commissioned the Gonin-Gora 7.5 KVE Injection Sub-station, Ungwan Mauzu National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), Abakpa power plant station and the Zaria Injection Sub-station and inspected the Kudenda Power Plant Station.
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.
Sultry actress, Halima Abubakar is one screen queen that always gets herself in the news; either she creates them or the news creates itself around her.
No doubt, she is a lady qualified to be called a wife and mother, but she is still very much a single lady 'singing here I am'. In a recent interview, Halima claimed she would be ready for any when she clocks 34.
But if her latest post is anything to hold on to, it means Nollywood would welcome the newest 'married woman' in its 'cabal'.
Halima recently posted a wedding gown picture and dropped a note which reads, "next levels". It is not certain if she is just trying to catch fun with the post or she meant it.
codewit.com made effort to contact Halima on phone, but her number was not reachable as at press time.
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.
Residents of Idimu in Alimosho Local Government Area have appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola to come to their rescue over the collapse of the Idimu-Ejigbo road.
The worst hit are residents of Silva Estate who apart from the collapse of the major Idimu road have had most of the streets in the estate devastated by flood menace.
A visit to the area showed that following the collapse of the Idimu–Ejigbo road, commercial buses, including few motorcyclists using the road have all deserted it because of the bad state of the road.
The road is full of gullies created by increasing flood menace, a situation that has forced residents not to use their vehicles.
The residents noted that while there is ongoing road rehabilitation that started from Ejigbo Bus Stop, the project is not for the whole Idimu–Ejigbo road as the contractor stopped at Dorcas Bus-stop , claiming that he was given a kilometre of road to rehabilitate.
A landlord in the area, Mr Yakubu Adedeji , told THISDAY that the presence of the governor is needed to see things for himself, adding that all those who love his administration are worried about the state of the road. Adedeji said that the residents of the area may not benefit from the new road that is linking Airport road from the NNPC road that is nearing completion.
He called on the governor to extend the Idimu-Ejigbo road rehabilitation to cover all the road from Ejigbo Bus Stop to Idimu bus stop for the interest of the residents.
“We love Fashola for his achievements in road rehabilitation as one can find in many parts of Lagos, including our near-by Igando road and Idimu-Ikotun road, but our area (Idimu-Ejigbo road) is in bad shape now. We appeal to him because we are suffering. Look at Silva Estate, the streets are being devastated by flood,” he said. He called on the governor and the local government chairman of Idimu Local Government area to find immediate solution by at least filling the deep gullies on the road so that the road can be motorable.
He also appealed to the local government chairman to come to the aid of the residents of Silva Estate by dredging the carnal in the area to be able to save them from the menace of flood.
“We understand that the canal is blocked somewhere in Ikotun near one powerful Church in Ikotun. The government should investigate this and do something to save the residents from flood”, he said.
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.
The director of Civic and Political Affairs of the Diocese of Lagos Mainland of the Anglican Communion, Venerable Folarin Shobo, has sounded a note of warning to politicians who are ridding roughshod on Lagosians, promising that it will not be business as usual in the next election in the state.
Shobo, in a statement, said Lagosians cannot afford to continue with the present political arrangement whereby political officers and elected officials are largely people of a particular faith.
While noting that the present governor of the State has done well in improving on the infrastructure of the state, he said, “It is time for power to shift in the state. It is time for us to have people who will continue to rule with the fear of God and respect for the rule of law. There is a strong need for genuine internal democracy among the parties that will produce a credible candidate come 2015.” According to him, the time has come for Christians in the state to show interest in partisan politics and not be intimidated by the status quo.
Shobo specifically advised that Christians who have a calling to go into politics should begin to prepare and get ready for the 2015 race because according to him power has to shift.
While explaining that getting political power is not a do or die affair, he said, “We just have to get to a point that we must stop dancing to a particular tune all our lives. It is not fair to have a government that is largely tilted to favour people of a particular religion. Christians over the years have been magnanimous enough. We have worked for people who are not of our faith and we have supported them to be in government. It is now time for us to come out and take the bull by the horn.”
He said further that the battle for Lagos State will not come easy. “It will take patience, perseverance and strong will. It will take fasting and praying and it will take the readiness of men and women who have calling to go into politics. “
Shobo who was among those accredited to monitor and observe 2011 elections in the state said the call for Christians to join the political bandwagon is not a call for mediocre people but a call for people with integrity who have a heart to serve. “We trust God and we are working assiduously to ensure that the next governor of Lagos State after Babatunde Raji Fashola is a person who is a Christian and who has a heart to serve.”
He argued in the two page statement that politics and religion go hand in hand. “There is no way you can divorce politics from religion. They go hand in hand. A true Christian should realize that he has a divine obligation to render service. Politics is about rendering service. It is about sacrifice. Anybody who cannot sacrifice should not think of going into politics” he said.
He then called on church leaders to begin to sensitize their members to take up the gauntlet and vie for political positions in the state. “Asking for a Christian governor in Lagos State at this time is not out of place. It is long overdue and it is time we begin to do something about it.”
Shobo described as unfortunate that of all the five people that are being tipped to take over the state from Governor Raji Fashola that none is a Christian. “We are not going to be forceful but we are going to make our case and continue to mobilize our people to present themselves for service. The days of seeing politics as a dirty game are gone. If it is dirty, we should go into it and clean it up,” he added.
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.
Unknown gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members who hid their guns inside a coffin, on Friday, launched an attack against a group of vigilantes in Maiduguri , the Borno State capital, , killing 13 of the youths before being shot by security forces. This came as the soldiers shot dead another eight suspected Boko Haram gunmen in the town on Thursday, leaving their bodies in a ditch .
Sources said Friday’s attack targeted members of a new youth vigilante group in Maiduguri which provides information to security operatives on the activities and movement of the insurgents.
The gunmen were said to have hidden their Kalashnikov assault rifles inside a coffin as they drove through the various military checkpoints without being searched.
They were said to have opened fire on members of the vigilantes who were driving in a van, killing 13 of them instantly.
“They continued shooting until they ran out of ammunition, then some courageous youth rounded them up and handed them over to the soldiers, who shot them dead as they attempted to escape,” an eyewitness told The Associated Press, saying he counted eight dead suspected Boko Haram gunmen after the shooting.
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 Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, has commended the Governor of Plateau State, Jonah David Jang, and the people of the state over the return of peace in the state, praying that “may this evil never visit us again”.
Abubakar was in Jos, where he paid a visit on the governor. He noted that peace building is a collective efforts of all and sundry, and urged that it should be sustained.
While appreciating the Jang transformation in the state, he stressed that he had been taken aback by developmental strides of the Jang’s administration in the state having served in Jos in the past. He encouraged Jang not to relent in delivering the dividends of democracy to the people.
On the nation’s democratic journey so far, Abubakar noted that it’s a process which comes with challenges adding that “we all need to be patient as we are still on tract.”
Jang, in his response, described Abubakar as the man who gave democracy to Nigeria. He saluted the former Head of State, describing him as a man of destiny, who has continued to contribute to the development of the country.
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.
Owners of over 70 properties whose buildings and structures were affected by the on-going N30 billion Mile 12-Ikorodu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) extension project have submitted various compensation claims to the managers of the project, the Lagos Municipal Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
The road project, which has the financial support of the World Bank and French foreign development agency, Agence France Development (AFD), is expected to extend the BRT service from Mile 12 to Ikorodu and improve mobility along the 13.5-kilometre Ikorodu road corridor by providing a high quality, low cost, environmentally-friendly public transportation system.
Designed as a median–running BRT with bilateral bus station configurations linked to pedestrian bridges for access, the project, which is expected to be completed by December 2014, will extend to the currently-running BRT network to cover a distance of approximately 36 kilometres from Ikorodu down to CMS in Lagos Island.
The claims arising from the three lots for the construction of additional lanes, bridges and culverts on the corridor are currently being scrutinised by the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development which have responsibility for the delivery of the right-of-way.
Also, the challenging issues of flooding raised by the autonomous wetland communities along the corridor under the aegis of Lagos Wetland Community are being addressed by the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment (Office of Drainage Services), LAMATA and the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The Director of Special Project, Office of Drainage Services, LAMATA, Engineer (Mrs.) O.A. Akinkunmi, disclosed these during a recent joint visit to the project site by officials of Lagos State Ministry of the Environment (Office of Drainage Services), LAMATA and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Work and Infrastructure.
Akinkunmi, who stressed the need to safeguard and protect the environment, said her office would work together with all the relevant agencies to resolve all the issues arising from the project.
In his remarks , the Chairman, House Committee on Works and Infrastructure, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, promised to help follow through appropriation to overcome all the challenges.
He also assured that the Lagos State Government would do everything possible to safeguard the interest of the people.
He however described as unacceptable the practice of erecting structures illegally, especially on water path, saying the Ministry of the Environment, Office of Drainage Services, would take a holistic view of the situation and come up with a lasting solution that would safeguard all the communities along the wetland areas.
Meanwhile, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Salaudeen Oyefusi, has endorsed the project and commended the state government for the bold move to extend the BRT to Ikorodu.
While rallying support for the project, the monarch said the Babatunde Fashola-led administration will go down in history as a government that implements pro-people projects in the state.
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.
Popular actor, Chinedu Ikedieze better known as Aki has concluded plans to lay his late dad to rest later this month. The actor announced few days ago that his late father would be buried on June 22, 2013 in Abi State.
According to further information released by the pint-size actor, the burial will take place at their Uzuakoli hometown in Abia State. Aki’s father died on May 19, 2013.
The actor has enjoyed fame since making his Nollywood debut close to a decade ago.
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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