Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has been hailed as the creator of modern Rivers State only comparable to the creator of the old Rivers State, HRH Alfred Diete-Spiff. “This is the inescapable conclusion when one takes time to study Amaechi’s feats in the infrastructure change and revolution taking place in Rivers State today that includes creating the new Port Harcourt Mega City that has one of the best modern stadiums and other edifices only obtainable in modern cities of Europe,” said the State Chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) while congratulating Amaechi on the occasion of his 49th birthday coming up on Tuesday, May 27, 2014. APC in a statement issued in Port Harcourt by the State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, described Amaechi as an icon of democracy, a role model and an embodiment of development.
The party said: “For the records, Amaechi has succeeded in rescuing Rivers State from the hands of militants, whose activities made Port Harcourt to be described as the third most dangerous city in the world as at 2007 when Amaechi took over as Governor. He has since made the city an investors’ haven and has placed Port Harcourt prominently on the international map as the first African city to become the World Book Capital.
“We are happy that Amaechi survived all the intricate plots to remove him from office by enemies of democracy parading themselves as Abuja politicians and has, by so doing, become a pillar of Nigerian democracy. “Governor Amaechi redefined the art of politics and governance in Nigeria when he introduced free education and free healthcare programmes in Rivers State and within a space of five years created over 50,000 jobs to reduce the menace of unemployment, poverty and insurgency in Nigeria. His administration started creating employment opportunities when he assumed office in 2007 by building over 140 Primary Health Centres, 23 model Secondary Schools that can compete with any modern university in Nigeria and over 300 Model Primary Schools which created job opportunities in the State. Each of these projects attracts about 100 workers. His government has created the Banana Farms that have created jobs for over 2,000 persons, revived Risonpalm, which was dead when he came in, and it has employed over 5,000 workers. The Songhai Farm has employed over 2,000 workers, while five Fish Farms in strategic locations have been completed. “His administration is perfecting measures to ensure 24 hours regular power supply in the state. In this regard, the Amaechi Administration was able to build 88 sub-stations which are yet to be commissioned.
Through the efforts of the Administration, the State is generating 545 megawatts of electricity, and also building facilities for another 180 megawatts. Before the end of this year, there will be 715 megawatts to ensure that Rivers State and her people have 24 hours uninterrupted power supply. “We thank God for giving us a Governor like Amaechi, who has proved that he is a truly patriotic and committed leader who desires the emancipation and development of his people. He stands as the best product politically from Rivers State and can be crowned as the icon of democracy and embodiment of development as he has a lot to offer in building the type of Nigeria envisaged by the founding fathers of our nation. We wish Governor Amaechi many happy returns on this occasion of his 49th birthday and pray for God’s continued blessings on him as he expends himself in the service of Rivers State and Nigeria.”
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.
His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Abia State, Chief Theodore Orji, has cancelled all activities lined up for celebration of the 2014 Democracy Day in sympathy with the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State abducted by Boko Haram.
The Governor directs that all citizens and others resident in Abia should devote this year's May 29, to prayers and fasting for the safe release of the Chibok school girls.
The Governor says that the present mood of the nation calls for a sober moment and reflection to enable Nigerians find solutions to the many problems facing the country.
Charles Ajunwa Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.
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.
With last week’s mega rally of the All Progressives Congress in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, the re-election campaign of Governor Kayode Fayemi, may have received a major boost, writes Shola Oyeyipo
On Wednesday, May 20, 2014, exactly a month to the much talked about governorship election in Ekiti State, the incumbent governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi got a major booster when some of the most prominent names in the All Progressives Congress (APC), converged on the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado-Ekiti, in solidarity with one of their own. Fayemi is a notable member of the APC. He was the chairman of Progressives Governors' Forum (PGF), a position he relinquished to Governor Rochas Okorochas of Imo State. In his days as the PGF chairman he openly critisised unpopular policies of the federal government.
The next month election has remained a source of concern to many. The governor has maintained that he has performed veritably well and that by that factor alone, he expects that he should have an easy ride back to power at the poll. But the prevailing political situation in the state seems to be calling such thinking to question.
For instance, what started as minor fracas between Governor Fayemi and former Lagos State commissioner for information who is now a House of Representatives member from Ekiti State, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele – now Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in the governorship election has festered so bad and pitched the two friends against each other.
While the governor has Bemidele, his former party man, to contend with, former governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – is also another major opponent that the governor would have to deal with to secure his return to the Government House.
So when his APC compatriots arrived the mega rally, they did not only canvass support for Fayemi, other governors of the party endorsed him as the party’s standard bearer. The flag of the party was presented to him and the people of the state were urged to bring him back for a second term with their votes
All the who-is-who in the party including former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari; former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Tinubu; Chief Tom Ikimi; Chief Ogbonnaya Onu; APC interim national chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; former PDP governor in Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni; former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; former Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Bello Masari; former chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and former acting national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje were at the event.
Incumbent APC governors such as Governors Rochas Okorochas (Imo), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Abdulfathai Ahmed (Kwara), Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa), Shettima (Borno), Raji Fashola (Lagos), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) Biola Ajimobi (Oyo) Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar (Zamfara) and Adams Oshiohmole were joined by former governors; Olusegun Osoba (Ogun), Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Timiprey Silva (Bayelsa), Chief Niyi Adebayo (Ekiti), Senator Bukola Saraki (Kwara) at the occasion.
Also at the event were APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Osun State deputy governor, Mrs. Titilayo Tomori; APC Woman Leader, Sharon Ikeazor; APC governorship candidate in Ondo State, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, husband of the late Ekiti State deputy governor, Architect Olayinka, a long list of National Assembly members and other party members.
Though it was not an event for many speeches, the party, in recognition of the delicate security situation, the over 200 secondary school girls abducted in Chibok, Borno State and the bomb blast in Jos, Plateau called for a minute silence and said only a few people were to make remarks. But what was basic was that each of the speakers sold Fayemi to the large crowd gathered at the stadium.
While all the speakers drew comparisons that presented Governor Fayemi as a better candidate to Fayose, no mention was made of Bamidele.
From the Director-General, Fayemi Campaign Orgainsation, Hon. Bimbo Daramola to the APC chairman, Oni, Hon. Jide Awe, Okorocha, Buhari, Tinubu, Onu, Ikeazor, Oshiohmole and Aregbesola who addressed the huge crowd of supporters, everyone noted that Fayemi was a better option to Fayose, considering the antecedents of the duo.
One of the most notable speakers who added colour to the event was former governor Oni, who explained why he opted to pitch his tent with the APC and against Fayose of the PDP, the platform on which he ruled the state.
According to him, "We are here to construct a new platform to connect the future. To rise against previous prejudices and misunderstandings, to celebrate a new political order – not just for Ekiti State but for Nigeria. The political class must guide this democracy to benefit the masses.
“I do not want anybody I cannot point as a good model for my children as a governor for the good people of Ekiti State. We cannot afford to have a government that will pass under a security wire at the airport. We don't want a governor that people will ask you: why did that happen? That is why I'm here (with the APC)."
In a question to the crowd, Oni asked: "Ekiti people, do you want to return to when you sleep with one eye opened because you don't know who may invade your house? Do you want them to give us an Ekiti we cannot associate with?" To this, the people shouted a thunderous "no."
He said returning Fayemi to power is a project for every Nigerian and that Ekiti people from far and near should return to the state to vote the governor back for a second term.
"The political elite must not endanger this democracy. If out of exigency we bring people who are less than qualified, they bring down the dignity of such office. Therefore, we must tell the party that is bringing such (Fayose) back, no. They are coming with lots of negativity but our prayer is that badness will not come to Ekiti again. The coming election is the final vote by God's grace.
"It is a project for the whole of Nigeria. If you have your voters' card, come home and we must ensure that governor Fayemi is voted back massively. We must vote massively to make Fayemi our governor again," Oni implored the people.
Governor Okorocha also expressed similar position when he noted that the PDP is failing Nigeria whereas the APC is providing the nation with the much needed change.
"Today, we are mourning 180 (Jos bombing victims) who cannot have life again. We must bring about change. We are gathered here for the love of democracy to celebrate excellence by Governor Fayemi. The progressive governors are not only here to support him but also to endorse him.
"People are enjoying in Ekiti because a good man is in power. May God forbid that a bad man rule again. Fayemi is a good man. We see him as a role model. He is guaranteed to be the governor of any state in Nigeria. We are not here to beg you to support him because his achievements speak volume.
"The PDP has four gears backward and one gear forward – payment, health, security, infrastructure – backward but corruption, poverty and insecurity – forward.
"It is now time, particularly the youths. The election day is not a tea party. You have to be ready. I always say power is not served out. Ours is progress, development, education, which is important to Ekiti people. You don't want to give it to educated illiterate," Okorocha urged.
For Aregbesola, the people must make the choice with their votes and ensure that their votes are protected.
"You cannot see the road and head for the bush. We know how Ekiti State was. Even the former governor (Segun Oni) is now with us. He said it would not be good for who would spoil the state to come back.
"It’s no joke, not just about singing. It is one month away. We must show who owns the state on the voting day when we would meet at the field.”
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.
All the political parties in the country, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) have endorsed June 12 for a stakeholders’ summit to address salient issues in the nation political system.
The summit, which would be jointly convened by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs, will highlight the negative consequences of the politics of bitterness, rancour, mud-slinging and unnecessary hostility to the political, economic and social well-being of the nation.
However, the national leadership of the ruling PDP, monday said it observed the sustained insults, vituperations, lies and unending schemes by the APC against the office and person of President Goodluck Jonathan, and alerted that they are all part of the well laid-out plot to cause confusion and ultimately truncate the nation’s democracy.
Addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday on the preparations for the summit slated for June 12, which would be chaired by the former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the Special Adviser to thePresident on Inter-party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi, said the summit would help to consolidate the nation’s democracy.
He said: “The summit will help to determine and strengthen the institutional and other basis of collaboration among Nigerian political parties and politicians, reinforce the key ingredients in the code of conduct of political behaviour and re-commit Nigerian political parties to its salient norms.
“In addition, it will help to emphasise the role of political parties in enabling the condition for social stability, national security and democratic consolidation. The summit intends to mainstream the idea that Nigerian political parties are key national patriotic stakeholders, either in government or in opposition, who are genuinely committed to the success of the Nigerian project, and serve as a platform for wide deliberation on an action plan that will lead to free, fair, transparent and violence-free general elections in 2015.”
He fingered Boko Haram insurgency as one of the forces working against the nation’s unbroken democracy, adding: “If the collaboration between existing political parties is sufficiently reinforced, the national political climate will wear a positive outlook, social stability will be guaranteed, national security will be deepened and democratic consolidation will be effectuated.
“Meanwhile, in a statement by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said observed the sustained insults and attacks against the office and person of the president, saying that it was to cause confusion in the polity.
According to the ruling party, “In continuously hauling insults against a democratically elected president upon whose shoulders lies the sacred mandate freely given by the Nigerian people, the APC is directly insulting Nigerians and showing their disdain for the institution of democracy. This further confirms the APC’s Janjaweed ideology against the nation.
“The National Chairman and the National Working Committee of the party said that the party find its very disturbing that the APC leadership made up of elderly persons who ordinary should have a sense of self-respect and decorum, could condescend so low and resort to the use of uncouth language against the office and person of the president out of sheer frustration, bitterness and envy.
“They have continued to show themselves as extremely unpatriotic elements blinded by narrow pursuit of power for very ignoble reasons for which they have contracted foreigners to undermine the government of their own nation using negative paid write-ups and advertorials to dish out lies and vituperations against the federal government.
“Having realised that they shall never be elected into the presidency, these ill-bred and uncultured elements are now using every means to denigrate and desecrate the presidency, bring it to public ridicule, poison the minds of the people and incite them against the government and set the ground for confusion and mayhem ahead of the 2015 elections.
“In constantly criticising every strategy adopted by the President in the war against terrorism, the APC has not only confirmed its preference for insurgency but also exposed its underlining design to distract the government and frustrate the over-all anti-terrorism efforts.
“We therefore invite Nigerians to note that the APC remains a party which has nothing to offer than to attack well-meaning individuals and institutions of governments and sowing seeds of discord among peace loving people in our country. Theirs is clearly a question of the evil drummer who drums under the cover of the bush only to jump unto the footpath and mount enquiry regarding where the drumbeats came from.
“Let it be known to the APC that power belongs only to God and that those who denigrate and disrespect authority at any level will never be entrusted with it. In constantly insulting the president, the APC has shown that they will remain in opposition as no Nigerian will entrust ill-mannered and disrespectful persons with the leadership of our great country.
“The APC must realise that they have started irritating Nigerians. As a ruling party, we charge them to show maturity and shed their penchant for lies, deceit and unnecessary attacks on well meaning individual, government officials and institutions.
“On our own part, we remain committed to the national interest and the welfare of all our people. We stand solidly behind President Goodluck Jonathan as he vigorously pursues his Transformation Agenda as well as his untiring effort in the fight against terrorism in the country. We also commend Nigerians for uniting against insurgency despite efforts by the APC to misdirect their energies for political reasons,” the statement 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.
That no one is willing to admit responsibility for the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls by the Boko Haram sect is a failure of leadership. Ojo M. Maduekwe writes
When the blame as to the cause of increasing terrorist attacks is apportioned, one would find the Northern political elite, successive state governments, the Nigerian military and presidency to be culpable. While the root cause would be squarely laid at the feet of the political elite and state governments in the region, the inability to tame the menace would be that of the Northern rulers, the entire Nigerian security agency and the presidency.
Before 2009, the founder of the group, Mohammed Yusuf, was reported to have preached against the state government, narrowing down the cause of the predicament of an average Northerner at the feet of Northern political elite. According to an article in the New York Times, the origin of Boko Haram’s name which in English means ‘Western education is forbidden’ resulted from the failure of the Northern political elite to educate the people.
“Western education was available only to a very small elite, who typically travelled to British universities and then returned to rule from the capital over the impoverished North, and ending the tyranny of that elite was the main objective of Mr. Yusuf’s movement.”
Yusuf’s grouse was with the elite from the region whom he allegedly accused in his messages of impoverishing the North by applying federal allocations to states for their personal use.
A retired army officer and former Emir of Gwandu, Major Mustapha Jokolo, in a 2012 interview with a national daily said those Northerners jostling for the 2015 presidency, years after being part of the country’s ruling elite, created the environment for terrorism to thrive in the North. “They created Boko Haram and other security challenges we have in the North. Yet the same people will now say they want to find solution to the problem.”
Yusuf’s only grouse against the federal government was with the Nigerian police. According to a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Paul Lubeck, in the New York Times article, Yusuf and Boko Haram capitalised on the growing anger among the average northerner at their poverty and lack of opportunity, “as well as the humiliating abuses of the government’s security forces.”
Initially, when Boko Haram began using violence to oppose the government, the group refused to attack civilians, and for this, “they attracted a lot of support because they didn’t kill many innocent people,” said Lubeck.
Coming after Yusuf, Shekau who was his second in command before the former was murdered by the Nigerian police, blamesd the woes of the North on the federal government, which makes some people support the conspiracy theory that Boko Haram is merely a tool by Northern elite to discredit the presidency of President Goodluck Jonathan, a Southerner, thereby glossing over their own failure in both creating and taming the group.
The South West Policy Study Group, in a recent advertorial signed by Dr. Tunde Kolawole said: “The truth of Boko Haram has only one true narrative; and it is the desperate attempt by core northern political elites and their possible international backer to use religion and ethnicity to gloss over their leadership failings and blood-stained ambitions.”
In a recent interview with CNN’s Christian Amanpour, Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, while speaking on the Chibok girls, said three years ago, he had drawn the attention of the federal government to Boko Haram’s insurgency being a problem that if it not handled with care, was capable of “metamorphosing into a conflagration” that might consume the whole North. For this revelation, Shettima told Amanpour that “the federal government has been deaf, dumb and blind to the realities.”
Surprisingly, a West African Examination Council official had accused Shettima of assuring the examination body “in writing” that adequate security would be provided for the school girls. A governor who knows how serious the threat of Boko Haram is in his state, after WAEC requested a change in the examination venue, shouldn’t have refused to relocate the school girls to the state capital Maiduguri, a safer place, to finish their exams.
Head of WAEC national office in Nigeria, Charles Eguridu, made the claim while answering questions from several women including First Lady Patience Jonathan, wives of state governors, female legislators at federal and state levels, and leaders of various women organisations, during a fact finding forum in Abuja to ascertain what led to the abduction of the Chibok school girls.
“Following the previous experience, we were afraid to go to the North-east this year, yet we risked it and asked for extra security through the Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike. We also asked the various state governments to relocate all the centres to the state capitals where there would be adequate security.
“The three governors did not respond to our request but instead said they had made adequate security arrangements. The Borno State Government also refused to relocate the students from Chibok to safer places like Maiduguri,” Eguridu told the women at the First Lady’s conference room wing of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
There are accusations that the governor was careless in handling the issue of securing the school girls, which is first his duty, being the chief security officer of the state. The governor was in position to have known that Maiduguri was a safer place than Chibok.
Surprisingly, this is the same governor who told news men that members of Boko Haram are better equipped than Nigeria’s military. For him to have taken the security of the girls lightly, leaves many people wondering when he developed confidence in the military.
In an essay titled ‘Boko Haram, the Government and Peace Negotiation’ and written by Professor James B. Kantiok, the author wrote: “In the case of Boko Haram, a ruling government promised to change their fortunes by providing basic amenities such as electricity, water, roads and schools in the area during its electioneering, but reneged on such promises after receiving their unalloyed support leading to its victory at the polls.”
Contrary to claims and allegations by some Northern political elite, including the governors of Adamawa and Borno States, Murtala Nyako and Shettima, the author wrote that, “Boko Haram came about as a result of poor governance, deceit and arrant display of ill-gotten wealth by politicians in the area rather than the outright rejection of western education.”
Shettima was right when he told Amanpour that Boko Haram is able to recruit members due to the endemic poverty in the North, “because Boko Haram is a phenomenon borne out of social exclusivity, poverty, hunger, joblessness and illiteracy.”
The question many are asking is if these problems were created by the federal government or, was it the state government whose constitutional responsibility it is to provide these basic amenities, but has failed the people.
Where the federal government under President Jonathan has failed Nigerians and continue to do is by handling Boko Haram with “kid’s gloves”. The government shares in the blame by allowing the menace to linger.
A Lagos-based public affairs analyst, Tony Oweazim, said “Nigeria is at war with terrorism and we should never make the mistake of handling them with kid’s gloves.” The contrary is what the government has been doing.
Oweazim advised that “all efforts should be made to expose, apprehend and bring to justice all their financial, material and ideological sponsors no matter how highly placed.”
For several months, the country was told by the presidency that sponsors of Boko Haram were in the government. Publicly, there has been nothing done to pursue the course of justice and punish the sponsors.
On its part the Nigerian military has failed in equipping its soldiers who come face to face with the insurgents.
“Boko Haram members are better equipped than our military” has become a catchphrase. From the comments of Governor Shettima and some members of the National Assembly down to soldiers who are summoning the courage to mutiny over poor treatment from their superiors, it appears that funds allocated to fight terrorism and cater for the soldiers welfare in the course of the war are not being properly utilised.
Leader of the Borno caucus in the House of Representatives, Hon. Mohammed Monguno, while debating the extension of the emergency rule in the North-east, said: “We were all witnesses to the fact that the state of emergency rule has not yielded the desired result simply because the military lacks the equipment to fight the insurgents.”
Reason for this lack was summed up by the United States Pentagon’s Principal Director for African Affairs, Alice Friend: “The Nigerian military has the same challenges with corruption that every other institution in Nigeria does. Much of the funding that goes to the Nigerian military is skimmed off the top, if you will.” Friend recently told the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Putting an end to terrorism in the country goes beyond Shettima passing the blame to the federal government. First, the Northern political elite must fight corruption and ensure that funds allocated to the states by the central government are used to provide employment and education for the people.
Also, while the federal government must resolve to fight the insurgents, the military must ensure that funds given to it are deployed to proper use.
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.
Like Lagos State, the government and people of Delta State have proposed that the federating units of Nigeria should exercise one hundred per cent the right to own, explore, manage and use their natural resources and human capital.
In a memorandum submitted to the national conference, the state also supported the call for the creation of state police and abrogation of all ‘obnoxious laws’ that impede true practice of fiscal federalism including the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
According to the memorandum, all the states in the country are abundantly endowed with precious mineral resources and “the practice of fiscal federalism will challenge and inspire all states to devote attention to exploiting these natural resources to fund development at whatever pace they may choose.”
Delta State government also said the principle of derivation should apply in such a manner that each federating unit receives an agreed percentage of the proceeds from the resource derived from its territory, while the balance should go to the distributable pool account (DPA).
The state suggested that the federal government should collect 40 per cent, states 50 per cent, while 20 per cent should go to the special funds from the DPA.
Additionally, the proceeds from Value Added Tax should be shared in the ration of 40 per cent to the DPA, 50 per cent to the states and 10 per cent to the special funds.
On the state police, Delta State argued that creation of state police in addition to federal force would be in consonance with the ideal or true federalism, which Nigerians strongly desire.
They said with the present arrangement, the President is the “de facto and de jure” chief security officer of both the federation and each of the 36 states though the state governors are described as the chief security officers of their states in line with the provisions of the 1999 constitution.
Delta State specifically identified 13 laws that need to be repealed to transform the country. They include the Petroleum Decree 51 of 1969 (now the Petroleum Act, Cap 351, Laws of the federation of Nigeria, 1990); the Land Use Act, Cap 202; the Exclusive Economic zone Act, Cap 116; Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act, Cap 392 laws of the federation of Nigeria.
Also on the list of laws, which Delta State tagged “obnoxious” are the Oil in Navigable Waters Act, Cap 337; the Oil Terminal Dues Act, Cap 339; the Mineral and Mining Act Number 34 of 1990 and the On-shore, Off-shore Act.
Others are the Associated Gas Reinjection Act; National Inland Waterways Authority Act; Petroleum Profit Tax Act, Cap 354 and the Lands (Title Vested) Act.
In the memorandum, Delta State proposed a radical decentralisation of powers to the federating states and demanded that the Nigerian Federation should consist of the federal government and the states as the federating units.
According to the memorandum, “quite apart from being a major source of subversion of federalism, the present over concentration of powers at the centre has resulted in the struggle by the different ethnic nationalities to control the centre, bad governance, corruption, and intermittent crisis in the polity.
“The people and government of Delta State strongly believe that there should be decentralisation of powers, which will entail the reduction of the items in the exclusive list in the 1999 constitutions while increasing the legislative areas for the state governments.”
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 delegate from Bauchi State to the National Conference, Professor Gambo Laraba Abdullahi has cleared the air over the issue of the submission of the demand for the creation of Katagum State out of the present Bauchi State.
Speaking in a telephone interview with our reporter yesterday, Professor Abdullahi said it was not true that the request was not submitted to the on going conference for consideration.
Abdullahi, who's a member of the Committee on Science and Technology, said many requests for the creation of additional states in the country were presented at the conference, including that of Katagum, stressing that to their surprise when names of the proposed states were published in the Nigerian dailies, Katagum was mistakenly missing.
The delegate, who said the committee for the creation of new states at the conference had received many requests from different angles, expressed the hope that this time around, the dream for the creation of Katagum would become a reality.
She called on the people of Bauchi North as well as the entire people of the state not to relent in offering fervent prayers in order to achieve the desired result.
On the activities of her committee, Abdullahi who was a one time commissioner in the state, said the committee had recommended that governments at all levels should support the promotion of science and technology for the continued growth and development of the nation.
She said many programmes were recommended for implementation that would boost science and technology in Nigeria and called on the governments at all levels to ensure the successful implementation of the plan.
Speaking on the alleged plan to support the extension of the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan, Abdullahi described it as rumour, stressing that no such matter was tabled for deliberation at the conference.
She described the motion for the scrapping of local government from the constitution as unrealistic, and assured that they will strive harder to ensure that it did not scale through.
According to her, local governments being the closest to the common man ought to be supported to improve the lives of the people.
Meanwhile, as the 2015 general elections in the country approaches, Christians in the state have been charged to play the game according to the laid down rules and regulations.
The call was made by a former commissioner for works in the state, Mr. Yohanna Adamu, at the congress meeting of the Northern States Christian Elders Forum, held in Bauchi yesterday.
Adamu who described politics and democracy as the best system of proper management of the people, called on Christians to be fully involved in the forth-coming elections in order to contribute towards the growth and progress of the state and the nation at large.
Earlier, the state Chairman of the Northern Christian Elders Forum, Reverend Timothy Dogari, explained that the objective of the forum was to promote and protect the interest of Christians as well as advice government where necessary for the development of the state.
He called on the clergymen to educate their members on the need to vote for credible people who have the interest of the state at heart.
In his remark, the national secretary of the forum Emmanuel Danjuma said the national secretariat of the forum was currently planning a national conference in Abuja to discuss on vital issues ahead of the 2015 polls.
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.
(CNN) — A top Nigerian military official believes he knows the whereabouts of girls kidnapped last month, but he says the nation's military will not use force to try to rescue them, a state news report said Monday.
"We want our girls back. I can tell you that our military can and will do it, but where they are held, can we go there with force?" asked Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.
"Nobody should say Nigerian military does not know what it is doing; we can't kill our girls in the name of trying to get them back."
His comments were reported by the News Agency of Nigeria, a state-run news service.
Badeh continued: "The good news for the parents of the girls is that we know where they are, but we cannot tell you.
"We cannot come and tell you the military secret, just leave us alone, we are working to get the girls back," he reportedly said.
In response to the news, Pentagon spokesman Adm. John Kirby told CNN U.S. officials were not able to confirm the report.
More than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped in northern Nigeria last month by Boko Haram, an act that drew international condemnation.
Kidnapped girls: How you can help
The terror group abducted an estimated 276 girls on April 14 from a boarding school in Chibok. The Nigerian military suffered an embarrassing setback when it retracted a report that nearly all the kidnapped girls were released.
Dozens escaped, but more than 200 girls are still missing.
Girl: 'How I escaped Boko Haram'
Nigerians and others have accused their government of not acting swiftly or efficiently enough to protect the girls seized in the dead of night.
Boko Haram translates as "Western education is a sin" in the Hausa language. The militant group says its aim is to impose a stricter enforcement of Sharia law across Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south.
Boko Haram's attacks have intensified in recent years.
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.
With less than 30 days to the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, the state Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Jide Awe, monday alleged plans by the opposition to attack the state Government House and the party’s secretariat with explosive devices.
The party also accused the Felix Uyanna-led Police Command in the state of constituting a major opposition to the APC in the build up to the election, saying: “If not for partisanship, they could not have been watching when a serving Commissioner, Mrs. Ronke Okunsanya, was being attacked by opposition thugs in Efon Alaaye on Sunday.”
Addressing a press conference in Ado Ekiti, Awe said: “The party has it on good authority that members of opposition were planning to detonate bomb at the government house and also in our secretariat.
“We have to take extra caution. The police that would have dealt with the situation have become partisan which is highly unfortunate.”
According to the APC chieftain, the alleged partisanship of the police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has worsened the situation, alleging that the attackers of Okunsanya were allegedly sponsored by a serving Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, whom he alleged is a supporter of the state governorship candidate on the platform of People Democratic Party(PDP), Mr. Ayo Fayose.
“We never loved to resort to self-help, but this will not augur well for the nation. If the police cannot protect us, then we will resort to self-help and that will be sad. It is unfortunate that it is the federal government that has been backing them to do all these.
“Part of their plan is to announce the state election results in Abuja. The state election is a test case to what will happen in 2015. But we are determined to resist them and we shall ensure that this election is free and fair,” he said.
Awe also blamed the Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, for the violence which occurred in Ikere Ekiti between Labour Party (LP) and APC members during Hon Opeyemi Bamidele’s rally in the town, where one person was shot and several people wounded, including journalists with the African Independent Television (AIT).
Awe said: “Mimiko cannot make Ekiti a vassal State. Ekiti State will resist him at the appropriate time. We will tell Ade Basket who is the leader of thugs in Ondo State that Ekiti State cannot be their abode. We will be vigilant to protect our people against the opposition onslaught.”
But, while absolving the police of partisanship, the Ekiti State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Victor Babayemi, described the APC statement as very unfortunate, saying: “They are only trying to make the police the scapegoat and we will not tolerate that.
“We have been fair to all parties in the build up to the election but the politicians are behaving irresponsibly, so rather than blaming us, the APC must look inward and stop rubbishing the good work we are doing in the state.
“The APC members are always the first to launch attacks based on our series of investigations and they are always the one to first blow the whistle that they are under attack.”
Meanwhile, the Ayo Fayose Campaign Organisation (AFCO) has described as animalistic, barbaric, and condemnable, the attack on the convoy of the PDP at Fajuyi Roundabout, Ado-Ekiti, by suspected APC thugs.
AFCO Director of Media and Publicity, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan, said in a statement yesterday that APC thugs attacked Fayose’s personal vehicle at about 1p.m. at Fajuyi Park in Ado-Ekiti, believing that the PDP candidate was in the vehicle.
Aribisogan alleged that the thugs ran into the government house immediately they carried out the attack.
While alleging that the state Governor Kayode Fayemi-led APC government had concluded plan to attack any gathering of PDP supporters in the state, the organisation spokesperson said a meeting was held on Saturday, where it was concluded that henceforth, “no PDP gatherings must be allowed in the state.”
Aribisogan said, “The rate at which law abiding residents of Ekiti State are being attacked by the APC thugs calls for serious concern, and if nothing is done urgently, anarchy looms in the state.
“On Saturday, APC thugs unleashed terror on AIT crew in Ikere-Ekiti, destroying the television station’s outside broadcasting van, camera, vehicles and other equipment.
“Today (yesterday), the thugs attacked Fayose’s personal vehicle at Fajuyi roundabout, Ado-Ekiti, thinking that he (Fayose) was in the vehicle. If our security agents fail to do something about these APC thugs now, we might not be able to restrain our supporters from defending themselves and the result will definitely be anarchy, which we don’t pray for.”
In a new development, the state government has denied the allegation that Fayemi had sent a text message to the Onitaji of Itaji and the Chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers in the state, Oba Adamo Babalola, not to receive President Goodluck Jonathan during his intended visit to the state.
Fayose had alleged that the Fayemi-led government in the state had sent a text message to royal fathers in the state not to receive President Jonathan during his visit to the state.
However, while reacting to the allegation, the Special Adviser to the governor on Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon Aderemi Ajayi, said Fayemi did not send any message or give any directive to the Oba, since the governor is not even aware of any presidential visit to the state.
Ajayi added that the governor is not in the habit of meddling with the affairs of the Obas but as a leader who has utmost regard for the traditional institution.
“It is expected that if the President wants to visit a government institution like the Council of Traditional Rulers in the state, such arrangements must pass through the state governor,” 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.
In what could be termed an unprecedented move, the Supreme Court yesterday sent a strong signal to lawyers that it would no longer tolerate abuse of court processes when it awarded an N8million punitive fine against Dr. Dickson Osuala, counsel to the governorship candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) in Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru.
Osuala had on behalf of his client, applied for a review of the court’s judgment which upheld the election of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the state governorship election.
Osuala premised his application on Section 285 (7) of the 1999 Constitution which he claimed was fraudulently inserted into the constitution by the National Assembly.
He argued further that since due process was not followed by the National Assembly in enacting section 285 (7) into law, it was wrong for the apex court to have relied on it to dismiss his client case last year.
Although the court drew his attention to the fact that it was not the business of the court to amend the constitution but that of the National Assembly and also advised him to go to the National Assembly or the Federal High Court to challenge the section, Osual a rejected the advice.
He said nobody should be allowed to benefit from a defective law.But the court asked him to approach the National Assembly for redress if he had problem with a section of the constitution.
In a ruling, the court descended on Osuala and advised him not to come to the apex court with any application in respect of the case.
Justice Walter Onoghene who presided over the suit, blamed Osuala for not advising his client rightly and embarking on a clear case of gross abuse of the court process.
He told Osuala to advise his client to take his case to heaven if he was not satisfied with the court’s ruling. The N8million slammed on Osuala was for the said abuse and a deterrent to others who might attempt similar move in future.
The justices further noted that Ogboru, through his counsel, wanted to resurrect a dead and buried horse, and warned that this would be the last time such case be brought before the court.
Ogboru had twice applied for a review of the judgment but twice the Supreme Court had turned down his requests. Yesterday’s attempt was indeed the third by Ogboru to get the judgment reviewed.
To benefit from the N8million cost awarded against Osuala are: Uduaghan, the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) who are to get N2million each.
Seven justices of the court unanimously ruled that the case instituted by Osuala on behalf of Ogboru amounted to an affront on the nation’s judiciary as well as an abuse of the court process.
“The said N8million is awarded as cost against the person of Dr. Dickson Osuala and is to be paid from his pocket to the respondents,” the apex court said in a landmark ruling.
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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