NIGERIA LATEST NEWS

2013-04-03T05:19:00.001-07:00

Jonathan Describes Boko Haram As Uncivilised

2012-11-06T19:07:00.000-08:00

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday described the fundamentalist group, Boko Haram and its sponsors as uncivilised insisting that it was primitive to terminate innocent lives through acts of terrorism. The president who spoke in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital as he ended a two day working visit to the state, he deplored the resort in taking innocent lives in the name of protesting any manner of grievance. President Jonathan enjoined all Nigerians to condemn the acts of terrorism and assist relevant authorities to check the trend which he noted was inimical to the development of the country. He commended the people of Jigawa state for maintaining peace even while their neighbouring states tend to be hotbeds of violence and terror. The president praised the state governor, Sule Lamido, for his unique leadership qualities in transforming Jigawa within the five years he has been in office.

Goodluck Jonathan Listed OnTimes 100 Most ImportantPeople On Earth

2012-03-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

The short list already produced
by @Time Magazine for its
annual '100 People'
list already includes President
Goodluck Jonathan, Merly Streep,
Beyonce,
Mark Zuckerberg, Alec Baldwin
and many more.
Is President Goodluck Jonathan
among most 100 important
people on Earth?
We want your opinion:
The complete TIME 100 list will be
chosen by our editors and
revealed on TIME.com on
Tuesday, April 17.
Check out the Full List:
Full List
Candidates
Adele
Mustafa Abdel-Jalil
Sheldon Adelson
Ai Weiwei
Marc Andreessen
José Andrés
Anonymous
Aziz Ansari
Bashar Assad
Vidya Balan
Alec Baldwin
Eike Batista
Fatou Bensouda
Almudena Bernabeu
Ben Bernanke
Beyoncé
Jeff Bezos
Preet Bharara
Sara Blakely
Usain Bolt
Bon Iver
Danny Boyle
Jan Brewer
Carrie Brownstein and Fred
Armisen
Warren Buffett
Sarah Burton
Louis C.K.
David Cameron
Eric Cantor
Pete Cashmore
David Chang
Jessica Chastain
Chris Christie
Hillary Clinton
George Clooney
Stephen Colbert
Suzanne Collins
Tim Cook
Richard Cordray
Joystick Costolo
Daniel Craig
Bryan Cranston
Benedict Cumberbatch
Andrew Cuomo
Ray Dalio
Claire Danes
Viola Davis
Ellen DeGeneres
Lana Del Rey
Zooey Deschanel
Jamie Dimon
Novak Djokovic
Timothy Dolan
Jack Dorsey
Mario Draghi
Drake
Pamela Druckerman
Ree Drummond
Jaycee Dugard
Dieter Egli
Daniel Ek
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Rick Falkvinge
Asghar Farhadi
Michael Fassbender
Julian Fellowes
Sandra Fluke
Maria das Graças Silva Foster
Foster the People
Ron Fouchier
Rachid Ghannouchi
Newt Gingrich
Ira Glass
Roger Goodell
Ryan Gosling
Terry Gou
David Graeber and Tim Pool
Robert Grant
Alan Gross
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-
Thani
Chelsea Handler
Rick and Richard Harrison
Kamala Harris
Reed Hastings
Michel Hazanavicius
Anna Hazare
Reid Hoffman
François Hollande
Hung Huang
Goodluck Jonathan
Tawakul Karman
David Karp
Hamid Karzai
Molly Katchpole
Jason Katims
Ashfaq Kayani
Ayatullah Ali Khamenei
Salman Khan
Imran Khan
Kim Jong Un
Charles and David Koch
Kony 2012
Nitish Kumar
Ashton Kutcher
Christine Lagarde
Lady Gaga
Chan Laiwa
Jennifer Lawrence
Marine Le Pen
Ken Levine
Li Chengpeng
Rush Limbaugh
Jeremy Lin
LMFAO
Frank Luntz
Eli Manning
Sergio Marchionne
Marc Maron
Erik Martin
George R.R. Martin
Melissa McCarthy
Rory McIlroy
Bill McKibben
Angela Merkel
Lionel Messi
Ingrid Michaelson
Kate Middleton
Pippa Middleton
Yuri Milner
Nicki Minaj
Narendra Modi
Mario Monti
Elisabeth Moss, Christina
Hendricks and January Jones
Laura and Kate Mulleavy
Richard Muller
Rupert Murdoch
Charles Murray
Youssou N'Dour
Alexei Navalny
Benjamin Netanyahu
Mike Nichols
Grover Norquist
Barack Obama
Michelle Obama
Larry Page
Leon Panetta
Ann Patchett
Ron Paul
Douglas Peterson
Michael Phelps
Karen Pierce
Navi Pillay
Mark Pincus
Oscar Pistorius
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
David Plouffe
Ai-jen Poo
John Prendergast
Vladimir Putin
Ben Rattray
Queen Elizabeth II
René Redzepi
Cecile Richards
Paul Rieckhoff
Rihanna
John Roberts
Mitt Romney
Marco Rubio
Paul Ryan
Alex Salmond
Sheryl Sandberg
Rick Santorum
Juan Manuel Santos
Nicolas Sarkozy
Howard Schultz
Martin Scorsese
Ryan Seacrest
Thein Sein
Shakira
Graydon Sheppard
Jessica Simpson
Portia Simpson-Miller
Greg Smith
Maggie Smith
Hope Solo
Bruce Springsteen
Meryl Streep
Aung San Suu Kyi
Tilda Swinton
Tim Tebow
Sachin Tendulkar
Peter Thiel
Jonathan Tilly
Scott Walker
Harvey Weinstein
Kristen Wiig
E.O. Wilson
Oprah Winfrey
Xi Jinping
Mark Zuckerberg

JAMB UTME 2012: Stats AndFigures

2012-03-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

Some interesting facts:
1) Only 3 students scored above
300.
2) 27,266 results were cancelled
in 8 states due to mal-practice
such as extortion of money by
exam officials etc.
3) The states are Abia, Benue,
Cross River, Delta, Imo, Lagos,
Nasarawa and Rivers.
4) 1,503,931 candidates
registered for the exam.
5) 72,243 scored 250 and above.
6) 336,330 scored below 170.
7) 601,151 scored between 200
and 249.
901 candidates scored
between 270 and 299.
9) Imo has the highest number
of applicants with 123,865
candidates. Delta came second
with 88, 876 while Anambra
placed third with 84,204.
10) University of Lagos recorded
the highest number of applicants
with 83,865. Nnamdi Azikiwe
University came second with
82,148, while University of
Benin came third with 80,048.

Boko Haram kills Qaga’sfather

2012-03-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

Gunmen suspected to be
members of the radical Islamic
sect on Monday evening killed
the father of its detained
spokesman, Abu Qaqa, in
Maiduguri, the Borno State
capital.
Qaga’s father, who is a retired
prison warder and a former
colleague were murdered as
they preparing for prayers in
Maiduguri, the sect traditional
home.
The Boko Haram's spokesman
was arrested by the State
Security Service in February.
A security officer told The
Associated Press one of the men
was the father of a Boko Haram
suspect arrested earlier this year
on suspicion of being a
spokesman for the sect.

Orient Petroleum StrikesOil In Anambra

2012-03-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

WHAT the people of Anambra
State had been clamouring
for over the years is about to
happen and that is that the
state will soon be included
among the oil producing
states in the country with its
attendant benefits. Though
the Anambra River basin was
known to be rich in crude oil
and gas deposits, it was
placed on what was
described in the industry, as
strategic reserve.
However, following the
efforts of notable persons
from the state who are
stakeholders in the Orient
Petroleum Resources Plc, the
company prospecting for oil
in the area and with the
support of the present
administration led by
Governor Peter Obi, a major
breakthrough in making
Anambra an oil producing
state has been achieved.
The company has plans to
establish housing estates to
serve the workers. There is
also a plan to have an airstrip
in the area for which a
committee made up of
experts in the aviation
industry is already working
on. Other activities being
embarked upon by the
company include gas
processing and transmission,
as well as power generation
and transmission, oil and gas
exploration and production
and petroleum refining.
When it comes on full stream,
Orient Petroleum Refinery,
which has its operational
office at Otuocha in Anambra
East local government area,
would process crude oil from
its facility at Aguleri Otu in
Anambra West local
government of the state.
Other byproducts of the
refinery are petrol, diesel,
kerosene, road grade asphalt,
and cooking gas and would
offer about 2000 jobs.
OPR has an integrated
business model that spans
the upstream and
downstream of the petroleum
industry. After the Federal
Government of Nigeria (FGN)
granted the company the
license to establish, and the
approval to construct its
55,000 bpd refinery in 2002
and 2004, respectively, the
company had gone ahead to
obtain from the FGN in 2005
the Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) certificate
for its refinery, which made
Orient Petroleum the first
refinery in Nigeria to obtain
such an EIA certificate.
The company decided early in
2011 to fast-track a staged
development of its two oil
blocks, OPL 915 and OPL 916
by initial completion and
production testing of one of
the already drilled oil wells
and 3D seismic data
acquisition.
The two blocks are very close
to the location of the
company's refining facility at
Aguleri Otu. This staged oil
field development is expected
to generate cash flow to
support the financing and
early completion of the
refinery, which officials of
the company observed, is a
capital intensive project.
Chairman of the Orient
Petroleum Resources Ltd and
former secretary general of
the Commonwealth, Chief
Emeka Anyaoku confirmed
that the company would start
crude oil exploration,
production and sales this
year and since receiving the
two oil blocks, the company
has been conducting the
necessary exploration and
production work to ensure
timely provision of crude
feedstock to the refinery.
It is envisaged that
completion of the refinery
installation would be by end
2012, including overseas
procurement and shipment of
long lead items and on-site
fabrication of storage tanks.
After many years of waiting
therefore, the joy of the host
communities in Anambra
State knew no bounds when
it became clear to them that
all is set for Anambra State to
join the league of oil
producing states in Nigeria ..
When the chairman, board of
directors, Chief Anyaoku
announced that production
would soon begin, the people
beat their drums and danced
to the admiration of the
visitors. Anyaoku, in
company of Governor Peter
Obi, former vice president, Dr
Alex Ekwueme, Managing
Director of Orient Petroleum
Plc,Engr. Emeka Nwawka,
Igwe Peter Anukwu of
Mbaukwu and other
stakeholders, inspected the oil
facilities at Aguleri Otu and
were shown round the oil
well by top officials of the
company.
When Orient Petroleum
eventually starts production,
it would mark the first time
crude would be produced in
inland basin in the country.
Already, the company's
service contractor had made
significant progress in the
acquisition of high resolution
3D seismic data over 640
square kilometers of Orient's
oil blocks OPL 915 & 916 to
delineate the full extent of the
hydrocarbon discoveries and
prospects.
During the visit, the team also
inspected the 20- kilometre
access road to the oil wells
and the 10 -kilometre flow
line for evacuating crude to a
spot at Anambra River basin
from where evacuation of
crude would be undertaken
by barges to Brass in Bayelsa
State . It had also completed
acquisition of seven hectares
of land from Kogi State for
establishment of a depot for
distribution of petroleum
products from the refinery to
the north and other parts of
the country.
Managing Director of Orient
Petroleum, Mr. Emeka
Nwawka who was elated at
the level of progress made by
the company, assured that
Anambra will soon join the
club of oil producing States
and commended Governor
Obi for his interest in the
project and appealed to him
to continue to support it. He
said the drilling environment
conformed to international
standards.
Obi, on his part, commended
the board of Orient Petroleum
for its resilience and
determination to bring the
project on stream, noting that
when functional, the
company would among other
things, create employment,
fast-track overall
development of the host
community, as well as
contribute in strengthening
the state and national
economy. He also assured of
continued government
support for the project.
The main problem starring
the oil company in the face is
the deplorable condition of
road leading to the oil
facilities.
For instance, for one to get to
the well site at Aguleri Otu, he
has to pass through Ezeagu
local government in Enugu
State and then ferry over the
Anambra River by pontoon to
the Anambra State end where
the oil deposits were struck
and where the refinery is
located.
Governor Obi, who was not
happy with such strenuous
journey which he observed,
entails so much waste of
quality man hour, is already
thinking of a way out of the
problem. It was gathered that
the governor has already
directed officials of the state
ministry of works to study
the possibility of constructing
a road and a bridge from
Anaku area directly to Aguleri
Otu for easy access to the site
of the oil facilities.
Obi had also severally
announced that the the area
where the oil facility is
located, would form part of
the proposed mega city that
would extend to the
commercial city of Onitsha .

2012-03-21T00:32:00.001-07:00

Golden Eaglets’ coachinvites seven Lagos JuniorLeague players to camp

2012-03-05T04:39:00.001-08:00

The coach of the
Golden Eaglets, Manu Garba,
has invited seven players
from the Lagos Junior
League for trials in
preparation for the 2013
African/World Cup U-17
qualifiers.
Confirming the invitation on
Sunday in Lagos, Tunde Disu,
Technical Director of the
League, said that the players
were among others for
screening to constitute a
new U-17 squad.
Disu listed the players as
Olomu Tolib, Olajide Samson,
Innocent Onobun, Rauf
Belllo, Mustapha Abudulahi,
Rabiu Abdulahi and Aminu
Abubakar.
He said that the seven
players were from the
Nathaniel Boys FC of Lekki,
one of the teams in the
Lagos Junior League.
Disu, a former coach of the
Flying Eagles, said that he
was excited at the invitation
of the players to the Golden
Eaglets’ camp, adding that
the objective of creating the
league had been achieved.
“ I am happy because this
was the reason why the
league was created, to
identify talents that will
represent the country, and it
is fulfilling the planned
purpose,’’ he said.
The director was confident
that the boys would make
the Golden Eaglets’ team.
“ The players have been
tested and trusted by their
coaches on a viable
platform; so I see no reason
why they won’t excel and
make the U-17 team list.
“We constantly monitor
potential talents and keep
track of their day-to-day
progress in the league and
their development in the
game as a whole,’’ he said.
Disu said that the players
departed Lagos on Sunday
and were expected to join
others in camp in Abuja.
The 2013 African U-17
Championship is scheduled
to hold in Morocco and will
serve as qualifiers for the
2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in
the United Arab Emirates.
(NAN)

NNPC Unable to Account for65,000 Barrels of Crude Daily

2012-03-05T04:04:00.001-08:00

State run oil company, the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,
yesterday was unable to account for
65,000 barrels of crude oil out of an
official allocation of 445,000 barrels per
day.
At a public hearing held by the Senate
Committe investigating the management
of fuel subsidy funds by the federal
government, NNPC officials revealed
that a whopping 20% of the cost of
imported fuel represented the
component associated with importation,
the Vanguard reported.
With Nigeria’s crude selling at $97.89,
that translates to a daily $6,362,850
(N939 million daily) that is unaccounted
for.
Managing director of the NNPC group,
Mr. Austin Oniwon led senior oficials of
the corporation before the Senate
committee hearing which was chaired
by Senator Magnus Abe, head of the
Senate Committee on Petroleum,
Downstream.
The corporation attempted to give a
breakdown of how the 445,000 barrels
of oil allocated to it for use by local
refineries is utilized. Mr. Oniwon, in so
doing, disclosed that the NNPC sells
65,000 barrels of the allocation to a
foreign oil company, another 65,000
barrels is sent to an Ivory Coast refinery
Societe Ivoirienne De Refinnage.
The mother of all shockers, however, is
the fact that the NNPC could not account
for 65,000 barrels sold daily, to the tune
of N939 million.
It was also revealed that off the oil
barrels allocated to the NNPC on a daily
basis, only 170,000 barrels were refined
locally.
He said, “Warri refines 80,000 barrels;
Port Harcourt, 90,000 barrels, while
Kaduna refinery is shut down due to the
problems with the pipelines.”
The Vanguard further reported that the
NNPC swapped 60,000 barrels daily for
refined products with United Kingdom
based company Trafigura, while
another 90,000 barrels per day was
swapped for product with Duke oil, a
subsidiary of the NNPC.
On the retail price of crude, he told the
committee that the corporation before
2003 was buying crude oil locally at a
reduced price, paying between $9.50
and $22 per barrel between 1999 and
2003, but a change of policy has led the
NNPC to buy crude at the international
oil market price.
Mr. Oniwon also revealed to the
committee that subsidy has been
abused at all levels saying, “Whether at
the crude level or at the product level,
subsidy was subject to abuse, phasing it
out completely was the way forward.”
Senate members expressed concerns
that the products covered by subsidies
were left in the hands of the
beneficiaries. They said as much to Mr.
Reginald Elijah, the Executive Secretary
of the Petroleum Products Pricing
Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), however,
he said it was not within the purview of
the agency to provide security at the
tank farms where imported products
were stored even after paying
subsidies.
According to the Vanguard, Mr. Elijah,
while listing the components of the
subsidy, noted that there were various
charges, as well as the actual price of
crude in the international market.
He said the price of crude accounted for
80 percent of what becomes the pump
price of PMS, adding that the other 20
percent presented charges from
storage, finance, administration, freight
and distribution elements.
Contrary to wide spread belief that
refining petroleum product in the
country will bring about cheaper
products, the Executive Secretary of the
Petroleum Products Pricing Regulation
Agency (PPPRA), Mr. Reginal Elijah has
revealed that locally refined petrol in
Nigeria will only save N11.87k per liter.
He said the discount will come off the
N140.78K landing price of imported
products. Mr. Reginald Stanley told
Senators today, at the oil subsidy
hearing that because the NNPC buys
crude oil at the internation flat rate, the
difference in cost of subsidy between
locally produced and imported products
is marginal.
Senator Abe, chairman of the committee
concluded that the subsidy on diesel
and kerosene amounted to a sham by
oil companies.
He said, “I do not understand what talk
about deregulation because what we
have in this country is for oil companies
to come together and connive to import
AGO and sell to the public. Clearly what is
happening in the market is not
deregulation it is price fixing.”

Troubles again in Nigeria

2012-03-05T03:24:00.000-08:00

Remember the anti-fuel subsidy
removal, which we started the
New Year with and which later
paralysed economic activities
across the nation for more than
a week? Remember also the
strike by the Academic Staff
Union of the Universities (ASUU),
which disrupted academic
activities across university
campuses for some months
before it was called off recently?
From the look of things, trouble
doesn’t seem to be over yet for
the Federal Government. If
anything, it is becoming a case
of one month, one trouble. The
Joint Action Committee (JAC) of
unions in research and
development institutions and
colleges of agriculture,
comprising members of the
Academic Staff Union of
Research Institutions (ASURI), the
Non-Academic Staff Union of
Educational and Associated
Institutions (NASU) and Senior
Staff Union of Research,
Development and Associated
Institutions of Nigeria
(SSURDAIN), is threatening to call
its members out on strike over
non-implementation of
agreement reached between it
and the Federal Government.
“In January, 2011, the Federal
Government of Nigeria (FGN)
reached and signed an
agreement with the unions in
the research institutes and their
colleges. Sadly, many aspects of
the agreement are yet to be
implemented by government,”
the unions noted in a press
statement issued penultimate
week. The statement was jointly
signed by Comrade Akinwale
M.M, National Administrative
Secretary, ASURI and co-
chairman of the Joint Action
Committee, Comrade Haruna
Mubarak Imodu, NASU Branch
Chairman, Federal College of
Fisheries Primary Technology,
Lagos, Comrade Ezekiel Clean,
Vice-Chairman, NASU, National
Institute of Oceanography,
Victoria Island, Lagos, Comrade
Ben Igere, of SSURDIAN and
Comrade Osaigbovo, O.R,
Chairman, Press Release
Committee. “Consequent upon
that, our unions issued a 14-day
ultimatum to the government
which lapsed on the 12th
February, 2012.”
It is in the light of the expiration
of that ultimatum that the unions
are threatening to embark on an
indefinite strike “until our
demands are fully met.” It listed
their demands based on
agreements allegedly reached
with the Federal government, as
including “inadequate funding;
establishment of a National
Research and Technology
Development Fund (NRTDF);
establishment of a National
coordinating body for research
and development institution,
among others; one year arrears
of 53.37% salary increase from
1st July, 2009-June 2010 (which
has been paid to staff of
universities and colleges of
education); that the retirement
age of staff of Research
institutions will be 65/70 years
in line with their counterparts in
the university system; that
peculiar allowances be paid to
staff as regards the following:
staff allowance duty, hazard
allowance, protective wear
allowance, research project
allowance, post-graduate
allowance and non-accident
bonus allowance for drivers and
spcialized/scarce skill allowance.
“Others included that staff of
research institutions should earn
the same salaries and allowances
as their counterparts in the
universities; that conditions and
schemes of service be
periodically reviewed for
research institutes, their colleges
and allied institutions; that
appointment of Executive
Directors/Directors Generals/
Provosts be made from within
the relevant research and
development institutions.”
Drawing the attention of “all
well-meaning Nigerians” to the
consequences of government’s
non-implementation of the
mutually-reached agreements,
the unions warned that the
“culpability of the colossal loss of
the economy which shall result
would not lay with us” but with
the government.”
Elaborating on the issues
involved, Comrade Akinwale M.M.,
said at a press conference
addressed by the unions in
Lagos: “There is no education
without research. In fact, the
bulwark of any valuable
education, regardless of what is
happening now, is research.
Research is no more powering
education, for that reason we
are no more growing with time,
with the demand of the New
Age. For that same reason, those
in research institute who do jobs
that improve the ability of those
in the university to do their jobs
very well are not being
motivated to do their best. In our
system, you find out that those
who leave the universities for
industrial attachments are here.
“They come to research
institutes as centres of
excellence to be given the
practical experience of most of
the things they had been
theoretically exposed to in the
university. So you find out that
no such teaching can be
complete without valid
intervention of the research
institutes. Now, when we do all
these jobs and we don’t get paid
for them and indeed they don’t
also lead to the major measure
of our productivity, yet we carry
them out as if they are our major
mandate, and indeed it is what
we are also trained to handle,
you find out it will be unjust not
to be paid the allowances for the
jobs you’ve spent your skills to
enhance and also to pass on to
younger ones.
“We are exposed to very terrible
and expectable risks. You find
some of us working in human
virology labs and in vaccine
design segments of the research
sector. You find some of us
working in systems with nuclear
and radioactive substances
being used for validation of tests
and also for maintaining the
integrity of the systems. You
find some of us working to
generate the gene data banks
and also to maintain them. These
are risky endeavours/
commitments that you cannot
continue to expose yourself to
without earning some
allowances. That underscores
why we are insisting on some of
these allowances and there are
so many of them but we have
chosen to call them peculiar
allowances.
“We should also draw on these
allowances in our monthly
package. On a case-to-case basis
we have presented our case to
the government but nothing has
been done to make us earn these
allowances. Maybe the agents of
government who have been
negotiating on the part of the
government don’t have
sufficient power, or the wrong
people have been sent in. There
is a lot of foot-dragging taking
place. And even after several
negotiations, you find out that
the government doesn’t end up
releasing the funds or approving
the ones that have been agreed
on. So government has to re-
examine its disposition towards
us so that progress will be made
in this sector.
“There is a lumping of capital
and research funds.
There is no separation. And
when you give opportunity for
establishments to determine
what percentage of budget will
go into capital projects and
which will go into research, you
find out that some muddling
take place. It is only when they
set up a National coordinating
body for research and
development institution will the
government decide how best to
fund research.“We are insisting
that one year arrears as part of
the 53.3% salary increase which
has been paid to our colleagues
in the universities, polytechnics
and colleagues of education
should also be paid to us as
agreed since 2009.”
In the same vein, the unions are
also demanding as agreed that
there should be a review of the
condition and scheme of service
every two years. They allege that
the last one was done in 2004
and insist that another one
should have been done since
then “based on the prevailing
industrial conditions of research
institutes.” They would want
government to conclude and
speed up action on the
conditions and scheme of
service which they claim have
been under review for quite
some time now without arriving
at a meaningful conclusion
“because government’s agents
or representatives involved have
been foot-dragging.”
Furthermore, Akinwale, on behalf
of the unions, called for a review
of recent appointments of chief
executives of research institutes.
“We want all the appointments
of chief executives, to remain, as
the civil service rules connote,
from within the system so as to
encourage the best growth of
the system.“We have been told
that the job description,
appointment and promotion
shall not be inferior to those in
the university system. We are
therefore not asking for
anything spectacular. These are
the major planks of the issues
we are asking government to re-
address.”

PDP National ConventionGovs move against Jonathan

2012-03-05T02:44:00.001-08:00

Governors elected on the
platform of Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) have begun moves
to stop candidates, considered
loyal to President Goodluck
Jonathan, jostling for party
offices in the upcoming national
convention of the party, Daily
Sun can reveal.
The governors are reportedly
upset with the president and
members of the party’s National
Working Committee (NWC) for
denying their former colleague
and former governor of Bayelsa
State, Timipre Sylva, a PDP ticket
to seek re-election.
As a first step, the governors had
reportedly told serving members
of the party’s NWC from their
home states aspiring for offices
at the party’s national
convention, to shelve such plans.
The governors reportedly said
such party officers had no moral
basis to seek re-election having
worked against Sylva’s re-
election.
Top PDP sources said Sylva’s
disqualification had caused his
colleague-governors so much
embarrassment that they had
quietly resolved to, “at the
appropriate time, demand their
pound of flesh.” PDP’s national
convention couldn’t be better
timed, a source close to one of
the governors told Daily Sun.
Another source close to the
Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF)
told Daily Sun that the governors
were particularly miffed that
NWC members after entering into
a deal with Jonathan to
disqualify Sylva still carried on as
if they were in support of the
soon-to-be ousted governor.
“Having secured assurances
from the Villa to deliver them at
the (PDP) national convention if
they blocked Sylva, they kept
giving the poor fellow a
fraudulent impression they were
with him. At the end of the day,
these NWC members not only
disappointed Timi, but fleeced
him of large sums of money in
the name of party ticket.
“It is not only just, but
appropriate to serve them a
dose of the same medicine they
gave Sylva, the reason we are
stopping them. We hear some
say they have the president’s
support. Talk is cheap. The
convention shall tell who has the
delegates,” he added.
A source at the party national
secretariat told Daily Sun that the
threat by the governors was the
reason only five of the 13
members of NWC were
contesting at the March 24
national convention. The trioka
of acting National Chairman,
Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, Acting
National Secretary, Dr. Musa
Babayo, and National Publicity
Secretary, Prof. Rufai Alkali are
locked in the race for national
chairman; whilst the national
organizing secretary, Prince
Uche Secondus and National
Legal Adviser, Chief Wole Oke are
seeking to become deputy
national chairman and national
secretary respectively.
“All those party officers
contesting at the national
convention know they are on
their own as they have been
advised against such. I guess
they are relying on the maxim
‘no harm in trying’. They have
weighed the odds and decided
to try their luck. Who knows,
anything can happen,” offered
the source.
The governors also reportedly
felt that the current campaign to
weaken their influence on the
party by ‘opening up’
membership of its National
Executive Committee (NEC) to
members of the National
Assembly may have been
orchestrated by the Presidency
as a way to loosening the grip
the governors have on the party
machinery.
The Presidency had last year
supported the party leadership
to introduce e-registration of
members, which was swiftly
blocked by the governors, who
felt that online registration was
meant to weaken their grip on
the party.
The governors’ differences with
Jonathan, it was further
gathered, might trickle down and
jeopardize the chances of a front
runner for the party national
chairmanship, Alhaji Bamanga
Tukur.
A former governor and trustee
of the party, Tukur is believed to
enjoy the support of the
Presidency.
Sources had hinted that the
Presidency might have zeroed in
on 77-year-old Tukur, a
successful businessman and
founding member of the party.
The Presidency, it was gathered,
was interested in Tukur
becoming national chairman “as
he could be used to reach out to
the northern political elite that
felt largely estranged since
Jonathan became president.”
A source in the Presidency
explained that the recent state
burial accorded the late Biafran
leader Dim Chukwuemeka
Odumegwu-Ojukwu was used to
appease the Igbo who were not
happy with the Jonathan
Presidency. “In much the same
way, we are looking for a man
with carriage, political
experience and followership in
the North, who can help to douse
the political fire, which some of
you call Boko Haram, consuming
the North,” offered the source.
“Tukur towers above all the
people aspiring for the position
of the party national chairman.
He has been a governor, a
distinguished administrator, a
seasoned politician, a successful
businessman and a respected
politician who can easily reach
out to all the northern interest
groups giving us (Jonathan
administration) headaches,” he
added.

Nnewi set for Ojukwu’sburial

2012-02-29T13:22:00.001-08:00

Nnewi (Anambra) – Gov.
Peter Obi of Anambra on
Wednesday said all was set
for the burial of Dim
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-
Ojukwu on Thursday at his
country home of Nnewi,
Nnewi North Local
Government Area.
Obi gave the indication
shortly after inspecting the
compound where the late
Igbo leader would be
interred.
Obi , who was in company
of Sen. Uche Chukwuemrije
and Prof. ABC Nwosu, said he
was at the residence to
inspect the level of work
done.
“We are here just to inspect
the level of ongoing work
and we are satisfied at what
we have seen, even though
there a few touches to be
done.
“If you know this compound
before now, you will agree
with me that a high level of
change can be seen,” he
said.
Also speaking, the son of the
late Biafra leader, Mr Emeka
Ojukwu (Jnr), said that the
preparation was in top gear
as there were “more than
hundreds of hand assisting”.
“We are 95 per cent ready as
you can see from the
decoration and road projects
within and around this
area,” he noted.
“Since my father died, things
have been different. People’s
reaction on the television,
radio and newspapers all
over the country, and now
preparation for his burial,
gives me a stronger sense
that my father is no longer
there.
“It is a huge responsibility
for me as his first son and is
now left for me to live to
that expectation of the life
he lived,” he added. (NAN)

Senate stops FRSC fromissuing new number plates,license

2012-02-29T12:43:00.000-08:00

Senate has ordered
the Federal Road Safety
Commission, FRSC to stop
issuing new vehicle number
plates and driver’s license.
The order was upon the
adoption of a motion on
new number and driver’s
sponsored by Senator Dahiru
Kuta and 19 others in which
they condemned the
indiscriminate fees charged
by the FRSC on the new
number plates and driver’s
license.
Senators during the
consideration of the motion
on Wednesday described the
new vehicle number plates
issued by the commission as
illegal noting that act that set
up FRSC does not empower it
to issue number plates.
Moving the motion, Kuta
lamented that FRSC has
abandoned it primary
mandates of ensuring safety
on Nigeria roads by turning
itself into revenue
generating agency.
Kuta said, “The commission
was not established
principally as a revenue
generating agency for states
or Federal Government, but
the commission in recent
times has embarked on
frequent and arbitrary
introduction and
reintroduction of vehicle
number plates and driver’s
licenses.
“The new driver’s license
which the commission
launched in 2011 is now
issued for N6000 as against
the N3000 while the new
number plates have
suddenly jumped from
N5000 to an astronomical
N15, 000.
“The exorbitant cost of the
driver’s license and vehicle
plate number is meant to
financially improvised
Nigerians because the
amount is exploitative,
prohibitive and insensitive
for a population that is
already facing challenges of
harsh economic conditions.”
Senators during the debate
condemned the introduction
of the new number plates,
insisting that the FRSC must
wash its hands off issuing
licenses and vehicle number
plates.
Senator Smart Adeyemi, PDP,
Kogi described the new
number plates as too
exorbitant for motorists and
illegal.
He said, “FRSC has
abandoned its mandate, it
was established to ensure
safety on highways, but
what the FRSC is trying to do
now is to render other
government agencies
redundant. Going further to
the point of managing the
issuance of license is against
the law. The cost of
procuring number plates is
too high, it used to be N3000
but I am surprise when it
went to N15000.”
Senator Barnabas Gemade
who also kicking against the
new number plates and
driver’s license regime,
charged the commission to
concentrate more on
protecting Nigerian road
users instead of diving into
revenue generation.
According to him, “This issue
is not only controversial; it
has enlisted struggles
between FRSC and VIO. FRSC
at this moment are not
executing their
responsibilities. Even the
drivers of the commission
do not obey traffic rules, but
they are now diving into
revenue generation.”
Senate President, David Mark
while ruling on the motion
said the new number plates
by FRSC was an imposition
of additional burden on
Nigerians.
Mark warned, “Let them not
impose additional
expenditure on the people
and their primary objective
was not to generate
revenue.”

SSANU gives another strikenotice

2012-02-29T06:22:00.000-08:00

The Senior Staff
Association of Nigerian
Universities (SSANU) on
Wednesday said it would
embark on an indefinite
strike over the non-
implementation of its 2009
agreement with the Federal
Government.
Mr Alfred Jimoh, the
National Vice President, West
Zone, told news men in
Ibadan that the main reason
for the strike was to press
home SSANU’s demand for
the 65 years retirement age.
He said the national
executive of the association
at the end of its 40th
quarterly meeting in Ado-
Ekiti resolved to commence
the strike.
“ SSANU was to embark on
an indefinite strike on about
two occasions; but due to
the appeal made by the
Federal Government, we
decided to sheath our
sword.
“ As at today, only the salary
aspect of the agreement has
been partially implemented.
“ The government, however,
promised to implement all
agreements, including the
retirement age by the 29th
of February.
“ Nothing has been done
and it will interest you that
today is 29th and no
agreement has been signed
by the government.
“ SSANU is not happy about
this; we have shown enough
understanding with
government and it is really
affecting our members
negatively.
“ So any moment from 12
mid-night, we will give
directives to our members to
embark on strike,’’ he said.
(NAN)

Igbos for SNC said victor umeh, APGA national chairman.

2012-02-29T05:33:00.000-08:00

At the Tafawa Balewa
Square, Lagos, funeral
programme for the late elder
statesman and Biafran
warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka
Odumegwu-Ojukwu, last
Thursday, National Chairman
of the All Progressives Grand
Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor
Umeh spoke to reporters on
the significance of Ojukwu’s
death and why the country
must be restructured along
Ojukwu’s suggestions.
Excerpts:
People from all parts of the
country came to TBS to
honour Ojukwu. How do you
see this outpouring of
eulogies?
Nigerians of all divides were
there. Those, who disagreed
with Ojukwu 40 years ago
agreed with him in death.
Now that he is dead, they all
agreed with all he said. They
are still pretending that
Nigeria is working. Nigeria is
not working. All the issues he
canvassed that even made
him to carry arms are still
relevant in Nigeria today.
They are still killing people.
We still have mass murders
and we have so much
pockets of injustice in
Nigeria. So, Nigeria cannot
continue the way it’s going
without a discussion. We
need a round table national
dialogue. There are so many
pockets of grievances in the
Nigerian nation. So, those
who are in authority today,
if they continue to resist
national dialogue, the
collapse of Nigeria is
inevitable.
Nigeria cannot continue the
way it’s moving. Every part
of Nigeria has something or
the other to agitate for. The
President cannot continue to
sit on an empire that is
decaying. So the only thing
the President needs to do, is
to open up and allow
Nigerians to come together.
We are not talking about the
breakup of Nigeria. We are
talking about how to discuss
so that Nigeria will remain. If
they want to say they will
use force to intimidate the
people, one day the whole
thing will cave in. So, Ojukwu
stood for equity and
fairness. He canvassed
equity and fairness and
justice. They fought him.
Ojukwu didn’t fight Nigeria.
Nigeria fought Ojukwu
because he declared
independent Republic of
Biafra to defend his people
and they started a war
against him and his people.
Now, they continue to move
on and they don’t have
peace. Nigeria doesn’t have
peace today.
So, the
first thing
they
have to
do is to
go back
and look
at the
things he
said and
the
suggestions he made. If
Nigeria is going to survive
through a confederation, so
be it, so that there will be
peace. There is no point
forcing everybody to be
part of Nigeria, using states
as federating units yet it’s
not working. There is need
to tell ourselves the home
truth. Those who are in
authority always want to
protect their empire but
when they leave office they
join the agitation for
national conference. Now
that they are in authority, let
them use the power they
have to call people together
so that we dialogue.
Former Military President,
General Ibrahim Badamosi
Babangida (rtd.), said
recently that there was no
need for a Sovereign
National Conference (SNC).
What is your take on that?
Babangida is entitled to his
own opinion. The
preponderant opinion in
Nigeria is that there is need
for national conference. It’s
only a fool who can say that
there is no need for dialogue
now. If you don’t want war,
the only thing you need is
dialogue. It’s through
dialogue that you prevent
war. Boko Haram is holding
Nigeria hostage right now.
It’s only Boko Haram now.
By the time other groups
rear up and carry arms
against Nigeria, what would
be left? Nothing!
Nigeria is finding it difficult
to contain Boko Haram.
Talking about the people of
the South-East for instance,
we have only five states and
95 local governments, what
if a group rears up in the
South-East carrying arms as
Boko Haram is carrying arms
and in the Niger Delta also,
the militancy returns? What
will the Nigerian government
do? Nothing! So it’s better
for them to achieve peace
through dialogue without
violence than to continue to
uphold this level of injustice
and think that Nigeria will
remain. It will not remain.
The late Ojukwu no doubt
played a prominent role in
keeping APGA as one family
before he died. How is your
party going to remember
him?
We are Ojukwu’s agents.
Before he died, you know
Ojukwu was known as
somebody who led a war in
defence of his people. Since
war was no longer
fashionable before Ojukwu
died, he built a political
movement and that political
movement is APGA. And he
was able to establish two
state governments in
Anambra and Imo states.
He put two governors in
office in Anambra and Imo.
We will remain his agents
and collectively, we shall
keep his dream alive. He was
my direct boss for eight
years. I can tell you all the
things that Ojukwu stood
for.Our promise is that we
shall continue to carry on
with that vision of Ojukwu.
We are his apostles; we are
going to carry the mission
and his message till the end
of time.
So, APGA will not die. Ojukwu
is dead physically but in
spirit he is alive and he is
with us. And before he left
just like Christ did, giving his
apostles the gift of Holy
Ghost, Ojukwu breathed the
life of struggle into all of us,
those of us who stayed with
him for a long time. So, we
will continue with that
struggle and his struggle will
never die until justice, equity
and fairness reign in Nigeria.
Lagos State Governor, Mr.
Babatunde Fashola (SAN), is a
card carrying member of the
Action Congress of Nigeria
(ACN). But he participated in
everything concerning the
burial rites of the late
Ojukwu in Lagos. How do
you view this?
Fashola is a great man. Like
he spoke at the Tafawa
Balewa Square in Lagos, if
you look at the
circumstances, it’s very
difficult for him to hold a
myopic view in his home. His
wife is a Catholic, the mother,
an Anglican, the father a
Muslim. So, he is a man who
is already in the middle of
the road. He is a very good
man and he has
accommodated the Igbo in
Lagos very well.
That is why they are
supporting his
administration. I thank him
immensely for the efforts he
put into organising the
event and we wish him well.
We assure him that the Igbo
people in Lagos will continue
to support his
administration. He has done
very well by identifying with
the Igbo. This is Lagos. Lagos
is the melting point in the
South-western Nigeria but
only Fashola was governor
in South-West that attended
the event. His presence
spoke volumes.
What do you make of
President Goodluck
Jonathan’s participation in
Ojukwu’s burial
arrangements?
When Ojukwu died, their
eyes were opened. As soon
as Ojukwu died and his body
was put in the morgue, Boko
Haram started killing people.
So they now went back to
Ojukwu’s message. They
now realise that this was a
great man. He saw tomorrow
and that tomorrow that he
saw, Nigeria has not been
able to grapple with it. So
they have identified with
him knowing that he was
like a prophet that came to
Nigeria and his message is
still resonating.

2012-02-29T01:35:00.000-08:00

Boko Haram attacks another
school
•Sets classrooms ablaze
…Gunmen kill 3 cops in Bauchi
bank raid
From TIMOTHY OLA, Maiduguri
and PAUL ORUDE, Bauchi
Wednesday February 29, 2012
For the second time within a
week, Boko Haram attacked
another primary school in
Maiduguri, Borno State capital
yesterday, setting ablaze
classrooms and the headmaster’s
office. Three policemen were
killed in Bauchi when gunmen
attacked a bank and a police
station.
The Joint Task Force (JTF) said
that the fire was not caused by
an explosion. The body of a
middle-aged man was found
close to the school. There was no
official confirmation of the
victim’s identity by Press time.
Only last week, suspected Boko
Haram members made a botched
attempt at bombing Zajeri
Primary School in the outskirt of
Maiduguri. The incident occurred
when the sect attacked Baga
Market while on a reprisal
mission over one of its members
who was captured by traders in
the market.
Yesterday’s attack on Gomari
Costain Primary School was the
second of such in recent times
even as the Boko Haram claimed
responsibility of the earlier
attacks on schools. Spokesman to
the sect, Abul Qaqa, said the
group had attacked a primary
school at Abaganaram in the city
last Saturday, as a reprisal for the
“unjust raiding of our local
Islamiyya Quranic schools by the
JTF members,” alleging that
copies of Qur’an were mutilated.
“The attack and burning of that
school was a warning to
government to quickly caution
the JTF operatives to desist from
raiding our Quranic schools or
risk worst attacks,” said Qaqa.
JTF spokesman, Lt-Col. Hassan
Mohammed, said the fire
consumed two blocks of
classrooms at the primary
school.
“Upon seeing the flames of the
fire at about 6:30 in the
morning, our men rushed to the
scene and met that part of the
school was burnt. We also met
the police team there. There was
no blast, but the police are
currently investigating the cause
of the fire.”
Also, the Police command’s
spokesman, Samuel Tizhe, an
Assistant Superintendent,
confirmed the attack. His words:
“We are, however, investigating
circumstances that prompted the
attacks on primary schools. Most
of the schools affected by the
assault were renovated
recently.”
In Bauchi State, three policemen
were killed when gunmen
attacked a new generation bank
in Jama’a Council area.
The attack which occurred at
9.00 pm claimed the lives of two
policemen on duty, while
another sustained injury and
currently receiving treatment at
an undisclosed hospital.
An eyewitness said gunshots
and loud explosion were heard
around 9pm, a situation which
caused pandemonium in the
area as people ran for safety.
The eyewitness who does not
want his name in print, said that
the gunshots which lasted for
one hour, caused panic in the
area, saying, “we all ran inside
the house and shut doors when
we heard the gunshots in order
not to be affected.”
A resident, Muktar Dan-Abba, said
that he saw bodies of two
policemen being taken away. A
third body was discovered
under the rubble of the burnt-
out station.
“The police station has been
burnt and three policemen were
killed,” he said. Another resident,
Usman Musa, said the police
station caught fire after several
explosions which also brought
down its roof.
“A bank was also burnt and its
vault emptied,” he added.
Members of the Islamist sect
Boko Haram, which has been
blamed for a wave of attacks
mainly in northern Nigeria, are
thought to rob banks to fund
their activities.
Speaking on the incident in a
telephone interview, the
Caretaker Chairman of Jama’are
Local Government Area, Alhaji
Adamu Aliyu Suleman, said he
had gone round the affected
areas to assess the situation,
saying a police station and old
generation bank were blown up
by the gunmen.
He said police bomb experts
detonated 12 explosives at the
premises of the affected bank,
saying “12 bombs were
detonated in my presence this
morning at the bank when I
went to ascertain the situation.
“We are ready to support the
security agencies to fish out the
culprit that committed such act in
order to ensure security of lives
and property in the area,”
Suleman said
When contacted on phone, the
state Police Commissioner,
Ikechukwu Aduba, who
confirmed the incident, assured
of giving more details later as he
was on his way back to Bauchi
from Jama’are where he had
gone to assess the situation.

Ojukwu, Ikemba Ezeigbo Gburugburu

2012-02-29T00:06:00.000-08:00

Ojukwu, Ikemba Ezeigbo Gburugburu.
Ogbuefi Ray Ifeme is a culture
enthusiast and a communication
expert. In this brief chat, he talks
about the best way to remember
Ojukwu and the cultural errors
already committed before
Ojukwu’s burial.
When and where did you meet
Ojukwu?
I was not in the Biafran Army
proper. But I met him in Uguta
when I went to visit my uncle,
who was in the Biafan Army.
Ojukwu was visiting them that
day. I went to him and paid
compliments. He said ‘small boy,
what are you doing here?’ I said
I wanted to fight and catch
Gowon. He laughed and said ‘you
won’t do it alone.’ He then
handed me over to Major
Udekwe of the Biafran
Organisation of Freedom
Fighters.
That was how I joined them. We
worked under Colonel Akonobi. I
was the one who brought the
late Oliver De coque to play
music for the boys.
After that initial meeting, did you
encounter Ojuwku any more?
When he came back from exile, I
was one of the first few people
that met with him after Igbo
traditional rulers gave him
Dikedioramma title. I was
opportuned to go and meet him
with Oliver. I was also going to
meet with him at his former
house in Enugu. It is very easy to
visit Ojukwu’s house without a
car. If you come with a car the
security men will question and
delay you but one thing I
noticed was that nobody came
there that he did not see.
You said earlier you have a
problem with the statement
made by Eze Ohazulike in Lagos
that it was Ojukwu that started
the concept of Eze Ndigbo in the
Diaspora. What is your problem
with that statement?
To start with Eze Ndigbo in the
Diaspora was alien to our people
initially. We used to have Igbo
leaders like the late Okonkwo
Kanu, taking charge of the North,
Ojukwu’s father was the overall
Igbo leader. It was Gowon that
created the concept of Eze
Ndigbo in the Diaspora. During
the war, he appointed one chief
Mba, popularly known as Mallam
Issa Mba, to take charge of the
North. He was called Seriki
Ndigbo. After the war, one Chief
Ogbunafor from Nawfia, a
popular hotel proprietor,
declared himself Eze Ndigbo in
Sokoto in 1976 or thereabout.
We also had Chief Nwalusi as
Ezeigbo in Kano. Nwalusi and
Okonkwo, who was Eze Ndigbo
in Katsina both took the title in
1980.
Ohazulike brought the institution
to the South-west. He brought
life to it, in fact, politicised it. He
formed the Association of Eze
Ndigbo in the Diaspora with Eze
Pampas of Minna as Secretary
General. You know that
Ilomuanya and his team fought
them over the matter, they said
they should not bear the name
Eze Ndigbo. Ohazuliike also
fought our traditional rulers
thereby making a mockery of
the institution
But he said it was the late
Ojukwu that endorsed Eze
Ndigbo?
Ojukwu never endorsed any
such concept. Since Ikemba died,
people have been saying all
kinds of things. The truth is that
Gowon is the original creator of
that concept. It was Ohazulike
who brought it to the Southwest.
Recently Eze Nri said he had
installed MASSOB leader as the
new Eze Igbo Gburugburu and
you said it was a wrong move.
Why did you say so?
Let me first say that I have
nothing against the MASSOB
leader. In fact, MASSOB has given
a voice to Igbo people. But I am
also a culture enthusiast and
leader of a cultural organisation.
For now, Uwazurike does not
need a title. What he needs is
support of the Igbos. Now Eze
Nri should not have installed him
because he never installed
ojukwu in the first place. It was
at a birthday party organised for
Ojukwu by Ohazulike that
Ohazulike pronounced Ojukwu
as Ezeigbo Gburugburu. On that
occasion Ohazulike said of all the
people bearing Ezeigbo, Ojukwu
was the greatest. That was how
Ezeigbo Gburugburu came into
being. I was there when it
happened.
I am not against anybody,
making Uwazurike
Ezegburugburu. I respect Eze Nri,
he is a highly respected royal
father. With due respect to him, I
am disappointed that he forgot
about our culture in this matter.
No where, especially in Igbo
land, do you appoint a successor
to a man, who has not been
buried. It is after the burial rites
that you install a successor. He
might have done it to stop any
other person from taking the
title but it is wrong in terms of
culture. I am the founder of
Omenanigbo Promoters
Association and our members
are not happy. They should have
waited for Ojukwu to be buried
first.
How do you want Ojukwu to be
remembered?
All we need to make him rest is
for Igbos to live in unity. But the
most important is for the Nigeria
to allow an Igbo person to
become the president of the
country. That way, Ojukwu will
rest in perfect peace.