Fidelis Mbah

" What Nigerians Pay The Federal Government" -The Opinion Piece That Got El Rufai Into Trouble With Jonathan

2011-07-02T16:42:00.000+01:00

By: Nasir El-Rufai

This year, every Nigerian - all 162 million of us - man, woman and child will 'pay' the sum of N27,685 each to help run the federal government. What we cannot afford, government will borrow on our behalf to pay for its activities.
That is why the federal government, on behalf of you and I will spend the sum of 4.485 trillion (over four thousand billion) naira in 2011. This is against the backdrop that our entire oil earnings for the year cannot pay the generous salaries and allowances of politicians on the one hand, and the meagre pay cheques of other public sector workers on the other, while infrastructure and unemployment are barely getting attention.
When you walk into a government office to request for a basic service, the staff you meet may not even bother to reply to your greeting and barely has time to listen to you; the policeman that should protect you on the roadblock, stops you and demands for bribes and has no qualms shooting dead any motorist that refuses to give him twenty naira; the customs officer at the border who is supposed to stop smuggling takes a bribe and actually connives with the smugglers to bring in banned products into the Nigerian market, while harassing the traveller entering Nigeria with two new pairs of shoes; the hospital staff that, contrary to every professional oath, refuses to attend to dying patients because they are on strike; the soldiers who get so bored that they occasionally go on a rampage, using policemen for target practice. With live ammunition, of course; the politician who rigs himself into office then proceeds to loot the treasury: these are all the people whose standard of living we are spending nearly 75 per cent of the 2011 budget to pay for - and borrowing some after spending all our collections from oil and taxes!
It will cost nearly 2.5 million naira this year on average to pay for the salary and upkeep of each of Nigeria’s nearly one million federal public sector workers – in the police, civil service, military and para-military services and teachers in government schools and institutions. Whether this amount justifies the service that is rendered is left for Nigerians to decide. In all, the 49 line Ministries, Departments and Agencies specifically mentioned in the 2011 Appropriations Act will each cost an average of N49.49 billion to run.
We elect a total of 360 members to the House of Representatives and 109 Senators to make laws and enhance good governance by checking and balancing the excesses of the executive arm of government. For this privilege, the 469 members of the federal legislature and their support staff at the National Assembly will spend N150 billion this year. It is worth noting that NASS only passed 8 bills as at the end of May 2011. So assuming that they manage to pass another 7 bills before the end of this year, it would cost the Nigerian citizen an average ten billion naira to pass a single bill! This implies that to pass the 2011 budget (which allocates N150 billion to NASS), Nigerians paid 10 billion naira. An even more interesting statistic is the cost of maintaining every legislator every year. It works out to princely N320 million per legislator per annum. At this rate, every four year stint at NASS works out at N1.28 billion per legislator. No wonder machetes, guns and thugs are used at will to "win" primaries and the elections. How many new businesses can achieve a turnover of N1.28 billion within four years with net tax-free profit in excess of 50 percent? Is this social justice?
For the NASS, even the amount of N150 billion above is just what we can see easily but is not broken down for further analysis or accountability. There is a bit more hidden all over the Appropriation Act - another N1.595 billion was tucked away for "In-lieu of accommodation for the Seventh Session of NASS" and another N200 million for "Funding of House Resolution Mandates." What these two provisions mean is best explained by those that legislated them and the executive that will release the sums! What is clear is that none of these will ever be accounted for, or audited!
Last week, I wrote about the cost of justice. I got a few things wrong because I did not appreciate fully the unique role of the National Judicial Council (NJC) in the administration of the nation's judicial system. My friend and former classmate Mrs. Maryam Wali Uwais clarified this and educated me, for which I am grateful. The NJC's budget of N95 billion covers the salaries and allowances of all judges of superior courts of record in Nigeria - that is State High Courts and their federal equivalents, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The NJC also funds the overheads of all the Federal Courts only - the Federal High Court and the appellate courts, as well as the salaries and allowances of all Federal Judicial support staff. The State Governments are responsible for the salaries of all other judicial staff (magistrates, support staff, etc.) and the overhead costs of all courts within their respective jurisdictions. It is therefore slightly more complicated to compute what it costs to keep our entire judicial system running without adding up all the budgetary allocations to the Judiciary in all 36 states. We will return to this sometime soon.
An interesting observation is the fact that the government says the problem of power shortage is a priority, yet the Ministry of Power only got 91 billion naira as total appropriation in 2011, while the National Security Adviser (NSA) controls and will spend 208 billion naira (Recurrent - N51 billion, Capital N59 billion, and another N98 billion for the Amnesty Programme!). This amount does not include the Defence budget. The Defence Ministry will get N348 billion, while the Police will get 309 billion naira. In other words, though Nigerians have never felt so insecure in recent history, the NSA, Police and Defence will spend a combined 865 billion naira - more than 2 billion naira a day, weekends included! This does not include the 36 states’ so-called security votes. Even state assembly members and local government councillors now have security votes. Clearly their security is more important than ours!
The point of these statistics is to show how expensive governance has become and how little Nigerians get in return. And the unproductive portions of our national budget have been rising rapidly in the last 4 years, to the detriment of capital investments in infrastructure and human development. Four years ago in 2007, the entire federal government budget was 2.3 trillion naira; today we are spending 4.485 trillion. In 2007, statutory transfers amounted to 102 billion naira or 5% of the total budget. Today, transfers amount to 418 billion or 9% of the total.
This year, the federal government will spend 495 billion naira or 11% of the budget on debt servicing compared to 326 billion naira or 14% it spent the year we finally exited from the London Club debt. More telling is the 1.05 trillion naira or 46% for recurrent expenditure in 2007 against the 2.425 trillion or 54% government will spend this year. Just four years ago, capital expenditure accounted for 36% (830 billion naira) of the budget. This year, the amount for capital expenditure has fallen to 25% (1.147 trillion naira - out of which N1.136 trillion is the budget deficit - that is to be borrowed!).
To the uninformed eye, the figures may seem to represent increases in all aspects, but to what cost, and to what effect? Apologists would want us to believe that the astronomical increase in the cost of government services can be explained by inflation, but even taking into consideration the high inflationary trend (thanks to Jonathan’s profligate campaign year spending), statutory transfers in the budget has gone up by a whopping 310%; debt servicing has a 52% increase; recurrent expenditure has gone up by 131% while capital expenditure has increased by 39% over four years. In real terms however, and accounting for inflation, the total budget has increased by 33% with recurrent expenditure going up by 58% while capital expenditure has actually reduced by 6%.
Facts and figures do not lie. Every figure used in this analysis came from official government records. What is the justification for allocating such huge amounts to running the government when a staggering 30 million Nigerians are unemployed? Only N50 billion has been budgeted to create employment, forgetting that money by itself does not create jobs without a well thought out plan to stimulate small and medium scale enterprises and the creation of appropriate regulatory environments. What are the strategies to ensure that these funds are not diverted? How many jobs will be created this year or in the next four years? Are our priorities right?
All these come down to the questions: Will government’s 4.485 trillion naira budget make life any better or even provide security for Nigerians? Can we feel the impact of this huge spending? Is the cost of governance justified? If we do not have the courage to ask these questions, we will be doing ourselves a disservice and endangering our people's future.

www.saharareporters.com

The Nigeria mass media on trial

2010-03-22T13:01:00.001+01:00

It is dangerous to dismiss the current crisis at The Punch as a crisis at The Punch. It is a crisis in the national mass media, and therefore a national crisis. It began when Steve Ayorinde, the editor of The Punch, was asked to resign his appointment last month. Left with no choice, he penned a long, detailed petition against his former boss, the same man who had asked him to leave.

That man is Azubuike Ishiekwene, the company's Executive Director (Publications) . Mr. Ayorinde's comprehensive complaint to the company's Board of Directors, which was first published by i-reports-ng. com, seems to have resulted in Mr. Ishiekwene's suspension, but The Punch has announced no such measure. The complaints against Mr. Ishiekwene are many and extremely serious. They include allegations of collecting millions of Naira from corrupt politicians and governments in exchange for their protection and promotion, as well as millions and perks from businesses and organizations.

Mr. Ishiekwene is accused of being a consultant to the Lagos State Government, and of attending meetings of "media consultants" comprising Senior Editors and Chairmen of Editorial Boards, for which he is being paid. According to Mr. Ayorinde, newspaper houses that awarded the Man of the Year award to Governor Fashola were either paid N25million to do so, or as a reward for granting the honour. Some newspapers did not award the governor anything, but if they were considered important, they still received "a N15million largesse by way of contract (sic) to the Senior Editors, including, as I reliably learnt, Mr. Ishiekwene, who are consulting for the government," the former editor wrote.

In the private sector, according to the account, Mr. Ishiekwene seems to have had a presence as well, including a significant retainer by a bank. Mr. Ayorinde also cites the paper's August 2008 publication of the power sector probe report of the House of Representatives. Among those that took a hit in it was Rockson Engineering, whose chairman is Chief Arumeni Johnson. He also happened to be a friend of Mr. Ishiekwene's, who was away on vacation at the time The Punch was publishing the report. Mr. Ayorinde alleges that as soon as his boss returned, he called a meeting of newspaper editors with Chief Johnson at Sheraton Hotel in Lagos, and that Mr. Ishiekwene "personally distributed money to the guests, ostensibly to have them protect Rockson's interest in their papers."

Chief Johnson is also the Chairman of Arik Air, and "Mr. Ishiekwene and a friend of his who is also a senior editor in another newspaper, are both consultants to the business interests of Chief Johnson through their company, A&L," of which the 'A' stands for Azubuike.

Among other things, writes Mr. Ayorinde, when Arik bought a new aircraft in France in 2008, Mr. Ishiekwene, as a Board member designate of the airline and media consultant to Chairman Johnson, overruled the plan by the company's Head of Media Relations to take aviation correspondents to France for the show. Instead, Mr. Ishiekwene took a group of selected editors who flew Business Class and were each personally handed an allowance of $5,000 by the Punch Director.

For Mr. Ishiekwene, it would be a shame even if only a few of the allegations, of which these are a sample, were true. While it is often rumoured that many journalists are on the payroll of powerful politicians and businessmen, what Mr. Ayorinde has achieved is to provide a face for the menace in his compelling narrative, which he has invited The Punch to investigate, and for which he offers names of people who would be prepared to testify. There is no doubt that Mr. Ishiekwene's credibility and career are on the thin edge of the knife.

But it would also be a fascinating report The Punch turns in when its investigation is done, because its own credibility is also in question. To begin with, it turns out that in December 2008, investigative reporter Mojid Musikilu, who is now of 234NEXT, had written a protest letter to the management about the disappearance of a story he had filed on the indictment of Ogun State's Governor Gbenga Daniel for corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Mr. Musikilu compared that experience with an earlier one, in July 2008 in next-door Oyo State. At that time, he said, not only did his story on the indictment of Governor Bayo Alao-Akala by the same Commission enjoy "generous usage," including front page treatment, even the EFCC's interim report on the governor's activities was published in full some days later.

The reporter complained about other stories: Early in 2008, another story he wrote on the EFCC's investigation of Patience Jonathan, the wife of then Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan was killed. And he was "advised against doing a story on the curious withdrawal of N3.6 billion from (the) Rivers State Government account with Zenith Bank." What this means is that in one year alone, that single reporter had at least three significant stories curiously spiked. The public is left to wonder how many other reporters at the paper suffered similar denials and frustrations during that year, or routinely. Mr. Musikilu's complaint to the management of The Punch pre-dated that of Mr. Ayorinde by over one year. It clearly indicated the reign of negative practices in The Punch newsroom, but the company does not seem to have shown any interest.

In retrospect, the Ayorinde story is not about The Punch at all, but about journalism in Nigeria. One cannot read Mr. Ayorinde's protest without coming away with the frightening impression that many senior journalists have now adopted a loose lifestyle of selling their influence to government officials and businessmen in exchange for cash and gifts without the slightest concern for any conflict of interest. This is a terrible burden because the power of the press lies in its credibility. If stories are being paid for, or editors bought in order to ensure specific kinds of coverage, a newspaper is, in effect, a doctored and worthless document. The reader is left to wonder whether a particular story was paid for with the objective of making an individual look good, or to make someone else look bad.

Similarly, if an editorial portrays an organization or institution in poor light, how does the reader know that the opinion is genuine, and not because the asking price of the editorial writer or Chairman of the Editorial Board was met? When is a story a hoax, a reward, a love story, a campaign jingle? When is the absence of a story the story? When is a headline a "head-lie"?

This is an ethical crossroads that the media, and not just The Punch, must take seriously. Nobody and no media organization should hide behind the fig leaf that this concerns only one newspaper and one editor. I do not see how anyone can be comfortable with the image of the nation's editors as a prostitution ring with its members ready to lie down for everyone that can pay the gate fee. The way forward is for the media houses, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Nigeria Guild of Editors and the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) to conduct independent investigations if they wish to re-establish public credibility in their industry, knowing that further failures on their part would throw this trade open to intrepid citizen reporters.

Without doubt, the guilty editors must be identified and exposed in order to protect the good ones and give the profession a chance to survive. Those senior journalists who have nothing to fear should defend themselves by exposing the traitors or risk going down with them. There is no middle road and nowhere to hide.

* sonala.olumhense@ gmail.com

Two Journalists Arraigned in Niger

2010-01-12T06:44:00.000+01:00

The publisher of Liberator Newspaper, Kelani Mohammed, and Editor, Usman Saidu, have been remanded in prison custody over allegations of conspiracy and inciting the public against the Secretary to the Niger state Government, Dr. Mohammed Kuta Yahaya.

Mohammed, who is the publisher of the weekly paper and his editor, Saidu, were yesterday charged to a chief Magistrate court in Minna by the Nigerian Police as a result of an article published in the paper on the January 9, 2010.

According to the prosecution officer, the offensive article published by the newspaper accused the SSG of aquiring wealth illegally and purchasing properties around the state.

The dou were charged for conspiracy, defamation of character, inciting public disturbance, giving false information to the public contrary to section 92 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

The police said the report in the paper had been investigated and found out to be false information aimed at inciting the public against the person of the SSG.

Prosecuting lawyer, Mark Igwe, requested that the journalists be remanded in prison custody to prevent them from tampering with ongoing investigation.

Counsel to the accused, Mohammed Ndayako, said the First Investigation Report (FIR) signed by the Niger state Commissioner of Police, Mike Zuokumor, shows that the investigations had been completed and they cannot tamper with investigation.

He therefore pleaded that the publisher and his editor be granted bail.

The presiding judge, Salihu Tanko, however opposed the plea, saying they should be remanded in prison custody while counsel of the accused was asked to apply formally for bail. The case was adjourned to 26th January, 2010.

courtesy Thisday Newspaper

Security Operatives Arrest Editor

2009-12-21T20:55:00.001+01:00

The State Security Services (SSS), at 10 a.m. today picked up Ahmed Shekarau, the editor of Peoples Daily, a newspaper based in Abuja.

An email from Abdullzeez Abdullahi, a colleague of Mr. Shekarau, stated that the three officers of the SSS who came to pick up Mr. Shekarau “said that the SSS DG wanted to have a chat with him (Mr. Shekarau).” The men gave no further details.

Mr. Abdullahi wrote that; “our belief however is that the invitation may be over the story of the succession battle for the VP’s slot in the event that Goodluck Jonathan becomes president. The story was published last Friday.”

He said; “The Public Relations Officer of the SSS, Maryln Ogah said she would get back to us with some information but still hasn’t done so and is not picking calls to her phone.”

courtesy www.234next.com

Security service detains French journalist

2009-12-04T11:18:00.000+01:00

The Social and Economic Rights Action Center, (SERAC), has reported the detention of a French television reporter, Frederic Tonolli, by the Nigerian State Security Service (SSS) in Lagos for taking footage in a private housing community in the Amuwo Odofin area of the city.

SERAC is a non-governmental organisation that works for the promotion of social and economic rights of which housing rights are a major aspect.

Victoria Ohaeri, the Programme Coordinator for the center in a telephone interview said that Mr. Tonolli, a reporter for the French television network, Channel Five, was arrested Wednesday, December 2 by the security service.

She said Mr. Tonolli was “vigorously interrogated and detained by the SSS for several hours at their Shangisha office in Lagos and eventually released later in the night with an order to report back the following day at noon.”

Mr. Tonolli was again detained when he reported Thursday December 3, 2009, according to Ms. Ohaeri, who said the French journalist is expected to leave the country on a scheduled flight tonight but have been told that he may not make that flight because operatives have yet to conclude their investigations.

Mr. Tonolli has requested consular assistance, but was denied the opportunity to make contact with the French Embassy in Lagos, according to Ms. Ohaeri who also claimed that the SSS has not furnished any legal basis for interfering with Mr. Tonolli’s liberty.

Ms. Ohaeri said her organisation is currently in dialogue with the SSS to seek the release of Mr. Tonolli.

courtesy; www.234next.com

What is Abike Up To?

2009-11-17T17:33:00.000+01:00

The plot against the Freedom of Information Bill is crystallising at the House of Representatives. Notonly has its passage into law been frustrated, a new bill aimed at curtailing press freedom and suppressing the practice of journalism has been freshly manufactured.

Unfortunately for Nigeria , the same journalist-turned- lawmaker who sponsored the FOIB is also the initiator of "An Act to Provide for the Repeal of the Nigerian Press Council Act 1992 and Establish the Nigerian Press and Practice of Journalism Council" at the House of Reps: Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

The bill seeks to create two new bodies - the National Examination Accreditation Board and the Media Practitioners' Complaint Council - to prescribe fresh conditions for journalism practice in the country. Before one could work as a journalist, one must be certified fit by the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), not any degree-awarding institution in the world!

And, in case of an infraction, a media house has to pay a fine of N100, 000 while the journalist, a first-time offender, has to pay N50, 000 and risks being suspended for a maximum of six months. The fine could be upped to N500, 000 and N100, 000 respectively where the corporate body or individual refuses to comply with rulings.

Nothing illustrates the ignorance and idiocy of the bill's makers (including, unfortunately, Dabiri-Erewa) better than sections 35, 36 and 37 that provide for the salary and conditions of service of media people. Every media organisation must pay a minimum of 20 per cent more than the salaries paid by the federal and state governments as well as private companies "as the case may be".

In the case of any media house that covers up to two-thirds of the country, it shall pay not less than 120 per cent more. The bill adds, in section 37, that the salaries and conditions of service of journalists are to be negotiated collectively among the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON). And, for the avoidance of doubt, the agreed salaries and conditions of service shall be published in the Federal Government Gazette and made available to every journalist (section 39)!What is Dabiri-Erewa up to?

We are surprised that such a trained media person could permit her name to be appended to this bill that is only fit to remain in the trashcan. It is unworkable. It is distasteful. It seeks to reverse all the gains made from the practice of journalism in the country over the past 150 years. Needless to add, it is the product of some idle minds that have nothing meaningful to contribute to the media and to national development.

We are at one with the Nigerian Guild of Editors, which has advised the legislators not to waste its energy on shadow-chasing. It is not their duty to educate journalists on the ethics of journalism. And they are not competent to legislate on how the business of mass communication and indeed other businesses should be managed effectively. Already, the Nigerian media is on the road to better self-regulation - the birth of the ombudsman. "Veteran" journalists like Dabiri-Erewa ought to have sought clarifications from those who know.

Perhaps, no other profession absorbs as much insult from unlearned persons as does journalism in Nigeria . This bill offers a good example: It abhors the independence of the council to be created to regulate media practice, as its chairman shall work at the pleasure of the Nigerian president and the minister of information and communications (both of whom might know nothing about journalism). In fact, the council's members shall be required to swear to an oath of secrecy - an apparent contradiction to the Freedom of Information Bill that canvasses openness and accountability.

Yet, journalism is the only profession assigned responsibility by the Nigerian constitution: "The press, radio and television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter (Fundamental Objectives and Directive of State Policy) and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people." (Section 22) Where the government - the legislature, in this case - chooses to make rules to be used in holding it accountable and responsible to the people, it violates the supreme document of the land, and its rules are therefore null and void.

Our lawmakers would do well to make laws for the good governance of Nigeria before attempting to design a training programme for would-be journalists. It is to their eternal shame that Nigeria has become one of the most corrupt, most ungoverned, most discomforting nations in the world. Today, the easiest route to wealth is having access to public funds, not hard work or intelligence. When future generations shall probe into Nigeria 's ugly past, our current lawmakers' names shall be listed among those who acquired enormous wealth without doing any work.

The new bill sponsored by Abike Dabiri-Erewa is dead on arrival. Any time the house spends debating it is a waste. Instead, it should resurrect the FOI Bill which former President Olusegun Obasanjo refused to sign into law in 2007, which the current lawmakers are apparently afraid of, but which journalists, anti-graft agencies and the overwhelming majority of the Nigerian public have been yearning for.

All through the ages, tyrants have made vain efforts to gag the press. The army of detractors led by Dabiri-Erewa shall surely fail. If history is any guide, they should be educated by the third amendment to the United States constitution: "Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of expression.. ."

Courtesy: Leadership Newspapers

The Nigerian Press and Practice of Journalism Council Bill

2009-11-16T17:53:00.001+01:00

A Bill for an Act to Provide for the repeal of the Nigerian Press Council Act, 1992, and establish the Nigerian Press and Practice of Journalism Council, to provide high profession standards for the Nigerian Press and deal with complaints emanating from members of the public about the conduct of journalists and media houses in their professional capacity, or complaints emanating from the press about the conduct of persons, organisations or institutions of government towards the press and for other matters connected therein.

Sponsored by Hon. Abike Dabiri

Be it enacted by the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as follows:

Part 1 – Establishment of the Nigerian Press and Practice of Journalism Council (NPPJC)
1.There is hereby established a body to be known as the Nigerian Press and Practice of Journalism Council (in this Act referred to as “the council of Journalism”) which shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal and may sue and be sued in its corporate name.

2 (1) The Council of Journalism shall consist a chairman and the following other members, that is-
(a) four representatives of the Nigerian Union of Journalists;
(b) two representatives of the Nigerian Guild of Editors;

(c) two representatives of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria who shall be practising journalist;
(d) four representatives of the general public; one of whom shall be a legal practitioner and one woman;
(e) one representative of education institutions involved in the training of journalists

(f) one representative of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation who shall be a practising journalists
(g) two representatives of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria;

(h) one representative of the News Agency of Nigeria, who shall be a practising journalists; and

(i) Executive Secretary of the Council of Journalism
(2) The chairman of the Council of Journalism shall be appointed by the president, on the recommendation of the minister, after due consideration of the submission of the Nigerian Press Organisation and shall be a person -
(a) of high intellectual and moral qualities and knowledge about the press and public affairs; and

(b) With not less than twenty years experience as a journalist

(3) The members of the Council of Journalism appointed under the paragraphs (d) and (f) of subsection (l) of this section shall be appointed by the Minister and members of the Council appointed under paragraph (a), (b), (c), (e), (g) and (f) of the said subsection shall be appointed by the Minister after an election by or on the nomination of the union, association of other body concerned.

(4) The supplementary provisions set out in the First Schedule to this Act shall have effect with respect to the tenure of office and proceedings of the Council and the other matters contained therein.

(3) The Council shall be charged with the duty of -
(a) enquiring into complaints about the conduct of the press and the conduct of any person or organisation towards the press and exercising in respect of the complaints the powers conferred upon it under this Act;
(b) monitoring the activities of the press with a view to ensuring compliance with the code of Professional and ethical conduct as provided for in this Act;
(c) receiving application form, and documenting the print media and monitoring their performance to ensure that owners and publishers comply with the terms of their mission statements and objectives in liaison with the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria;

(d) researching into contemporary press development and engaging in updating press documentation
(e) fostering the achievement and maintaining of high professional standards by the press;
(f) reviewing developments likely to restrict the supply through the press, of information of public interest and importance of which are liable to prevent free access of the press to information and advising on measures necessary to prevent or remedy such development;

(g) ensuring the protection of the rights and privileges of journalists in the lawful performance of their professional duties

4 (1) There shall be appointed for the Council of Journalism an Executive Secretary by the President; on the recommendation of the Minister

(2) The executive secretary shall -
(a) be a journalist with at least 15 years post qualification experience and shall have held high journalist positions;
(b) be the chief executive of the Council;
(c) be responsible for the execution of the policy of the Council and of its day-to-day administration;
(d) in addition to the functions expressly conferred on him by this Act; perform such other functions as the Council may, from time to time, direct;

(e) hold office on such terms as to emolument and otherwise, as may be specified in his letter of appointment and may, from time to time, be approved by the president;
(f) subject to this, the executive secretary shall hold office for a term of four years in the first instance and may be eligible for reappointment for a further term of four years;
(g) the executive secretary may be removed from office on the recommendation of the Minister for inability to discharge the functions of his office arising from infirmity of mind of body or from other cause.

5 (1) The Council may appoint other employees as it may consider necessary for the efficient performance of the Council’s duties under this Act
(2) The terms of service (include terms and conditions as to remuneration; allowances; retiring benefits and discipline) of the secretary and other employees of the Council shall be such as may be determined, from time to time, by the Council

(3) In carrying out the functions for which the Council is established under this Act, the Council shall be autonomous and shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other authority or person except as provided in this Act
6 (1) Service in the Council shall be approved service for purpose of the Pension Act
(2) Employees of the Council shall be entitled to pension, gratuities and any other retirement benefits as are enjoyed by persons holding equivalent grades in the civil service of the Federation

(3) Nothing in subsection (1) or (2) of this section shall prevent the appointment of a person to any office on terms which preclude the grant of pensions and gratuity in respect of that office -
(4) For the purpose of the application of the provisions of the Pension Act, any power exercisable thereunder by a Minister or authority of the Government of the Federation, other than the power to make regulations under section 29 thereof is hereby vested in and shall be exercisableby the Council other than any other person or authority

7 Without prejudice to the provisions of sections 6 of this Act, the terms and conditions of service including terms and conditions of remunerations, allowance, retirement and other benefits of the staff and other employees of the council shall be as may be determined by the Council with the approval of the Minister

Part II Power the Council of Journalism

8. In carrying out the functions for which the Council is established under this Act, the Council shall be autonomous and shall not be subject to the direction of control of any other authority or person except as provided in this Act.
9 (1) The Nigerian Union of Journalists shall provide a code of Professional and Ethnial Conduct to guide the press and journalists in the performance of their duties

(2) The Nigerian Union of Journalists shall cause a revision of such a code of Professional and Ethical Conduct as deemed appropriate from time to time to conform with media practices
(3) The Council shall, after due consideration, approve the code of professional and Ethical conduct by the Nigerian Union of Journalists and ensure compliance

(4) The Council shall cause to be published in the Nigeria Press and Practice of Journalism Council Journal, the code of Professional and Ethical Conduct as approved under subsection (3) of this subsection which shall be binding on every journalist in Nigeria

10 Every member of the council shall be required on assuming office, to subscribe to an oath that he shall faithfully and impartially and to the best of his ability, discharge his duties with respect to any inquiry conducted by the Council under this Act, and if the inquiry is not held in public, that he shall not divulge the proceedings, the vote or opinion of the members or any other matter relevant to the inquiry.

11 (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act the Council shall, following complaints lodged before it by any person, have the power to -

(a) inquiry into and examine all such witness as the Council may deem it fi;
(b) without prejudice to provisions of the code of Professional and Ethical Conduct, summon any person in Nigeria to attend any meeting of the Council to give evidence and to examine him as a witness in the case of journalists;

(c) consider and deal with any matter referred to it in the absence of any party who has been duty summoned to appear before it;
(d) admit any evidence, whether written or oral and act on evidence, whether written or oral;
(e) appoint any person to act as a interpreter in any matter brought before it;

(f) generally give all such directions and do all such things as are necessary or expedient for dealing speedily and justly with any matter referred to it from time to time
(2) Summons issued under subection 1) (b) of this section shall be in the form set out in Second Schedule to this Act and shall be served by such persons as the Council may direct/

12 The Chairman shall have power to issue on behalf of the Council all summons and appoint such number of interpreters as may be required under this Act, either before or during the inquiry until the final determinations.
13 Any interpreter appointed under section 12 of this Act shall before assuming office, subscribe before the Council, to the oath specified in the Third Schedule to this Act.

14 The chairman shall have power to issue on behalf of the Council all summons and appoint such number of interpreters as may be required under this Act, either before or during the inquiry of witness and interpreters.

Witnesses and interpreters and any other persons attending the inquiry at the request of the Councillor upon summons, shall be paid such sums, allowances or expenses, as the case may be, as the Council may, from time to time, direct and such payments shall be defrayed from the funds of the Council.

15 No member shall be liable for any act done or omitted to be done in the performance of his duties under or pursuant to this Act. Provided such act or commission is not inimical to Justice, Equity and the interests of the general public.
16 – (1) Complaints shall come to the Council by way of Appeal arising from the decision of the Media Practitioner Complaint Commission.

(2) Any person aggrieved —
(a) by anything published in respect of him in any medium of information; or
(b) by anything done in respect of him by any journalist in his capacity as a journalist; or
(c) by anything done against the journalist that is capable of limiting the preservation of the freedom of the Press guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, may make a complaint in respect thereof, in writing, addressed to the Council.

(3) If the Council is satisfied that the performance of the press is not consistent with the provisions of the Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct, the executive secretary shall, in accordance with such general directions as may be given by the Council, lay before the Council all appeals made under subsection (1) of this section.

17 – (1) where, after inquiring into a complaint under section 16 of this Act, the Council is satisfied that-
(a) the subject matter in respect of which the complaint was made, was not in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct:

referred to in paragraph (a) of this subsection;
(c) the conduct of a journalist or person is, ill the circumstances of the case blameworthy.
(2) The Council may, where appropriate, direct the medium of information or cause the person concerned to publish, in such manner as the Council may direct, a suitable apology or correction, and may in addition reprimand the Journalist or person concerned in the matters or uphold the decision of the Media Practitioner Complaint Commission or as the case may be.

(3) Where the medium of information or the journalist so sanctioned in accordance with subsection (1) of this section does not comply with the Council’s decisions, the medium or journalist is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction –

(a) in the case of a body corporate to a fine of N100,000; and
(B) in the case of a journalist of a fine of N50,000 and the Council shall order the suspension of the journalist or Media House from practice for a period not exceeding six months.

4) Where there is persistent refusal to comply with the directives of the Council, the medium or journalist so sanctioned in accordance with subsection (1) of this section, commits of an offence and is liable on conviction –
(a) in the case of a body corporate to a fine of N500,000; and

(b) in the case of a journalist to a fine of N100,000.

(5) The Council may cause to be published in the Press Journal and in such other manner as the Council may deem fit the name of any journalist reprimanded by the Council under subsection (1) of this section.

18.– (1) Subject to rules made under this Act, a person shall be entitled to be fully registered under this Act if–
(a) he has attended a course of training recognised by the Council so acquired, with the cognate experience recognised by the Council; or

(b) the course was conducted at an institution so approved, or partly at one such institution and partly at another or others; or
(c) he holds a qualification so approved; or
(d) he holds a certificate of experience issued in pursuance of section 24 of this Act.
(e) he has a general professional orientation which covers the basic requirements of information art, leading to a qualification not less than a diploma; and

(f) he has a good knowledge of the politics and socioeconomic affairs of his society acquired from an approved institution.
19-(1) It shall be the duty of the executive secretary to maintain a register of a accredited journalists and News Agents compiled by the Council in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists and the Nigerian Guild of Editors.

(2) The register referred to in subsection (1) of this section shall (without prejudice to any other mode of proof) be admissible in any proceedings as evidence that any person specified in the document or the documents read together is registered or was so registered and that any person not so specified was authorised.

(3) where in accordance with subsection (2) of this section a person is in any proceedings shown to have been or not to have been so registered at a particular date with the Council he shall, unless the contrary is proved, be taken for the purpose of those proceedings as having at all material times thereafter continued to be or not be so registered.

PART III — OWNERSHIP OF THE PRESS AND THE MEDIA

20. Ownership of media establishment shall be in accordance with section 39 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

21. Every Nigerian citizen or corporate body authorised by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, on the fulfillment of such conditions as had been laid down by the National Assembly, shall have the right to own, establish or operate a television or own, establish or operate a television or wireless broadcasting station for educating, entertaining and informing the citizenry.

22. The right of the Government of the Federation or of a State to own, establish or operate a television or wireless broadcasting station shall be exercised in the interest of the Generality of the peoples of the Federation or of the State, as the case may be, and such right shall not be exercise to the detriment of the privately owned media journalist.

PART IV — FREEDOM OF JOURNALISTS TO PRACTICE THEIR PROFESSION
23. The freedom of the press as established by section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is hereby further guaranteed.

24. No journalist shall be arbitrarily arrested, detained, prosecuted or punished for his published views and opinions, and;

25. Notwithstanding the provisions in paragraph 8 (d) of the Third Schedule of the NBC Act No. 38 of 1992 (as amended), paragraph13.3.3.1 (c) of the NBC Code, no media establishment shall be arbitrarily closed down, scaled up or practice licence revoked for publishing an opinion or information, except in accordance with the provisions of this bill or in accordance with any other bill enacted by the National Assembly, or in the due process of application of the procedure relating to a breach of an existing law in Nigeria.

PART V — QUALIFICATION TO PRACTICE AS A JOURNALIST
26. A person shall not practice as a Journalist in Nigeria unless —

(a) he has passed the qualifying examinations as approved by the Nigerian Press and Practice of Journalism Council
(b) he is a registered member of the Nigerian Union of Journalists;
(c) he is employed as an editorial staff (that is, Reporter, Editor, Sub-Editor, Features Writer, Leader Writer, Proof Reader, Photo Journalist, TV Engineering, Cameraman, Cartoonist, Information Officer in State or Federal Ministries of Information, or Local Government Information Officer, or Newscaster attached to News and Current Affairs Department) in a media establishment recognised by law;

(d) possess either a Higher National Diploma (HND) or a Degree or their equivalent in Journalism or Mass Communication obtained from recognised institutions.

(c) he has qualifications in other disciplines from a recognised institution and has passed the prescribed professional examination of the Nigeria Union of Journalist; or

27. – (1) The Press and Practice of Journalism Council in conjunction with the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), The Nigerian Institute of Journalism and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) shall establish a National Examination and Accreditation Board to conduct examination for would-be journalists or graduates of Mass Communications in Nigeria in the Nigeria Institute of Journalism.

(2) The following body shall form the National Examination and Accreditation Board NEAB)—
(a) 3 representatives of the Nigerian Press and Practice of Journalism Council
(b) 2 representatives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists

(c) 2 representatives of the Newspapers Proprietors of Nigeria
(d) 2 representatives of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria
(e) 2 representatives of the Nigerian Guilds of Editors.

(3) The National Examination and Accreditation Board shall make rules guiding the conduct of the students and the general academic activities of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism.

(4) the Nigerian Institute of Journalism shall organise a one-year professional programme for the training of graduate of journalism.

(5) The Nigeria Press and practice of Journalism Council shall establish Journalists Registration Board which shall among other activities, issue certificate of practice to every registered journalist in Nigeria.

28. Subject to subsection (2) of this section, the Council may approve for the purpose of Section 20 of this Act—
(a) a course of training which is intended for persons who are seeking to become or are journalists and which the Council considers is designed to confer on persons completing it, sufficient knowledge and skill for the practice as members of the profession;

(b) any institution either in Nigeria, or elsewhere, which the Council considers is properly the whole or any part of a course of training approved by the Council under this section; and

(c) any qualification which, as a result of an examination take in conjunction with the course of training approved by the Council under this section, is granted to candidates reaching a standard at the examination indicating, in the opinion of the Council that they have sufficient knowledge and skill to practice journalism as a profession.

(2) The Council shall from time to time, publish in the Federal Gazette a list of qualifications in the profession of journalism approved by it, and subject thereto, the Council shall not approved for the purposes of subsection (1) of this section a qualification granted by an institution Nigeria, unless the qualification has been so published by the Council.

(3) The Council may, if it thinks fit, withdraw any approval given under this section of this Act in respect of course, qualification or institution; but before withdrawing such an approval the Council shall —

(a) give notice that it proposes to do so to persons in Nigeria appearing to the Council to be persons by whom the course is conducted or the qualification is granted or the institution is controlled, as the case may be; and

(b) afford each such person an opportunity of making to the Council representation with regard to the proposals; and
(c) talk into consideration any representation made as respects the proposal to withdraw the approval.

(4) As respects any period during which the approval of the Council under this section for a course, institution or qualification is withdrawn, the course, or qualification or institution shall not be treated as approved under this section; but the withdrawal of such an approval shall not prejudice the registration or eligibility for registration of any person who by virtue of the approval was registered or was eligible for registration (either) unconditionally or subject to the obtaining a certificate or experience) immediately before the approval was withdrawn.

(5) The giving or withdrawal of an approval under this section of this Act, shall have effect from such date after execution of the instrument signifying the giving or withdrawal of the approval, as the Council may specify in that instrument and the Council shall—

(a) as soon as possible, publish a copy of every such instrument in the Federal Gazette and
(b) not later than seven days before its publication as aforesaid, send a copy of the instrument to the Minister.
29. — (1) it shall be the duty of the Council to keep itself informed of the nature of—

(a) the instruction given at approved institutions to persons attending approved courses of training;
(b) the examinations, as a result of which approved qualifications are granted, and for the purposes of performing that duty, the Council may appoint, either from among its own members of otherwise, person to visit approved institution or to attend such examinations.

(2) It shall be the duty of a person appointed under subsection (1) of this section, to report to the Council on —
(a) the adequacy of the instruction given to person attending such approved courses of training at institutions visited by him;

(b) the adequacy or otherwise of the examinations attended by him; and
(c) any other matter relating to the institutions or examination on which the Council may, either generally or in a particular case, request him to report:

Provided that the person shall not interfere with the giving of any instruction or the holding of any examinations.
(3) Our receiving a report made in pursuance of this section of this Act the Council shall, as soon as may be send a copy of the report to the person appearing to the Council to be in charge of this institution or responsible for the examinations to which the report relates requesting that person to make representations to the Council within such period as may be specified in the request, not being less than one month beginning with the date of the request.

30. — (1) A person who after obtaining an approved qualification, satisfies the conditions specified in subsection (2) of this section shall be entitled to receive free of charge a certificate of experience in the prescribed for from the person in charge of the institution.

(2)The conditions referred to in subsection (1) of this section are that—
(a) he shall have served his time for employment, the prescribed period in Nigeria with a view to obtaining a certificate of experience; or

(b) He shall have acquired during his employment practical experience under the personal supervision and guidance of one more registered journalists for such periods as may be prescribed.
(c) the manner in which he carried out the duties of is employment and —————————the period of his employment shall have been satisfactory.

(3( it shall be the duty of the employer, being a registered journalist supervising the training of the person employed with a view to obtaining a certificate of experience, to ensure that the person is afforded proper opportunities of acquiring the practical experience required for the purposes to paragraph (b)of subsection (2) of this section.

(4) Whereafter having served his time as referred to in paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of this section, a person is refused certificate of experience, he shall be entitled—

(a) to receive from his employer particulars in writing of the grounds of the refusal; and
(b) to appeal against the refusal to a committee of the Council in accordance with rules made by the Council in that behalf (including rules as to the time within which appeals are to be brought) and on any such appeal the committee of the Council shall have power to either discuss the appeal or itself issue the certificate of experience in question or give such other direction on the matter as it considers just.

(5) The Minister may made regulations for the issuance of certificates of experience in respect of employment and Institutions outsider Nigeria.

31. The council may cause to be published in the Press Journal and in such other manner as the Council may deem fit the name of any journalist or person reprimanded by the Council in the exercise of its power under this Act.
32. The Council may publish its journal and books, to publicise its activities and the result of its findings on adjudication and such other matters which relate to the development of mass media in Nigeria.

PART VI — APPOINTMENT AS EDITOR

33.— (1) A person shall be qualified for appointment as Editor in a newspaper or media establishment if –
(a) he had attained the age of 25 years;

(b) he is a registered member of the Nigerian Union of Journalists; and
(c) he has, for a period of not less than ten years served as a reporter or acquired working experience as a journalist in a reputable newspaper house, electronic news medium of news agency.

(2) Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall be —————————–to include working experience, employment in a house journal, newsletter or any similar publications.

34. Any media establishment that appoints any journalist without the appropriate Qualifications as editor shall be guilty of an offence of professional misconduct, and the matter shall be referred to the Nigerian Press and Practice of Journalism Council who shall proceed on the matter in accordance with Part IX of this Act.

PART VII — CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
35. In order to ensure the independence, objectivity, impartiality and transparency of journalists, they shall be placed on salaries, allowances, pensions and general conditions of service at least not less than 20 per cent above those paid to staff in Federal and State Government parastatals and private companies as the case may be.

36. Any media establishment that covers at least two-thirds of the country shall pay their workers not less than 120 percent above the rates of salary, pensions, allowance, etc. which obtain at the Federal level, shall pay their workers not less than 20 per cent above the rates, pensions and allowances, etc. which operate at the State level. Allowances may however differ to accommodate peculiar needs.

37. The conditions of Service of Journalist including salaries, allowances, leave, general and retirement benefits, etc. shall be negotiated collectively and as necessary between the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON).

38. Every registered journalist shall be given an insurance certificate taken out on his behalf by the employers with reputable Insurance Company.

39. The agreed Conditions of Service shall be published in the Federal Gazette, and made available to every journalist and media establishment.

40. The —————————————–applicable salaries, allowances and conditions of service, shall be an offence under this Bill and shall be reported by the Nigeria Union of Journalists to the Nigerian Press

Courtesy: Vanguard Newspapers

The Guardian reporter killed in Lagos

2009-09-20T20:18:00.000+01:00

LAGOS – IT was another black Sunday for The Guardian Newspapers as a gang of suspected armed robbers shot dead one of its journalists identified as Bayo Ohu.

Police sources said the bandits stormed the journalist’s No 9, Oyeniyi Street, Odukoya estate residence at the about 7.00 a.m. and forced their way into his apartment. They were said to had demanded for cash and other valuables which the journalist readily obliged.

After collecting the cash he had, they picked his lap-top before releasing some bullets into his stomach. He was said to had slumped and died almost immediately.

However, reports said while the robbery was going on, a neighbour had put a call to the police, but the bandits had successfully made good their escape before the police arrived.

But a team of anti-robbery squad on routine patrol in the area were reported to have given the armed gang a hot chase, forcing them to abandon their get away vehicle and fled.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed the incident but said it might be a case of assassination. Mba said the police had recovered the vehicle, an unmarked Toyota Camry used for the attack, assuring that a manhunt for the perpetrators had since begun.

In a related development, a team of anti- robbery squad from the Area E Command, Festac town Lagos has arrested two armed robbers in the area.

The suspects identified as Andrew Ilouere and Chinedu Nwokolie were arrested along the Lagos-Badagry expressway moments after they had successfully robbed one Paschal Anyawu.

They were said to have collected an un specified amount of money and other valuables from the victim but ran into the waiting hands of the patrol team.

Reports said when they were searched, a locally madeGuardian Newspapers with some live cartridges were recovered from them.

The police image maker also confirmed the arrest, adding that the suspects would be transferred to the SCID Panti, Yaba, Lagos for further investigation.

Gambia frees jailed journalists

2009-09-04T12:19:00.000+01:00

Six Gambian journalists who were jailed for criticising President Yahya Jammeh have been freed after he pardoned them.

A government statement confirmed the decree by Mr Jammeh but gave no reason for his decision.

The six were found guilty of defamation and sedition in August and sentenced to two years in jail.

They had questioned Mr Jammeh's declaration that the government was not responsible for the 2004 death of prominent journalist Deyda Hydara.

Mr Hydara, a vocal critic of strict media laws, was gunned down but nobody has been charged with his murder.

Since then the privately owned newspaper he edited, The Point, has incorporated into its masthead his photo, with the question: "Who killed Deyda Hydara?"

Another prominent journalist Chief Ebrima Manney went missing three years ago.

One of the journalists - Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, vice-president of the Gambia Press Union - confirmed to the AFP news agency that she had been released.

The agency reports that her five male colleagues left another prison on Thursday evening chanting "the truth will always prevail".

President Jammeh came to power through a coup in 1994 and has won three multi-party elections since then.

But amid claims of plots to oust him, dozens of people have been arrested and unlawfully detained, human rights groups say.

Courtesy; www.bbc.com/africa

Police Raid News Of The People Office

2009-09-03T16:00:00.000+01:00

Two policemen in mufti early this morning stormed the office of the News of The People, a softsell magazine, based in Ojodu, Lagos, to arrest either the publisher or the editor.

Informed sources revealed that the policemen said they were from Police Headquarters, Abuja, and working on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police to arrest either the publisher, the editor or both, over a story on the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NACO), the magazine published recently.

The source added that the policemen claimed the IG said the story is capable of causing security threat in the country.

Meanwhile, Babatunde Oshinaya, the Admin Manager of the magazine, and a reporter, Lukmon Akintola have been arrested and taken to an unknown destination.

'No-music day' on Nigeria radio

2009-09-01T22:01:00.000+01:00

Radio stations in Lagos have largely observed a call by Nigerian artists for a "No-Music Day" to protest at piracy and the non-payment of royalties.

The BBC's Fidelis Mbah in the city says some stations have instead played foreign music.

A musicians' spokesman said that many stations and nightclubs see obtaining music licences as an "alien idea".

Last week, a group of Lagos musicians organised an ongoing hunger strike to protest at rampant piracy.

Our correspondent says pirated CDs of popular albums are readily available on the city's streets, at a fraction of the official price.

Despite the occasional raid on the pirates' production outfits, security agents have failed to tame their activities, he says.

It is the first time Nigerian musicians have united to highlight their plight.

'Pain'

Nigerian Music Industry Coalition spokesman Efe Omorogbe said the failure to pay royalties was equivalent to making and distributing pirated CDs.

There are probably more radio stations in Lagos than in two other African countries put together. Lagos stations do not pay royalties," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

He said Nigeria had two royalty collection associations.

Radio stations often say they do not know which one collects for which catalogue.

"The system has failed to structure itself in such a way that people are compelled to pay," he said.

The musicians' indefinite hunger strike will be followed by a protest to the National Assembly, our correspondent says.

Lagos musician Funsho Olatunbosun, who goes by the stage name Xtreme, says piracy has really affected his income.

"All the artists are feeling the pain... we're not relying on the album [sales], we're only relying on shows," he said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Are you taking part in Nigeria's "No-Music Day"? Do you buy pirated CDs? Let us know what you think about it, by using the postform below to send us your comments.

I felt for Nigerian artists, 95% of albums sold in d streets are pirated, govt are not helping issues they always claim to fight corruption but reverse was d case they like corruption d way fish likes water, everything in Nigeria is pirated even d air we breath, nigeria is one of d richest in oil they've kept on importing oil, what a shame of a country.
Arinze Umeweni, Abuja, Nigeria

Oh please! No power supply, the pipes are dry, schools are on strike, people are getting kidnapped. We've got bigger issues to worry about.
Kunle Oduwobi, Ogun State, Nigeria

It's definitely a perfect idea. Bravo Lagos artists. In Uganda, many artists have gone into oblivion because of that. I am one of them.
Jane Apio, Lira, Uganda

I think the idea here is correct but the implementation remain the issue, no amount of law our national assemble will ever produce without enforcement from the heart of our law enforcement agencies that will ever produce positive change, this change will come from you and me who will join hand together to fight the good fight, all Nigerian artist should come together as a team, identify that one enemy, join hand the pull the trigger and have the enemy kingdom pulled down, this goal is achievable.
Ras Jeluna, PH, Nigeria

It is not only music that is pirated in Nigeria. Books are also pirated, even household goods, toiletries, soaps, etc are pirated - virtually everything in Nigeria is pirated. Do we all go on hunger strike? Though I sympathise with the musicians, but some of them are just happy to hear their music played on radio, thus giving them free publicity. They should learn to live with what Nigeria has turned out to be - THE JUNGLE - where the rule is survival of the fittest. The government is on indefinite leave.
Segiru Sule, Ibadan

A labourer deserves his wages. Why are people reaping where they did not sow? So stand firm and fight for your right.
Victor-Davis Eche, Awka

For decades, imported music has been bootlegged in the country with no protest from the industry .Now the chicken has finally come home to roost. Suck it up guys with your sorry music.
Charlie Igbonoba, Dallas, Tx USA

Corruption in Nigeria from presidency to common Nigerian so piracy continues...
Declan Egbusuo, Nkume Njaba Biafra

Hey, leave the musician they too are pirating foreign albums and is vice-versa, let them shout, piracy continues...James Badboy, Lagos, Nigeria

Yes, the musicians are really suffering as a result of our unregulated check economy. The govt. need to come in to salvage the music industry in one hand and the artist on the other hand.
Mr Esabu Monday, Agadaga Ewohimi, Edo State, Nigeria

its really disastrous because i was in Abuja early this year when the Nigerian major musicians attends comedy events, just to earn a living, while their Cds is everywhere in the market.
Jonas E. ThankGod, Madrid

What is this nonsense about no music day? Why can't the country not get serious in eradicating poverty. Despite the oil from the delta region, the cocoa from the west and midwestern region, the palm oil from the eastern region the groundnuts and the cattle from the northern region, the rubber from the midwestern and southeastern regions of the country plus precious solid minerals in all parts of the country there are no basic amenities for all the population. Even in the commercial city of Lagos 95% of the city do not have pipe borne water flowing through the taps to drink and even flush the toilets. What a shame. A big shame indeed. I learnt that the governor of Lagos state is beautifying the city, when there is no electricity in constant supply and pipe borne water. Get serious Nigeria. The country is being laughed at from serious nations around the world after so many years of self rule. Stop this no music day and get the country off poverty. Mind you observers don't go to the GRA, Victoria Island or Ikoyi. They go to areas that have been neglected.
Dr. Eng. William. Gillbeak, London Unitied Kingdom

I support you with all my life. we have been robbed for too long.
Oyet, Ukatejit, Calabar, Nigeria

This's just a nonsense. How's the music industry beneficial to the Nigerian Federation? After all the parliament and the executives have already failed to provide the dividend of the so-called democracy to their people, so what next do they expect from them?
Tijjani Bukar, Damaturu, Nigeria

It sad that our musicians are not getting compensated for their talents due to nefarious activities of some unscrupulous individuals. Piracy is an up hill battle for the music and movie industries in Nigeria. Due to the current economic downturn in the country, a lot of people find the pirated CDs cheaper than the original ones. For as long as people are buying pirated CDs, the industry will remain vibrant and lucrative. It is had time the national assembly join our artistes in the fight against pirated CDs and payment of royalties to the musicians. There is no doubt that the livelihood of our artistes is in jeopardy. My fellow Nigerians should boycott pirated CDs and help are artistes to grow.
Omorodion Osula, Boston, USA

I support Nigeria musicians. This idea it will help them 2 develop the activities of music in Nigeria.
Yakubu Peter, Kano, Nigeria

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8231227.stm

Sokoto Govt under pressure to recall suspended journalists

2009-08-31T09:31:00.001+01:00

Concerned stakeholders in the media industry in Sokoto State are mounting pressures on Governor Aliyu Wamakko and the state Ministry of Information to recall two journalists of the state radio who were recently suspended by the ministry.

The two journalists, Abdulnasir Abubakar, a news editor and Abubakar Isa, a reporter, of Sokoto State owned Rima Radio were suspended for reporting that the state’s Ramadan feeding programme breached meal specifications given by the state government.

The state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in a reaction described as hasty, the decision to suspend the journalists. The state chairman of the NUJ Alhaji Sajo Sayyinna in press statement advised the ministry and management of Rima Radio to, in the interest of fair play and professionalism, reverse the decision. The state council of the NUJ also urged the ministry and management to investigate the various feeding centres in line with what is being provided by government. The NUJ disclosed that the case had already been referred to its ethics and disciplinary committee for necessary action.

Commenting on the suspension order, the chairman, correspondents chapel, Mallam Abdullahi Elkurebe, said in the interest of justice and fair play, the ministry and Rima Radio management should not have just suspended the two journalists but should have looked properly into their report with a view to determine its veracity.

It was further learnt that the two reporters, having visited various centres established for the Ramadan feeding programme, found out that people were not being fed in accordance with the government’s specification in view of the release of N100 million for the exercise designed purposely to assist the less privileged.

My Arrest and Release

2009-08-28T16:00:00.002+01:00

I had another brush with Nigerian security agents on wednesday 26th August, 2009 and below are some of the reports about my arrest and release.
My record is gradually increasing...6 arrests by the Police and 3 arrests by the State Security Service...still counting

PM NEWS REPORT

BBC Reporter Arrested, Freed
August 27, 2009 15:37, 511 views

By Paul Dada

A British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reporter, Fidelis Mbah, has explained how he was arrested and later freed by officers of the State Security Service, SSS.

The Nigerian-born Mbah was arrested at the VIP Lounge Press Centre of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, while doing a live telephone interview with the BBC’s London office.

According to him, “SSS detained me today at the airport for about an hour. They claimed I was not authorised to gain access to the VIP lounge press centre at the airport. I was doing a live phone interview with my London studio when they ordered me to stop and locked me inside their office. They seize my phone and ID card and threatened to take me to Shangisha.”

Mbah said it was after the intervention of some journalists, who pleaded with the SSS men, that he was released.

http://thepmnews.com/2009/08/27/bbc-reporter-arrested-freed

----------

IT WAS ALSO PUBLISHED BY www.pointblanknews.com

Date Published: 08/26/09

BBC Reporter detained in Lagos

Fidelis Mba, a reporter with the British Broadcasting Service was today arrested and detained for several hours by the State Security Operatives, SSS, in Lagos.

Mba who was conducting an interview at the VIP wing of the Lagos Airport was almost wisked away to Shangisha, the dreaded detention camp used to torture journalists and pro democracy activists by the late General Sanni Abacha.

He was later released after scores of journalist pleaded on his behalf. His identification card and other valuables were seized.

http://pointblanknews.com/os2078.html

Journalist Alleges Threat to Life

2009-08-15T20:11:00.000+01:00

The South-South Bureau Chief of Champion Newspapers, Mr. Tony Ita Etim, has written a protest letter to the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, Mr. Bala Hassan, alleging threat to his life by some suspected Islamic extremists.

In the letter dated August 12, 2009 to the police chief, the journalist said, ''i write to intimate you that I have been receiving several telephone calls from a section of the society who claimed to be Moslems threatening to beat me or kill me''.

According to him, ''these calls came in Friday July 31, 2009. The callers are claiming that they are reacting to an article titled DRUMS OF WAR which was published in my column called AKPANIKO. Though most of the callers have hidden their numbers, some callers’ numbers were opened and these numbers are 08039266105, 08036388469 and 07030803077' '.

''On Tuesday, August 11, 2009''; he went on, ''a new dimension was added when a caller with number 084764210 threatened to send assassins after me. He alleged that in 2003 at the New Covenant Anglican Church, Amadi Flat during the child dedication of a staff of AGIP, one Engineer Nwabueze I took his pictures and publish same without his permission; which is a lie''.

''I know Nwabueze and was invited for the said ceremony. I did not attend his child dedication because I was out of Port Harcourt. The first time I went to that Church was when then Rivers State Information Commissioner now Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Mr. Magnus Abe, dedicated his son, Peter. I did not take any picture. My second visit to the church was in 2008 when the Chairman of the Federated Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Mr. Lawson Heyford held a thanksgiving service for his wife, Bright, who survived a cancer operation. Also I did not take pictures because I didn’t own a camera as at that time'', he said in the letter.

Continuing, he added, ''i would appeal to you to use your good office to investigate these callers, their motives as well as arrest and prosecute them. I am a law abiding citizen of this country and if in the course of my duty as a reporter anybody is aggrieved with my opinion, such persons have the right to go to court and seek legal redress than resort to threat of violence and assassinations.

''Sir, I would also ask for police protection as I have been observing strange faces trailing me and coming to my office under the guise of doing one business or the other and at the end they end up not doing anything rather than waiting and asking for names of my colleagues in a bid to identify who among them is Tony Ita Etim.

''Sir, I count on your assistance as my life is in danger.''

In the mean time, Journalists for Niger Delta (JODEL), a media group concerned with the affairs of Nigeria's oil and gas region has warned that any harm to the journalist could trigger a religious conflict that will further worsen the situation in the Niger Delta.

An official of the media group, Mr. Daniel Abia, told our correspondent on telephone on Saturday that they are confident that Mr. Hassan, the police boss, will not allow the threat to the life of the journalist, to degerate.

''While we are watching the situation, JODEL will like to say at this point that we have confidence in the competence of the commissioner of police to handle the matter'', Mr. Abia said.

Ekiti Radio Shut

2009-06-20T07:34:00.001+01:00

Police have taken over the premises of the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES) after a protest by its workers, which led to the sudden closure of the organisation.

The workers of the broadcasting house have beenengaged in an industrial disharmony with the management headed by Dr. Segun Aderiye.

The radio station went off air at about 4 p.m. on Friday followingthe redeployment of three leaders of the aggrieved workers. They have been having a running battle with the management for months, demanding Aderiye's removal as the director general, adding that it is the way peace can be guaranteed in the organisation.

Aderiye, while confirming the incident, said the station was shut down following the emergency congress called by the affected union leaders. He explained that letters of redeployment were served in the Ministry of Establishment and Trainingto the union leaders, but the letter did not state any reason.

Aderiye, who said he was not at the office when the incident occurred, added that efforts were already being made the management to get the station back on air.

Ekiti State Police Public Relations Officer, Oladipupo Awe, who also confirmedthe incident, said his men have already taken over the premises to forestall any breakdown of law and order, adding that the situation has been put under control. Efforts to get comment from the affected union leaders proved were to no avail.

Courtesy-Independent Newspaper

SOLUDO'S THERAPY

2009-05-22T06:52:00.000+01:00

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo yesterday in Awka, Anambra State, ordered journalists out of a conference where he was scheduled to deliver a paper.

Soludo was invited to deliver a lecture entitled “Financial sustainability in the Catholic Church’’ at the conference, organised by the Awka Diocese of the Catholic Church.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Soludo had hardly begun to speak when he noticed the presence of a horde of photographers and other journalists in the venue of the forum.

“Who are these?” he asked and when told that they were newsmen invited by organisers to cover the event, he threatened to discontinue the lecture until the “intruding” reporters were sent out of the hall. “I have the right to talk to my church, and my visit here is private,” Soludo said.

The request was immediately carried out by the organisers who asked the newsmen not only to leave the hall, but the entire premises of the Pastoral Retreat Centre, venue of the conference.

Partisan Journalism

2009-05-07T20:55:00.001+01:00

I am getting quite disturbed with the conduct of some professional colleagues. I am disturbed cos am a member of the family and as such cannot run away from making observations to restore dignity to my cherished profession.

I find it hard to explain why some colleagues have lately thrown caution to the winds and embraced partisanship in the discharge of their duties. Am worried that professionalism has been thrown to the dust bin and what some colleagues are now wearing is 'coat of interest'.

I have been in Ekiti State , southwest Nigeria where a disputed election re-run has pitched the ruling PDP and the opposition AC. My experiences in the hands of my professional colleagues is not what i want to share with my wife during dinner so she does not lose her appetite.

Before i embarked on the trip to Ekiti State, I read and heard stories about how some journalists were harassed, beaten and assaulted by natives. I had this concern at the back of my mind and planned to thread with caution in terms of visibility.

But my findings on getting to Ekiti State were shocking. My colleagues were actually beaten up cos they were confirmed to have pitched their tents with the political parties. Almost all journalists belonged to a political camp even though they were not card carrying members.

Some were given special accomodation at 3-star hotels and they never hid it that they were on the payroll of the parties.

Some colleagues were willing tools of propaganda and concerned themselves more with spreading rumuors than carrying out their duties. I don't want to mention names but to say i was disappointed with the conduct of some colleagues i had respect for prior to the Ekiti disgrace is an understatement.

So why wont we get beaten up by our readers/listeners/ viewers?

There has to be a change in attitude and am appealing to individuals cos the Nigeria Union of Journalists now seems to be a toothless bulldog.

Change in attitude is definitely inevitable.

Regulator Slaps Private Radio Fine over Sharp Practices

2009-05-02T18:35:00.000+01:00

Nigeria's broadcast regulator, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), fined private radio station Adaba FM 500,000 Naira (approx. US$3,350) for allegedly transmitting on 25 April "materials that were capable of inciting members of the public to violence and consequently leading to breakdown of law and order", while covering the re-run of the governorship elections in Ekiti State in the southwest.

Mr. Awwalu Salihu, NBC's head of public affairs, said in a statement that Adaba FM's broadcast of 9:30 a.m. (local time) of 25 April violated sections 3.1.2 and 1.4.4 of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code, adding that the commission gave the station until 8 May to pay up or "face higher sanction".

The letter of sanction was reportedly handed over to the acting general manager of the station, Mr. Joseph Alake, in the afternoon of 27 April.

The commission stressed its "determination to ensure that broadcasting stations play their indispensable role according to the rules of the game to ensure fairness and peace in the nation's political process."

The NBC was not specific on what aspects of the station's programme breached the Broadcasting Code. As was the case on previous occasions when it sanctioned privately owned broadcasting stations, the NBC again did not follow the procedure specified in the Broadcasting Code which requires the commission to give a station an opportunity to defend itself before applying sanctions.

The NBC is viewed by many as lacking in independence as it is directly under the control of the minister of information and communications as well as the president.

It has been repeatedly accused of being quick to muzzle privately owned broadcast stations with little or no justification while turning a blind eye when government-owned stations violate the provisions of the Broadcasting Code, particularly during election periods.

Adaba FM is a private station running on the frequency modulated wave band and is based in Akure, the Ondo State capital, in south-west Nigeria.

Youths New Drugs Discovery

2009-04-17T14:23:00.001+01:00

GOMBE YOUTHS DRINK LIZARD EXCRETA AS INTOXICANT

LIZARD dropping has become the major intoxicant in Gombe as a sizeable number of youths in the state now depend on it for stimulation, investigation has shown.

Investigations revealed that the droppings have since taken over from Indian hemp and other drugs as the major stimulant in the state.

Youths, according to the investigation, take the droppings because of its potency as a strong intoxicant.

Newsmen also observed that the development had raised the value of the droppings, as it was no longer easy to find.

A user who spoke to on condition of anonymity, revealed that they usually assigned younger children to scout for the droppings after enticing them with token amounts.

‘’We just give them N5 or N10 to buy sweet or biscuit and they comb the nooks and crannies of the streets for the excreta,’’ he told newsmen after a monetary bargain.

Some youths arrested by the police for engaging in violence three weeks ago confirmed the shift from Indian hemp to lizard droppings.

Mr Hosea Karma, Deputy Commissioner of Police in Gombe, told newsmen that the youths had confessed to using the droppings to intoxicate them before engaging in their nefarious activities.

‘’When asked what they normally take before engaging in violence, some of them revealed that Indian hemp was no longer potent, and that lizard dropping was stronger,’’ he said.

‘’There is the need for parents to really wake up to their responsibilities of proper up-bringing of their children, to make it easy for the authorities to complement their efforts,’’ Karma advised.

On his part, Mr. Ishaku Iliya, Commander of NDLEA in Gombe, told newsmen that his men were yet to come across such practice in the state.

Asked to confirm the potency of the lizard excreta as an intoxicant, the commander said the white portion of the droppings was a killer drug.

‘’The white portion is rich in ammonia which intoxicates and it is the one they go for. They soak and drink it or sometimes mix it with Indian hemp for enhanced effect,’’ he revealed.

Private TV Alleges Threat to Operations

2009-04-17T12:44:00.003+01:00

Galaxy Television alleges harassment

The management of Galaxy Television has raised alarm over threat to the life of its staff by agents of Ogun State Government, saying it would ensure that such threats coming from "a source with a historical reputation for violence" are investigated.

A statement by its President, Mr. Steve Ojo, said since the station commenced a five-part report on the state of insecurity in Ogun State, abuse of power and collapse of legislation on April 6, 2008 the station`s personnel had been subjected to undue harassment.

While the residence of its correspondent in Ogun State was burgled, a member of the State House of Assembly, one Hon. Amusan on April 11,threatened the lives of guests and a presenter on its weekly programme, Editors` Forum.

"Galaxy Television insists that threats to the life of its staff or guests will not be taken lightly," he said.

Galaxy Television is privately-owned and operates from Ibadan Oyo State and Lagos in South-West, Nigeria.

The Punch condemns reporter’s detention

2009-03-26T08:23:00.002+01:00

The management of The Punch newspapers has condemned the detention by the Police of its Chief Correspondent in Abuja, Mr. Olusola Fabiyi.
The correspondent was said to have gone to the Police headquarters, Abuja, to confirm a story when he was seized by personnel over his refusal to disclose the source of a story ran by the paper last Monday.

The paper had in the story quoted a statement by the Action Congress (AC), alleging that a prominent governor in the North-Central zone was co-ordinating the plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to kill former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Fabiyi, who was said to have insisted that the source was the party’s press release, The Punch management said, has been moved to Area 10 by the police, who also seized his telephone.

The company said it seriously "condemned the detention of an innocent journalist on a baseless excuse".

Source; the Nation Newspaper

NEWS HEADLINES;

1. PTDF: Court decides Obasanjo’s fate tomorrow

An Abuja High Court is set to resolve questions raised in a suit filed by two lawyers seeking the trial of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Barely a week after he expressed his readiness to face trial for any abuse of office, Obasanjo will tomorrow know his fate over the alleged mismanagement of over N1.2billion belonging to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund(PTDF).

A judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Justice Anwuli Chikere, yesterday fixed judgment for tomorrow in a suit seeking the trial of the ex-president over the PTDF fund.

Although Obasanjo is said to be out of the country, his lawyer had been notified of the judgment by the court.

2. Governors petition Yar’Adua, IG over plot to kill Tinubu

The six governors in the North-Central zone of the country have petitioned President Umaru Yar‘Adua and the Inspector- General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, over the allegation by the Action Congress that one of them was behind the alleged plot to assassinate a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The governors, in the two-page petition signed on Wednesday by five of them, are demanding an investigation into the allegation.

The governors, who wrote the petition are the Chairman of North-Central Governors‘ Forum, Mr. Jonah Jang (Plateau); Mr. Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Alhaji Ibrahim Idris (Kogi); Dr. Bukola Saraki (Kwara); Alhaji Aliyu Doma (Nassarawa); and Dr. Babangida Aliyu (Niger).

According to the governors, Okiro’s investigation in the matter was imperative as the ”allegation is not only serious but weighty and should not be handled with levity.”

3. 19 Political Parties Agree on Mega Party

The expected formation of a mega political party is gradually taking shape with a coalition of 19 political parties' agreeing to come
together.

The parties include, faction of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), led by General Muhammadu Buhari, Action Congress (AC), Progressive Action Congress (PAC) and Tunji Braithwaite led Nigeria Action Party (NAP), Olu Falae led Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA).

Others are, Peoples Mandate Party (PMP), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Labour Party, Progressive Action Congress (PAC) and Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA) among others.

The final decision will be taking in Lagos on April 7, where the name, logo and manifesto would be unfolded.

4. Gunmen Kill 8 Policemen in Delta CP’s Convoy

Eight policemen attached to the convoy of the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Jacob Oshiomogor, were killed yesterday during an exchange of gunfire with armed robbers.

Mr Oshiomogho, however, escaped death by the whiskers. The attack took place at Ekpon, Igueben Local Government Council of Edo State, near Agbor, in Delta State.

Initially, the whereabouts of the Police chief could not be ascertained, but the Force Public Relations Officer, an ACP (ACP), Emmanuel Ojukwu, who confirmed the incident in Abuja, said Oshiomogho was alive and safe.

He, however, could not confirm the number of casualties.

‘Abducted’ National Life Abuja Bureau Chief surfaces in Bayelsa

2009-03-19T08:50:00.001+01:00

The Abuja Bureau Chief of National Life newspaper, Mr. Akin Orimolade, who was snatched in Abuja on Tuesday by security operatives from Bayelsa State, yesterday surfaced in a Magistrate’s Court on the outskirts of Yenagoa.
He was brought to the court in Biogbolo, a few kilometres to Yenagoa, the state capital, by plain-clothes security men in a blue Mercedes Benz 190 car.

Orimolade, clad in a white long sleeves shirt and blue striped trousers, was received on arrival at about 11.25 a.m by his colleagues in the state.

He protested to Governor Timipre Sylva’s Special Adviser on Legal Matters Dennis Otiotio, who was in the court premises, that he "was abducted from Abuja".

But Otiotio said the security agents acted in accordance with a court order.

"It should have been done in a more decent way," Orimolade insisted, adding that he was lured to come and pick up an advertisement material for his paper by someone who claimed to be working for Silver Bird Cinema.

Surrounded by his colleagues, Orimolade said he was invited to City Plaza, Abuja where the transaction was to take place and was arrested there by some armed security personnel.

"I was arrested at City Plaza, Abuja. They brought tear gas, and bundled me into a car. Even in the bus, they held me as if I was about to abscond," he said.

Contrary to government’s claim that the security operatives acted on the orders of a Magistrate’s Court, Orimolade said: "We didn’t appear in any Magistrate’s Court".

He threatened to report Otiotio to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Orimolade said the security operatives locked him up with armed robbers in a police cell.

"They locked me up with armed robbers," he said.

Otiotio, who was with other members of the governor’s legal team, had a heated argument with the reporters.

He defended government’s action, claiming that Orimolade reported what was not true about the governor.

Orimolade’s trial could not, however, take place. He was taken away to an unknown destination by the security operatives.

Shedding light on why Orimolade’s arraignment could not hold, Otiotio said it was due to the absence of his lawyer, Femi Falana, and two other suspects still at large.

He said the government is ready to forgo the case if certain steps are taken.

Otiotio, who refused to name the magistrate that ordered Orimolade’s arrest, said neither the government nor the police could order the reporter’s release.

He said only the magistrate has the powers to order the release of Orimolade.

He said the offence against him is bailable, but bail can only be granted after he appeared in court.

"The magistrate ordered his arrest. The offence is bailable. The arraignment could not take place because his lawyer called to say he had transport problems, we should wait till the lawyer comes before he should be charged. We felt we should give respect as a senior colleague," Otiotio said, adding: "The arraignment will go on tomorrow (today) and the charges will be read in the court".

He went on: "He was charged with two others. Since they were not present, it could not go on. We don’t want to suffer him and that is why we want to severe the charges and charge him separately. When the other accused persons are arrested, they will be charged.

"The offence was jointly committed by them but to avoid being kept in court for long, his charges will be severed and he will be charged separately."

Otiotio expressed government’s preparedness to forgive the accused on some conditions.

According to him, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has intervened.

Otiotio said Orimolade was still in the custody of security operatives.

Police spokesman Iniobong Ibokette could not confirm the reporter’s whereabouts.

The Abuja Council of the NUJ has condemned the state government for Orimolade’s plight.

In a statement it issued yesterday by its Chairman, Mr. Timothy Elerewe, reads in part: "We strongly condemn the resort to brigandage in settling purely legal disputes. We also are not fooled by the belated step to frame charges against Mr. Akin Orimolade in a Yenagoa Magistrate’s Court which is outside the province of the ‘locus inquo’ of distant geographical jurisdiction.

"Governor Godwin Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State last year did it with impunity when he caused the police to kidnap Mr. Sam Asowata of the Fresh Facts newspaper from Abuja over alleged unpalatable story. Now, it is Governor Sylva. This is condemnable and we urge all democratic institution and civil society groups to condemn it.

Orimolade was arrested by policemen from Bayelsa in connection with a story in the January 31 edition of National Life where Sylva was said to have been involved in a brawl with a former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at an Abuja hotel.

courtesy- the Nation Newspaper

Deliberate Blackout

2008-12-29T12:49:00.002+01:00

I have tried as much as possible to update my blog since October that i last posted an item...but the harder i try the more i see reason to hold back.
I have been so annoyed with developments in the country that i felt if i should write anything i may commit treasonable felony and am not prepared to go to jail yet.
I have issues with the powers that be trying to muscle the media through arrests and closure of operations.
One other issue am not too happy with is hearing the rhetorics about 'respect for the rule of law' which i have my personal feelings about. What is respect for the rule of law when daily people's rights are being trampled upon?
I may have to continue in the new year when my mind calms down properly before i receive some unexpected visitors.
Compliments!

Journalist's Albatros

2008-10-08T13:00:00.000+01:00

A radio journalist in Niger Republic, Moussa Kaka, who was arrested over alleged contacts with Tuareg rebels in the north of the country has been released on bail.

Moussa Kaka, who is a reporter for Radio France International, had been held for more than a year.

Mr Kaka's lawyer said the appeals court had ordered him provisionally freed ahead of a trial by another court in the capital, Niamey.

Mr Kaka was arrested for speaking with rebels by telephone.

He was accused of undermining state security but last month the charge was downgraded to "actions liable to harm national defence".

Tuareg rebels have been fighting government troops in northern Niger, saying they want more autonomy and a fairer share of wealth.

Journalists have been banned from travelling to the north.

This is really a source of concern for journalists like me who have to keep close tabs on rebel leaders through telephones for breaking news.

Hope this law is not applied in Nigeria...i hope the passage of the FOI bill here will take care of this challenge.

Religious Fatwa on Rivers Television Journalist

2008-10-06T09:51:00.000+01:00

I was disturbed over the reported religious fatwa declared on a journalist with Rivers State television for airing a documentary which allegedly potrayed a pentecostal church in bad light.
I wish this can be resolved and the Nigeria Union of Journalist moves in swiftly to protect the journalist from her present emotional trauma.
I have re-produced her petition to the Nigeria police and death threats.

Rivers State Television,
Elelenwo Complex,
Port Harcourt,
2nd October, 2008.

The Director
State Security Service.
Rivers State

Sir,

A Case of death Threat by Pastor David Ibiyeomie of Salvation Ministries and his Congregation

I am compelled to bring to your knowledge the recent death threat made on my person by Pastor David Ibiyeomie of the Salvation Ministries Port Harcourt and his congregation. My name is Mrs Ibiene Rowland Ogundu and I work with the Rivers State Television as a reporter, Producer and presenter of programmes in the Current Affairs Division.

On the 27th of September 2008, at 10pm the Station aired a special report, a documentary of one hour duration which I jointly produced with my crew. The title of the episode was “PROSPERITY: Right Here, Right Now which was broadcast on the RSTV channel at 10pm.Shortly after the programme, I began receiving messages and calls in response to the programme, which was not unexpected.

However, at about 7.30 the following day being Sunday 28th of September I began receiving death threats from those who say they are loyalists and members of salvation ministries. Some of these members informed me through phone calls how their Pastor David Ibiyeomie had stood on the pulpit that morning and issued death threat and also mandated them to join forces with him to put an end to my life in what he describes as the misrepresentation of the church to the public.

To aid his members achieve his death plan for me, members told me he had given them my number and name by scrolling it across the giant screen on the altar for all to see, and copy in other to carry out their threats even when some of the members admit to being in the dark on the issues since they did not watch the said programme. The members also categorically said that Pastor David Ibiyeomie has also assured them that he will ensure that I do not live to see the end of October.

As at the time of writing this letter, the calls have not ceased as I have received over 2000 calls and death threats and countless text messages. The number and manner of these threats have become increasingly sickening. The threats are centred on my life and that of my family.

Sir, I am writing to appeal that you use your good office to protect my life and that of my family as well as look into this assassination threat by Pastor David Ibiyeomie, his allies and members of salvation ministries. I have had countless blackmail, insisting I go and apologize to Pastor David Ibiyeomie or ‘die’. Some others have passed their threats through families and friends claiming that David Ibiyeomie have vowed to kill me on or before October 31st 2008.

I also which to bring to your knowledge that the said programme which has given rise to this undue reactions has been a running programme on RSTV station, giving a deep and investigative insight into societal issues. As a professional of the Journalism profession and to the best of my ability wish to state here in that the said episode was a balanced report.

Nevertheless, while am about this I wish to say that under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria no one has the right to threaten my life or that of my family. I have only done my job as a journalist and therefore do not deserve to be blackmailed or threatened by those who claim to have absolute power to go against the constitution of the Country.

While I wait for your swift response and action on this death threat to me and my family, I sincerely thank you for your anticipated positive reaction to this petition.

Attached here -in are some of the transcribed text messages and phone numbers used in threatening my life by some members of the Salvation ministries carrying out the dictates of their General Overseer Pastor David Ibiyeomie.

Yours faithfully,
Ibiene Rowland Ogundu (Mrs.)

Text messages

08057880478
It is so sweet 2 see u depart from dis world bcos ur obituary has just been announced. Gud bye. Salvatn Ministry member.

07087669112

Ma Papa Pst David laid causes on u 4 wat u did wit our churchs name so u are a caused person by a man of God if u no wat is gd 4 u go ask God 4giveness bye.

08054865478
U hv tuc d lion tail cuz by David Ibiyeomie.

08053010880
YOU ARE CURSED.

08033454624
What a great expository insight on d state of d church in Port Harcourt. D people are gullible and lazy, data why all dis occultic pple I wnt call dem pastor, takes advantage of them. I think d cure 2 all dis mess is dat we need more teaching churches were d word is taught. Keep d good wrk on Pastor biodun. 07028539526

For insulting Pastor David Ibiyeomie and Salvation Ministry you and ur family are cursed 4 dis day evil will be ur portion. 08067944194

B4 u die go 2 Salvation Ministries n ask 4giveness, u have broken d law.

08056904123
Ibiene why did u allowed c be used by d devil? Do u tnk u can fight God? If God decided 2 fight u will u be able 2 stand? 0803313440

You want to fight God you are finished. 08039109328

Ebiyere: Ur mouth very dirt to talk about Salvation Ministry. Yet the curse of the Lord be upon ur life, ur husband, ur children and those that join on television programme yesterday are curse and u, Ebiyerei u are curse. Pastor David Ibiyeomie has curse u, and those that join u, ur husband children are curse. 08064742102

You who dare attack d church of God and His Servant, death sentence has been passed on u except God is not God, u will never live 2 see d end of 2008. 08032631560

Curse be upon ur marriage, upon ur life, upon ur finance, upon ur generation an upon ur relations 4 speaking evil against Gods Own Church an His servant u shall not have peace of mind in Jesus name amen 4 d Bible touch not my anointed an my prophet no harm. I am a member.

Cursed are u & everything about is 4 daring my Salvation Ministries and my Pastor’s image. Ur death is now. U big fool of RSTV. Great & complete fool. 0803890047.

If u know wat is gud 4 u u better go ask 4 4giveness if not u will not see nxt year dat means u go die oo u are curse my Salvation Ministry. 08038674337.

Ibiere Roland Ogwundy I’m glad 2 tell you that you’ve just signed your death warrant. 08074862520.

Ibene Roland Ogolo u are a dead person. 0806546397

08037447438
If you like answer we the church have put a curse upon you and your family and R.ST.V and the people working with you the food you eat is curse, the water you drink is curse, the bed you sleep with your husband is curse, every thing that has to do with you is curse so no way of escape disaster is on your way now. May you rest in the pit digged for the wicked ones like you, don’t want to know your name anymore bcos you are consumed n to know your name anymore bcos you are consumed in Jesus name. Amen. 08033843230

U hv brot d judgement of God upon ur life. U did dt d day u did dt d day u decided 2 insult d apple of God’s eyws. U hv signed ur death sentences mark my word, I’ll deny myself sleep 2 see dt u ro am around Rivers State naked, u r cursed in Jesus name. Amen. 08066603427

Ibiyere Roland, if u like Pi cur cals or not but just knw tdat live less than 7days on earth, u will knw how powerful d God of David Ibiyeomie. Start countin ur life. 08036831861

Some text missing to be used by the devil 2 challenge the church of Jesus Christ. If u love ur life, go there and confess.

IB what put u into dis disgrace b/c of money. Sorry u are heading to destruction b/c of ur ignorance and at the same time loosing ur life. Nawaa for u bye. 08036663886

U and ur household will never find peace b/c u are curse in name of Jesus. Amen. 08033409620

Mrs Ibiene or whatever ur name is, g’ve u chosen 2 torch God’s Anoited? Who gave u d impetus 2 say dos nasty false things u said about Salvation Ministries Glories Chapel Home of Success? U knows what 4 what u’ve done D wrath of God in upon u & ur family including everyone who assisted u in carrying out dis evil activity of urs. I am so sorry 4 u bcos u will know no peace from today tilled day u will come cowling & begging 4forgiveness. 08073459946

You are very foolish
080377852316.

U are been cursed 2 day I pity u cos grave has been duged am sure u do not know those he know those he has cursed b4. foolish stupid good girl go n beg.
08055363234

When d edge is broken d serpent bite for ever insulting Salvation Ministry every curse placed on u 2 day shall come 2 pass ur such a gisgushing frick IB. 07033532166
Speak no evil against a choosen. D cause datn upon u can only be broken if u wl go 2 d church kneel on d altar and as 4giveness. Be warned! 08070602641.

Are we complaining? I did u do that 2 our church? 08051276478.

Ibiene Rowland Ogundu read this Psalm 94:1 Judgment for going against. Psalm 105:15 as regards Pst Ibiyeomie. From member Salvation Ministries. 08080893632.

Are u Roynald, I have a word to tell u if u thoroughly love urself and u want to live in peace a better go now that is not let and apologize to Salvation Ministries because there are rely agree with u and let me give some small advise.

About the way you go about boldly say some stupid things about anointed man of God u better be careful what u say against man of God earlier u realize ur mistake the better for u. thank u. 08057296968

Together with your gang. 08032361119

You and your generation are cursed in Jesus name. Amen. 08032361119

This is just 2 inform u and ur gang dat ur falling has just started. 08035525382

Why do u allow urself 2 be used by devil 2 fight de church. 08063852209

Good morning Mrs. Ibiere. Pls I beg u 2 4get about everything u are doing dis morning and come down 2 d Salvation Ministry and plead Pastor David Ibieyomie for 4 forgiveness bcos the (cursed) u, ur family & any pastor who will pray 4 u under serious annoyance pls don’t ignore dis text. I am Mbakwe or Linus. 08077771784.

You who dare attack d church of God and His servant, a death sentence has been passed on u. Except God is not God u will never live 2 see d end of 2008. 08064742102.
You never know when your life in going down you have been cursed by Jehovah. 08056009667.

Re u aware that u nd ur family nd those who paid u 2 say negative things against the church of God. S.M u are under a curse try God. 08029178729

U want 2 no who us (David Ibieyeomie) n I nad al d world. Heaven and early have cus u and ur family. Thank God 4 cus.
07032210059

Pls for God sake repent of what u presented on d air yesterday about Salvation Ministry before d wrath of God will visit. See d man of God 4 4giveness be4 the end of to day. God will lead u. 08052072806

May God proper u, may u succeed. now u’ve said Amen, then you are doomed cos u hate it. Since u ve open ur mouth 2 condem ur only broad who God is using mightily are condemned already. 08056449408.

Mary I hear is ur name u are a fool 2 step on a man of (God) cus u have been cursed 2dey u and ur family and all ur supporters. If God curses who can judge. 07032210059

Bible said torch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm. All members of Glorious Chapel says bye to hell. 08077774464

It is so sweet 2 see u depart from dis world bcos ur obituary has just been announced. Gud bye. Salvation Ministry member. 08057880478.

4 attacking d church of Jesus Christ, u ve procured 4 urself n generation madness n untimely death bye bye to hell. 08037455089

More Dependence or Happy Independence?

2008-10-02T11:42:00.000+01:00

It's been long since i posted stuff here...forgive me.
I took time off to get married, reposition myself at work and tidy up some loose ends.
I feel good to be back doing what i know how to do best.
My imagination has continued to run wild given recent developments in our polity and i dont know where to start from.

Am most disturbed at the rate which Nigerians are 'crazily' looking for money.
Imagine this report i read in our Vanguard newspaper today...

"A Nigerian man suffered a heart attack after cocaine capsules burst in his stomach, forcing a plane flying from Senegal to Spain to make an emergency landing in Morocco, airport officials and police said yesterday.

The man had taken ill during the flight on Sunday with a “heart condition caused by a drug overdose,” airport authorities said, with police confirming that a subsequent X-ray had revealed 62 cocaine capsules inside his stomach — two of which were found to be empty".

Am as shocked as you too.
Hope to continue from here moro while hoping things improve after 48 years of running around.
Happy Independence or is it 'wish you more dependence?

Adieu Oliver De-Coque

2008-06-23T08:08:00.000+01:00

The Nigerian entertainment and showbiz industry have been thrown into a mourning mood as the cold hand of death Friday snatched Chief Sunday Oliver Akanita, popularly known as Oliver de-Coque.

His death is coming barely two weeks after the entertainment world suffered a devastating loss with the death of Evangelist Sunny Okosuns and Elder Steve Rhodes, both of whom were music colossus.

Oliver de-Coque, also described as a musician with a golden voice died 5 p.m. at Jola Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos.

He was hale and hearty until afternoon before his death. The ace highlife exponent who became popular in the mid-70s under his band, The Expo 76 Ogene Super Sounds, was the lead guitarist of his group. The highlife sensationalist hailed from Ezinifite town in Anambra State and was Ikemba of his town.

During his music career, his hit albums which also shot him into limelight included such heat albums as Identity, People’s Club, Nmbiri kambiri, and many others. His last public appearance was at the Tony Okoroji-led Nigerian Music Awards where he was conferred with Life Time Achievement Award.

news bits

2008-06-20T10:42:00.000+01:00

EFCC-PEF

THE Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri, on Thursday, gave a seven-day ultimatum to individuals who received vehicles and money from the Police Equipment Foundation to return them or face prosecution.

The EFCC boss in a statement in Lagos by the agency’s head of media and publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi issued the ultimatum while being briefed by the agency‘s Director of Operations, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin on the progress made so far on the controversial PEF funds.

The commission further said that the development was in connection with its ongoing investigation into the activities of the defunct PEF.

The statement also said that beneficiaries who failed to return the vehicles and money they received from PEF would be arrested and prosecuted

CHINESE COMPUTER FACTORY

Chinese firm, Spur Group, has concluded plans to establish a multi-million dollar factory that would produce computing hardwares and softwares in Nigeria.

The investment is expected to lead to the production of cheaper and affordable computers in the country.

Speaking in Abuja recently, General Manager of Spur Group, Mr. Yang Ming assured that the company decided to invest in Nigeria because of the cordial investment climate and similarities of developmental challenges of the two countries.

He said his firm was one of the three top IT firms that is spreading e-government IT enterprises in China. According to him, the firm currently has a foothold in South Africa but would be glad to also build a manufacturing plant of both hardware and software in Nigeria at the end of its business tourism.

MILITANTS ATTACK

Nigeria’s biggest offshore facility, Royal Dutch Shell’s Bonga field, was shut down yesterday following an attack on the oil field by militants.

Offshore facilities are hitherto thought to be safe from militant attacks.

Located 120 kilometres (75 miles) offshore, Bonga oil field has a daily production capacity of 200,000 barrels of oil and 150 million standard cubic feet of gas.

The militants, numbering about 20, who were said to have operated in three speedboats, also kidnapped a United States citizen, Captain Jack Stone, a staff of Tidex, an offshore company.

OMEHIA WEEPS

Former Governor of Rivers State, Barrister Celestine Omehia yesterday insisted that Governor Rotimi Amaechi remains his blood brother and would always wish him well.

He disclosed that the reconciliation between him and the governor has to go beyond the public accusation, saying two of them and their wives must a have a private discussion.

Omehia had hardly finished the statement when he began to cry and for a moment he had to stop to mop tears, lamenting the inhuman treatment meted out to his parents was a way to deal with him.

Street Analysis of EFCC

2008-06-03T08:07:00.000+01:00

One thing that i like so much about foremost radical lawyer cum human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), is his unrepentant posture when it comes to abuse of the rule of law.
Since the announcement of the appointment of the new chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mzamber Waziri, many Nigerians have cried wolf but no one has really taken any 'serious' step to check it.
Gani's letter to President Umar Yar'Adua warning him about the impending breach of the rule of law he preaches speaks volumes of the character of the man of the people (Gani).
A street commentator has continued to bother me with his analysis of the unfolding scenario. I have tried not to listen or believe this street analysis but the harder i try the more it dawns on me that i have to listen more carefully.
My street analyst has continued to warn me about the hijacking of Nigeria by all the 'thieves' who are facing trial courtesy of the EFCC.
He has made me realise that the compulsory course, ex-chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, is attending is at the instance of a former 'powerful' governor from the South-South whose stolen funds were used to fund the president's election campaign last year.
He challenged me to prove him wrong. According to my street analyst, if it's a lie, how come Ibrahim Lamorde and co have been thrown out of the EFCC? At least they should have been left to consolidate the achievements of the agency.
Why is a Benue State and Tiv kinsman or is it kinswoman of the attorney-general and minister of justice, who is believed to be the hatchet man of the former governor, chosen to take over at EFCC?
One other disturbing analysis i don't want to believe is informing filtering from the streets that after all the incoming EFCC ogamadam loves 'Egunje'. I beg to disagree cos that is a very expensive joke.

Back to Base

2008-05-27T06:40:00.000+01:00

I have been away on annual leave and actually thought i will have opportunities to update my blog but i could not. So sorry ikept you guys in suspense.
I will start off from where i stopped. Hope to share some of my experiences with you.

NEWS BITS

ANOTHER JAILBREAK

Following the collapse of walls of Okigwe Prison in Imo State, about 40 prisoners have escaped, while two others were allegedly shot dead by the warders of the prison.

Reports from Owerri, the state capital, indicated that the wall of the prison collapsed on Saturday.

Reports say the two people who were feared dead were shot by the warders while chasing the flee prisoners and those awaiting trials.

According to the report, the Okigwe prison authorities were now hunting the prisoners who had fled since Saturday.

BIGGEST TELECOM MERGER COLLAPSES

The proposed merger between South African telecommunications company, MTN, and Bharti Aitel, India’s largest telecoms company which would have created one of the world’s biggest telecoms network has collapsed following disagreement on sharing structure.

But hours after Bharti withdrew from the deal, another Indian telecoms company, Reliance Communications, has taken over and is now negotiating with MTN for a possible merger.

Reports say a successful merger would have made the two entities one of the sixth-largest mobile phone operators with more than 130 million subscribers.

Bharti was said to have secured funding of more than $60bn (£30.3bn) towards a deal but walked away amid claims that MTN had changed the terms of the deal.

It said MTN's plans would have seen Bharti Airtel become a subsidiary of MTN, a position it was not willing to accept.

PARTIES MERGER
No fewer than 22 political parties have initiated alliance talks with the Action Congress (AC) to strengthen the opposition against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The parties are set to fight what they see as the PDP’s drive towards a one-party state, among others.

But the ruling party is making moves to consolidate its hold on power by starving the other parties of cash. How? One and half years after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered equal sharing of annual government grants among the 50 political parties, the PDP has approached the court to set aside its judgment.

The court had on December 15, 2006 granted the prayers of the Citizen Popular Party and 44 others, including the AC, that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dump its sharing ratio of 10 per cent on the basis of equality and 90 per cent in proportion to seats held in the National Assembly. Now the PDP is asking that the old formula be readopted.

Some 22 parties pushing for alliance with the AC have met thrice in Abuja on the matter, but negotiations are yet ongoing.

SIEMENS BRIBERY SCANDAL
Ex-Siemens AG executive Reinhard Siekaczek yesterday told a court in Munich, Germany, that he built a system of slush funds at a unit of the engineering firm through which officials in several countries, including Nigeria, were bribed with company cash.

The court last October fined Siemens 1 million naira, the maximum fine for bribes paid by the communications unit in 77 cases between 2001 and 2004 to government officials in Nigeria, Libya and Russia.

The Nigerian government, last December, cancelled a N128.4 million (about $1.1 million) contract with Siemens for the supply of circuit breakers and other power generation accessories, and suspended dealings with the German telecoms firm pending an investigation into the bribery allegations.

Four former ministers of communications, a senator, some officials in the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) and the Nigeria Immigrations Service (NIS) were indicted by the Munich court last year for �10 million bribe in the on-going probe of Siemens.

The former ministers are Tajudeen Olanrewaju (a retired General who served in Sani Abacha's regime), Chief Cornelius Adebayo, Dr. Mohammed Bello and Alhaji Haruna Elewi - all part of erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo's Administration between 1999 and 2007. Prof. Jibril Aminu is the senator named in the bribery scandal.

News Bits

2008-05-14T09:25:00.000+01:00

Am sorry i have not been able to update my blog cos am on leave.
My sincere apologies for bringing this information late.

NEWS BITS

MISSING PLANE
A fresh controversy yesterday ensued over the missing Wing Aviation’s Beechcraft 1900D, two months after it went off the radar.
Hours after the government alleged that the flight recording data was tampered with, some top officials of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) denied the claim, saying it was impossible.

But it was learnt that the tampering was possible because of the time lag between when the plane went missing on its way to the Obudu Airstrip and when officials of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) impounded the tapes.

The plane went missing on March 15, but AIB officials did not impound the tape until four days later, allowing ample time for the alleged act.

FRAUDULENT PUBLIC OFFICERS
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, yesterday said public officials had devised fraudulent means of assets declaration to evade arrest by anti-corruption agencies.

Presenting a paper in Kaduna at a seminar on "Anti-corruption, Rule of Law and the Administration of Justice in Nigeria," Ayoola also said more than $500 billion had so far been stolen from the nation’s coffers since independence in 1960.

The ICPC boss said public officials now engage in anticipatory declaration of their assets.

RURAL INTERNET FACILITIES
As part of the Federal Government's fresh intervention in the area of affordable Information Communication Technology (ICT) to Nigerian communities, NIGCOMSAT Limited, the company incharge of Nigeria's communication satellite, yesterday said it has embarked on a pilot programme to provide over 400 Community Tele-Centres (CTC) nationwide.
The project is meant to provide Nigerians in remote and un-served urban areas with affordable access to internet, multimedia and voice over internet protocol.
The Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT Limited, Engr. T Ahmed Rufai, said the building of the centres would be completed by month end, adding that the company has already completed and deployed facilities in 79 benefiting communities across the country.

LAGOS STREET PARTY BAN
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, on Monday signed into law a bill banning the blocking of roads for any form of social or commercial activities in any part of the state.

The law, titled, “Bill on Commercial Activities and Prohibition of Obstruction of Traffic,” makes it an offence for any person or group to obstruct traffic on any road in the state as a result of social or commercial activities.

By the provision of the law, anybody that obstructs a law enforcement agent of the state in the course of enforcing compliance to this law will be liable to six-month jail term, with an option of fine of N10, 000 or both.

IYABOGATE
THE Senate may have to wield the big stick on Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello with the consequent declaration of her seat vacant if she continues to shun the attendance of proceedings of the upper chamber.

This follows her continuous absence from the Senate sessions since her case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which has charged the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health to court over her alleged involvement in the N300 million fraud at the Ministry of Health.

Senate spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze, who admitted that Obasanjo-Bello’s case was beyond the jurisdiction of the Senate, the case having already been taken to court for adjudication, said the Senate was, however, worried over the continued absence of the legislator at the proceedings of the House, a development which he said contravened the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

Bakers Strike

2008-05-05T08:24:00.001+01:00

The master bakers and caterers association of nigeria today embarked on strike over rising cost of flour and sugar.
The bakers are demanding a reduction in prices of ingredients.
They have also threatened to increase prices of bread by 25 percent when the 8-day warning strike ends next Monday.
It's really unfortunate that this strike is coming when the common man cannot afford the price of rice.
What next for the common man?

Diplomatic Upper Cut

2008-05-02T06:58:00.002+01:00

One hundred and eighty days after their confirmation by the Senate, only about 10 of the 61 ambassadors-designate have left for their countries of posting while about 50 of them are still in Nigeria literarily abandoned.
Some of those who have already left for their place of postings included among others former Senate Leader, Senator Dalhatu Tafida -United Kingdom, Prof. Joy Ogwu-United Nations (UN)’s mission in New York, General Timothy Shephildi-Russia, General Oluwole Rotimi-United States (US) and Senator Musiliu Obanikoro-Ghana.
Reports say most of the ambassadors-designate are still being delayed by “agreemon”, that is the necessary clearance document needed from their countries of destination, a form of approval from the receiving countries after they have done a background check on the ambassadors-designate to determine if he/she is the kind of person they want in their country.
But it was learnt that the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmadu Ali, may have rejected his posting to South Africa.
Ali was said to have shown preference for the United States (US) or United Kingdom (UK).
Six weeks ago, at the Presidential dinner held to bid them farewell in Abuja, it was disclosed that letters of acceptance from 20 countries were ready and were simply waiting for President Umaru Musa Yar‘Adua’s signature.
Some of them, especially politicians, are back in their hometowns throwing themselves actively into politics.
In some cases, fresh elections are being ordered by election petition tribunals across the country.
There are speculations already that some of the ambassadors-designate have been rejected by their countries of posting because of unsatisfactory findings in the course of investigation.
This is a huge embarassment to our diplomatic circle. Are we this unorganised?

Academic Disaster

2008-05-01T09:33:00.002+01:00

There was pin drop silence at the Ondo State Election Petitions Tribunal in Akure yesterday when one of the expert witnesses called by Governor Olusegun Agagu to defend his mandate ended up defending his integrity for nearly seven hours.

Labour Party’s candidate, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko is challenging the declaration of Agagu as winner of the April 14,2007 governorship election.

Although he was summoned to fault the report of Mr Adrian Forty,the finger print expert, Prof. Emmanuel Adegbeyeni spent most of the time defending what he claimed in his deposition on oath at the tribunal.

Adegbeyeni, who said he is a professor of Computer Science at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in his deposition on oath, told the tribunal during cross- examination that he was neither a Reader in the university nor could he remember the Registrar who signed his appointment as a professor.

The man, who claimed to be the first in black Africa to get a doctorate degree in Computer Science, could not operate a computer when he was given one by Mimiko’s counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun.

Also, he said he did not know the year the computer was invented and could not tell who invented it.

But when Olanipekun told him it was invented in 1963, he did not object to it.

Severally during the cross-examination, Adegbeyeni could not say exactly when he became a professor.He gave conflicting dates of 2001, 2002 and 2003.

He simply told the tribunal that he was an old man and could not remember all he did some years ago.

Academic Disaster

2008-05-01T09:33:00.000+01:00

There was pin drop silence at the Ondo State Election Petitions Tribunal in Akure yesterday when one of the expert witnesses called by Governor Olusegun Agagu to defend his mandate ended up defending his integrity for nearly seven hours.
Labour Party’s (LP’s)

Dr. Olusegun Mimiko is challenging the declaration of Agagu as winner of the April 14,2007 governorship election.

Although he was summoned to fault the report of Mr Adrian Forty,the finger print expert, Prof. Emmanuel Adegbeyeni spent most of the time defending what he claimed in his deposition on oath at the tribunal.

Adegbeyeni, who said he is a professor of Computer Science at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in his deposition on oath, told the tribunal during cross- examination that he was neither a Reader in the university nor could he remember the Registrar who signed his appointment as a professor.

The man, who claimed to be the first in black Africa to get a doctorate degree in Computer Science, could not operate a computer when he was given one by Mimiko’s counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun.

Also, he said he did not know the year the computer was invented and could not tell who invented it.

But when Olanipekun told him it was invented in 1963, he did not object to it.

Severally during the cross-examination, Adegbeyeni could not say exactly when he became a professor.He gave conflicting dates of 2001, 2002 and 2003.

He simply told the tribunal that he was an old man and could not remember all he did some years ago.

NITEL on the Brink of Collapse?

2008-04-28T07:54:00.003+01:00

The Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Ernest Ndukwe, has warned that Nigeria Telecommunication company(Nitel) may lose its operational licence next month.

Ndukwe said the fate of the telecom company would be determined by decisions to be taken at next month’s board meeting of the Nigeria’s telecom regulatory agency.

According to the NCC boss, Nitel has failed to live up the expectations of the regulatory body and the Nigerian people; clearly indicating insufficient capacity to live up to its licence obligations, giving way to the likelihood of a seizure of its licence and transfer of same to another operator with capacity to operate the network.

Nitel staff recently went on strike to protest the non-payment of salaries, running into months. Last year, the NCC gave warning that it would revoke Nitel’s licence as it has failed to meet its obligations.

The striking workers shut down SAT-3, the undersea marine cable that connects Nigeria to other Africa African countries and the rest of the world.

Striking workers also closed down the private telecom operators (PTOs) Room in Lagos that provides local interconnectivity to telecom operators forcing many networks to seek alternative and costly pipes to re-route their calls.

But many operators were simply confined to making calls only within their own networks as they could not make a re-route outside the PTOs Room.

Nitel is already back to the auction room after several attempt to sell it in the past has failed. It was last sold to Transcorp which currently has a controlling stake in excess of 50 per cent in the telcom company.

But since its handover to Transcorp, a conglomerate owned by persons believed to be business cronies of Nigeria’s immediate ex President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nitel has fallen into worst season, failing to make fresh rollouts and sustain its existing network properly.

Its network has gone from about 450,000 land lines to less than 50,000, though the company is officially putting the figure at about 100,000.

South Africa attacks on Nigerians

2008-04-24T08:07:00.001+01:00

The Senate has urged the Federal Government to issue a travel alert to Nigerians on South Africa.

The senate has also urged Nigerians to be security-conscious in South Africa.

The Senate has directed its Committee on Foreign Affairs to investigate the alleged attacks on Nigerians in South Africa and report back to it within two weeks.

Moving the motion earlier, Mrs. Grace Bent had noted the protracted and unabated intimidation, brutalisation and cases of robbery and sundry attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

She said hoodlums usually dispossessed Nigerians arriving in South Africa of their valuables after trailing them from the airport to their destinations.

This is coming on the heels of a recent attack on former first lady

Vision 2020

2008-04-22T07:09:00.000+01:00

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua yesterday inaugurated the National Council and the National Steering Committee on Vision 2020, saying that the event marks the beginning of a new dawn in Nigeria's development aspirations.

The development came as the Speaker of the House of Representatives warned that the on-going battle against corruption must be won for the vision to be achieved.

The Vision 2020 is aimed at making Nigeria one of the top 20 economies by the year 2020.

Lamenting Nigeria's unsuccessful attempts at long-term strategic planning and that long-term visioning process had not yielded substantial benefits over the years.

I hope this will not turn to another 'talk and no action'.

Turaki's Billions

2008-04-18T06:00:00.004+01:00

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused former Jigawa State Governor Saminu Turaki of spending N36 billion of public fund to acquire oil blocks from the Federal Government.

Turaki, now a senator, is being tried by a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged abuse of office, corrupt enrichment and money laundering.

The commission, in an affidavit, alleged that Turaki used his companies, INC Natural Resources Ltd, Arkel Construction Nig. Ltd and Wildcat Construction Ltd and his younger brother, Bashir, to siphon the funds.

The commission averred that the bank was deducting the said loan from statutory allocations meant for the state, until billions of Naira had been deducted.

How about the billions he allegedly used in sponsoring the failed third term bid of former president Olusegun Obasanjo?

Falconets Air Crash Survival

2008-04-17T12:59:00.002+01:00

Eighteen members of the national Under-20 female football team and 121 other passengers aboard a Cameroun-bound aircraft escaped death on Wednesday as the pilot made an emergency landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State.

It was learnt that the Boeing 737 aircraft belonging to Virgin Nigeria developed some fault less than an hour after it took off from the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos.

Stampede ensued immedaitely the plane, marked 5N –VND, touched down and started taxiing along the runway.

Some of the passengers who allegedly attempted to jump down from the moving aircraft were said to have sustained various degrees of injuries.

Reports say the pilot of the aircraft which was scheduled to make a stop-over in Port Harcourt before proceeding to Duala, Cameroun, had announced that he was going to make an emergency landing because one of his engines had malfunctioned.

The pilot reportedly made the announcement after contacting the authorities of the Port Harcourt International Airport and asking that the fire department be put on the alert.

Ambulances were deployed to evacuate the passengers on board. But the people were not patient enough for the plane to stop taxiing before they tried to force their ways out. Some of those who got down in a hurry sustained injuries.

I saw the falconets yesterday at the airport which made this news so shocking to me cos barely a few hours before the unfortunate incident i had exchanged pleasantries with them.

Yar'Adua's Illness

2008-04-15T08:32:00.001+01:00

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was yesterday flown out to Wiesbaden, Germany, for medical attention.

According to Special Adviser to the President (Communications), Olusegun Adeniyi, Yar’Adua was billed to see his private physician for a medical review of an ailment believed to be due to an allergic reaction.

AReports say the ill-health of the President accounted for the low key ceremony at the signing of the budget. It was learnt that the event was held at the President’s residence.

Sources also said the President put off a trip to Katsina owing to his ill-health.

Also affected was his planned trip to Dakar, Senegal, yesterday. The President was billed to attend a meeting of Heads of Government and State on the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).

Last Wednesday, Adeniyi had said the President would leave for Dakar soon after signing the budget. He was scheduled to be back in the country Tuesday night.

Work at the State House yesterday was slow-paced, as aides to the President looked disturbed.

There were concerns over the President’s health, even before he got into office last year. In March 2007, in the thick of electioneering, he was shuffled abroad for medical attention amidst rumours of his death.

The president just has to get better so we don't go back to the dark days of politricking.

2008 Budget

2008-04-14T07:47:00.001+01:00

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua will today, sign the 2008 Appropriation Bill into law.

The N2.748 trillion Appropriation Bill had suffered three set-backs.

The first delay was caused by the National Assembly when both chambers passed different figures and had to harmonise their figures before forwarding it to the President for his assent.

Yar'Adua however returned the harmonised bill with a letter asking the National Assembly to reconsider eight observations raised by him.

He also refused to sign the bill after the legislature had reviewed the budget in line with his request.

The National Assembly had threatened to override the president's veto but the process was stopped by the Senate President, Senator David Mark.

This is a good news as all those contractors giving excuses of non-passage of budget can get cracking.

FCT House Probe

2008-04-11T06:56:00.002+01:00

The general counsel of the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA), Mal-lam Mohammed Alkali yesterday told the Senate Committee probing the sale of Federal Government houses and property in Abuja that the el-Rufai administration in the FCT destroyed over 75,000 houses and other public property.

The Committee also yesterday heard from the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FC-DA), Engineer Mohammed Al-Hassan that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua halted a $10 million concessioning deal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to Abuja Gateway Consortium.

The concession process began under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Alkali described the actions of the FCTA under Malam Nasir el-Rufai, the immediate past minister in charge of FCT as lawless and irresponsible.

The senate is definitely getting close to its target...just a matter of days before they launch their salvo.

Iyabomania

2008-04-10T14:54:00.003+01:00

The first daughter of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has become so popular recently. You hardly pick up any local newspaper or magazie, watch the television or listen to the news on radio without the mention of her name.
She has been associated with all forms of allegations bothering on corruption etc.
Iyabo has remained defiant and shown that she is a woman of character cos i expected her to have 'fainted' or cried openly to show her disgust with the media barage.
This brings me to the allegations against her. While not holding brief for her, i want to look at the allegations based on its merit.
Why is she being singled out for prosecution when in real fact the contentious N10 million was used to fund the senate committee on health trip to Ghana? Is it because she chairs the committee?
Are people 'chassing' her about because she is Obasanjo's daughter and must pay for her father's sins?
I hope an opportunity can be created for her to give her own version of the lorry-load of allegations against her.

Unlimited Corruption

2008-04-09T10:07:00.004+01:00

Each day i pick up the Nigerian dailies am conronted with reports bothering on corruption. This has not really bothered me so much cos this is not the first time am reading reports bothering on allegations of corruption.
But the most disturbing aspect is that corruption seems to have come to stay; now a societal norm. Or else how can you explain why people see cheating as a way of life...nobody seems to listen whenever people complain of being cheated.
I was at the Lagos airport to purchase a flight ticket for a friend going to Port Harcourt and armed with my N16,000 i was i will get a seat. I was astonished when the passenger before me was asked to pay extra N1000 and she did without complaining. When it got to my turn, the cashier asked me to pay N20,000 and get a receipt of N16,000 or else i wont get a ticket. I was astonished and attempted to create a scene there but no one cared to listen. While i was still complaining the passenger next to me paid N20,000 and got a receipt of N16,000 cos he wants to 'meet up with his appointment'.
I had no choice than to leave the counter and head for another airline where i eventually got a ticket at the right price but had to pay the price for not 'cooperating' by wasting 2 hours before my friend's flight took off a few minutes ago.
Am writing this piece from the local wing of Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, and i wish i can ask all passnegers on the queue to purchase tickets can log in and read my blog lines.
Am ashamed that this chronic problem (corruption) has continued to defy all forms of solutions.
Where do we go from here?

Judicial Corruption?

2008-04-07T07:59:00.001+01:00

Investigations have revealed that some of the election petitions tribunals may have compromised their integrity as a whopping N2.3bn was allegedly paid to them in two states to pervert justice.

About N1.5bn was said to have been paid into certain bank accounts for tribunal members in one of the states in the South-South geo-political zone.

Also, N800m was allegedly paid into another bank account for tribunal members in one of the states in the North-West zone.

The allegation of graft against some tribunals came just as the House of Representatives Committee on Justice had written to the Nigerian Bar Association, soliciting its partnership in maintaining the sanctity of the judicial process.

States and identities of the judges involved in the alleged scandal have not been established.

Sources say that bank statements, showing how the N2.3bn was lodged, were attached as evidence to petitions sent to appropriate institutions.

If these allegations are established those involved should be disgraced out of office for plotting to derail the nation's democracy.

Ribadu's Award

2008-04-04T11:44:00.003+01:00

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) has selected the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu for the Jit Memorial Award for Outstanding Public Service.

The award is in recognition of Ribadu's contributions to the campaign against financial crimes in Nigeria.

Ribadu is expected to attend a reception and dinner organised by the World Bank at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

Ribadu successfully waged a comprehensive war against official sleaze leading to the arrest, prosecution and imprisonment of top government officials including governors, ministers, former leaders of the National Assembly and former Inspector General of Police.

This is indeed a good reward for all the 'stress' he has gone through in months past.

Airports Privatisation

2008-04-03T12:28:00.001+01:00

Workers in the aviation industry have issued a 21-day strike notice to the Federal Government to shelve plans to privatise the country’s airports and engage the workers in dialogue or face shut down of the aviation sector.

The workers under the aegis of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) gave the notice yesterday during a three-hour protest at the premises of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The Minister of State for Air Transportation, Felix Hyat, had while receiving the report of the Presidential Committee on Airport Rehabilitation and Privatisation on Tuesday said the Federal Government would consult stakeholders including the workers before taking a final decision on the issue.

Is this the solution to the problems in the aviation sector?

Any news on the missing aircraft or the non-radar coverage of our airports?

Disturbing News Bits

2008-04-01T13:03:00.002+01:00

EDO STATE

Barely 24 hours after he was declared missing, Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation Mr Calus Enoma was found yesterday – stone dead.

The commissioner’s body was found in a chalet at Precious Palm Royal Hotel at Ugbowo, on the outskirts of Benin-City. He was reportedly last seen alive on Friday. The state government declared him missing on Sunday.

Enoma’s body was said to have been found naked in his hotel suite with a deep mark on his forehead, and blood stains on the bed. The body has been deposited in a mortuary. The police say they have begun investigation into the death.

AVIATION

OF the 21 airports in the country, only two have limited radar coverage, raising the possibility of air crashes and missing planes.

They are the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.

A Beechcraft 1900D which disappeared over two weeks ago in the mountainous region of Obudu Ranch is yet to be found due to lack of equipment.

Reports say the limited radar coverage accounted for the difficulty in locating the sites of air crashes in the country.

It was gathered that the aviation industry had been using the radar facility installed in nine locations since 1979.

FOOD SECURITY

Agriculture and Water Resources Minister, Dr Sayadi Ruma, lamented the country’s inability to produce sufficient food for its teeming populace.

He arguing that Nigeria was yet to guarantee food security, he said national food security is of paramount importance to his ministry.

The minister pointed out that Rice among other stable foods could not be produced at a larger quantity.

ALLEGED FRAUD

Twenty nine persons, including Senator Bala Adamu Kariya, the former Special Adviser on local governments to former Bauchi State Governor Adamu Muazu, have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They were arrested over an unaccounted for N8 billion belonging to the Department of Local Government (DLG).

The money was said to have been unaccounted for between 1999 and 2002.

Edo Politricks

2008-03-31T07:38:00.003+01:00

The Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Calus Enoma, has been declared missing by the state government.

There are, however, controversy over the circumstances of his disappearance as some are linking it to the crisis within the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) .

The Special Assistant to the state Governor on Communication and Public Relations, Tony Ikpasaja, says the government was shocked by the sudden disappearance of Enoma.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Peter Ogboi, has however, dismissed the report saying the government had not reported the incident to the police.

Ikpasaja who accused the Action Congress (AC) of being behind the disappearance of the commissioner, gave the party 48 hours to produce Enoma or face the consequence.

AC’s gubernatorial candidate who the tribunal declared winner of the April 14, 2007 governorship election, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, said the PDP and the Edo State Government should look inward as the allegation is a mere ploy to distract the people of the state and Nigerians into believing that the party and its candidate are violent and lawless.

Food VAT

2008-03-28T15:29:00.003+01:00

I was at a popular eatry in Lagos a few days back for lunch and was suprised to see a new notice informing customers of their decision to charge Value Added Tax (VAT).

The management stated that the decision to charge VAT on food served customers was 'forced down their throat' by government authorities.

I merely laughed over it but on a second thought it dawned on me that for once we are waking up to stark realities of development.

Over the years we have run away from paying taxes; maybe cos our leaders have never justified payments made.

But going tough on food tax is what i can't come to terms with at the moment. Are there no other areas we can start with before food?

But if this food tax will end our misery borne out of bad road, lack of food, power,water and shelter then we have a deal.

Breeding Cultism

2008-03-27T07:29:00.003+01:00

Ogun State Command of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has arrested 15 secondary school students for cultism.

Reports say the students, who were arrested last week, were members of rival cult groups.

The student cultists were apprehended when the Corps received a distress call that rival cult groups that were fighting over ``name calling''.

Fracas reportedly broke out when members of a cult group challenged the other group for bearing ''Iroko'' as its appellation.

This is a disturbing news which should be properly investigated and those involved made to face the full wrath of the law.

Government has to quickly step in before cult activities spreads among secondary school students.

Ministerial Casualty

2008-03-26T07:33:00.002+01:00

Health Minister Mrs Adenike Grange yesterday resigned her appointment.

Also forced to resign is Minister of State Mr Gabriel Adukwu.

They quit over the N300 million budget leftover which an investigation said was tampered with.

But Grange insisted on her innocence, saying she did no wrong.

Reports say top government officials in the ministry shared the over N300 million unspent budget.

A civil servant in the ministry, who was unhappy with his share of the money, allegedly reported the matter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The commission, in its final report which was submitted to the Presidency last week, indicted some top officials of the ministry as the brains behind the award of fake contracts worth over N106 million and the sharing of the balance.

The EFCC report indicted the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Prof. Simon Ogamdi, for allegedly collecting N5 million as his share of the unspent budget, thereby flouting President Umaru Yar’Adua’s directive that the money should be returned to the treasury.

NITEL for Sale

2008-03-25T07:32:00.002+01:00

Another round of bidding will soon begin for the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) following the Federal Government's decision to resell the public utility.

The sale of NITEL to the behemoth Transnational Corporation (Transcorp) was revoked last month, generating ripples in the telecom industry. Transcorp had acquired 51 per cent of NITEL in 2006 for $500million.

A statement issued in Abuja said the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) has directed the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to resell NITEL.

The new core investor would acquire 51 per cent equity in NITEL.

Twenty-two per cent of the equity would be contributed by the government and Transcorp, 29 per cent.

This would leave the government with 27 per cent and Transcorp, 22 per cent.

I hope they get it right this time.

BPE should open its eyes wide and verify all claims by prospective investors to avoid mistakes of the past when NITEL was sold to a non-exisiting foreign firm.

Dangerous Airspace

2008-03-24T08:05:00.003+01:00

Air traffic controllers in Nigeria have said that if not for their ingenuity, no plane would be flying in the country’s airspace.

The controllers, who spoke strictly on the condition of anonymity said that the CNS-ATM (Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management) in Nigeria is ineffective.

The main function of the CNS-ATM, they said, is to enable the controllers maintain communication with any aircraft that is flying in the country’s airspace.

According to them, there are breaks in communication in many flight routes in the country.

The air management officials, however, recommended that the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) should take over the management of airstrips in the country.

NAMA officials, they said, are in a better position to effectively interpret changes and differences in the weather.

The controllers revealed that there are some airstrips in the country where pilots land on their own judgment aided by instruments on board the aircraft because they are not covered by the nation’s airspace communication system.

They also explained that it is not the duty of NAMA, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) or Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) to find any missing aircraft; it is the duty of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Commenting on the missing Beechcraft 1900D owned by Wings Aviation, which disappeared on a 51-minute flight from Lagos to Obudu Cattle Ranch on March 15, they said that if the country had effective and full radar coverage, the position of the aircraft would have been picked before it disappeared.

They said the radar would have picked the aircraft the last time it was in the air before it disappeared.

This, they said, would have helped to look for it because recorded images from the radar would have revealed the point it disappeared, a piece of information that would have been pivotal in the search.

According to the controllers, NAMA is yet to complete the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON), which is aimed at picking any aircraft in the nation’s sky.

Substantial aspects of the project have been completed in Lagos and Abuja, but the primary radar, which is a significant component of the complete radar, is yet to be installed and experts say that when that component is installed any aircraft entering the nation’s airspace would be picked immediately and its location revealed.

Meanwhile, NEMA has said that the agency would solicit the assistance of advanced nations like the United States to ensure that the Beechcraft 1900D aircraft was found.

Reports say NEMA technical officers manning the Nigerian Mission Control Centre claim that the missing aircraft had not shown up in their system ever since it was declared missing.

After reading this report in the local press am compelled to risk my life on our pothole-riddled roads than patronise operators of these 'flying coffins'.

What are the estacode-conscious 'ogas' doing in the office when they ought to fix these problems promptly?

GSM Wahala

2008-03-21T08:40:00.002+01:00

Two GSM operators, MTN and Celtel, have lost their bid to evade payment of compensation to subscribers for poor services.

A Lagos Federal High Court directed them to comply forthwith, with the order of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCJ) on the payment of the compensation.

The court held that MTN’s and Celtel’s application challenging the NCC directive lacked merit.

MTN and Celtel had gone to the court, requesting for an interlocutory injunction to restrain the NCC from implementing its directive that they should pay N175 per subscriber for January, for not meeting key performance indicators on quality of service.

The NCC had on January 9, won the case instituted against it by the operators which are protesting the notices on payment of compensation to subscribers issued to them on September 19 and 20, last year.

I don't think this is a bad step towards restoring sanity in the system.

Service delivery should now be paramount for the GSM firms rather focusing on declaring huge benefits.

Breaking News!!!

2008-03-20T15:34:00.002+01:00

Ex-NLC president, Adams Oshiomole has been declared the governor of Edo State by the election petition tribunal sitting in benin-city.

Congrats comrade after a hard fight.

Oshiomole's Day of Glory?

2008-03-20T08:04:00.002+01:00

The Edo State Governorship and Legislative Election Tribunal delivers judgment today in the petition by former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and governorship candidate of the Action Congress party (AC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole contesting the election of Governor Oserheimen Osunbor.

Oshiomhole is challenging the INEC election result, which declared Senator Oserheimen of the Peoples Democratic Party as winner and duly elected Governor.

However, in an apparent bid to avoid any threat to civil peace and security in the state, as a likely consequence of the verdict that would be returned by the election tribunal sitting in Benin-City, the police has deployed at least 20 armoured personnel carriers in strategic locations, particularly in areas considered flashpoints in the state capital.

Reports say at least 3, 000 policemen are being mobilized to maintain peace and order in the state, before and after the pronouncement of the tribunal’s judgment today.

This judgement is long overdue.

Executive Gaffe

2008-03-18T15:53:00.002+01:00

The nation suffered a monumental embarrassment yesterday when the Minister of Air Transport, Felix Hassan Hyat and the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, said earlier reports that wreckage of the missing 19-seater Beechcraft 1900D airplane had been found was false.

The minister had said, on Sunday evening, that the wreckage of the plane had been found in Iyalla Local Government Area of Cross River State.

Speaking to the press in Abuja on Monday, through the Chief Press Secretary of the Ministry of Air Transportation, Rhoda Iliya, the minister said that the information he earlier received from the NCAA and released to the press was false.

While regretting the misinformation, he advised that it be discarded as the search mission was still on.

The new position of the minister corroborates the statement made on Sunday by the Managing Director of Wings Aviation Limited, the owners of the plane, Capt. Nogie Meggison, that there was no expert identification of the crash site, as the AIB was yet to confirm the exact location.

He had said: “The AIB has communicated with the airline (Wings Aviation Limited) that the wreckage of the aircraft is speculated to be in Iyalla or Abakaliki area of Ebonyi State.

“The search and rescue operations, in respect of our missing aircraft, has been intensified with additional hands deployed around parts of Cross River State.”

Reports say some overzealous officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and some villagers, who were reportedly on the search train, located pieces of metals and hastily concluded that the rubble were scraps of the ill-fated airplane.

A call was put across to the minister and the NCAA boss, who just arrived from London. Later on, the news filtered out to the media that the wreckage had been found, which eventually turned out to be a hoax.

Another Ugly Chapter

2008-03-17T06:08:00.003+01:00

The missing Beechcraft 1900D light aircraft has been found almost 48 hours after its disappearance.

The wreckage of the plane was located in Dabu Village in Yalla Local Council of Cross River State where it crashed.

All the three crew members were confirmed dead in the mishap.

The report of the discovery of the plane ended the confusion, anxiety and fear that pervaded the aviation sector since Saturday when the aviation authorities reported the disappearance of the plane belonging to Wings Aviation Ltd.

The aircraft, which departed Lagos at 07.35 a.m. for Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State, made contact with the Enugu Control Tower at about 7. 54 a.m. and lost touch with it at 08.04 a.m.

Prior to the discovery of the scene of the crash, Nigeria had reached out to neighbouring Cameroun to help it trace the chartered aircraft.

The Minister of State for Air Transport, Hassan Felix Hyat, told journalists yesterday that the aircraft was found in the hilly village very close to Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort.

Earlier yesterday, Hyat disclosed that the government had contacted the Camerounian authorities to assist it trace the plane in its shore.

It's reaaly a shame that we don't have equipment to trace a missing aircraft and it had to take several hours to find the crash site.

Who knows if the system was effective the lives of the victims could have been saved with timely medical attention.

Power Contracts Probe

2008-03-14T09:01:00.003+01:00

The House of Represen-tatives may issue a warrant of arrest on the former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, if she fails to honour the invitation to testify before the committee probing the release of funds to the power sector between 1999 and 2007.

Okonjo-Iweala, who is now a Managing Director of World Bank, had been invited by the House Committee on Power and Steel, but she is yet to honour the invitation.

The Chairman of the committee, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, said if she fails to turn up again, the House would move against her.

This is indeed a great step towards sanitising the power sector which has been a conduit for corrupt practices over the years.

I am keenly watching procedings at the public hearing sessions and am not disappointed at the revealations so far made.

Black is Beautiful

2008-03-13T07:52:00.006+01:00

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has resigned, after being linked to a prostitution ring.
He told a news conference he could not allow "private failings" to disrupt public work. He is to hand over power on Monday.

Mr Spitzer again apologised for not living up to the standards he demanded of others - but he gave no details.

Mr Spitzer had allegedly been identified arranging to meet a prostitute in a Washington hotel.

Mr Spitzer made his name as an investigator of organised crime, financial crime and prostitution, and his fall from political grace is being seen as one of the biggest New York has known.

Mr Spitzer said he would hand over power on 17 March to his deputy, Lieutenant-Governor David Paterson, who will become New York's first black governor, as well as its first blind governor.

Mr Paterson issued a statement saying it was time to get back to work.

BARACK OBAMA FACTOR

I have watched the US Democratic Party primaries with keen interest given the power display/performance of Barack Obama and this has further spurred me on.
Barack Obama's performance is enough pointer that colour/race discrimination will soon be a thing of the past.

Kidnappings PLC

2008-03-11T12:15:00.002+01:00

A six-year old girl was abducted yesterday in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State.

Prite Anthony, a pupil of IBCF School, Woji, Port Harcourt, was on her way to school when the abductors struck.

Eyewitnesses said some unknown men riding in a Mercedez Benz 190 car stopped the car in which the girl was being taken to school. The incident happened at D Line. They dragged her out, put her in their car and sped off.

This is really a sad commentary on the agitations of people of the South-South region.

Increasing cases of kidnap of toddlers and relatives of wealthy people in the zone is not the way foward to realise their objectives.

This trend has to stop and leaders of the region have to support security agencies to stop criminals from hijacking their struggle for a better south-south region.

Repentant Ali

2008-03-06T06:55:00.003+01:00

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Ali has warned politicians against acts and pronouncements that could lead to electoral violence, warning that politicians who sponsor violence might just be playing into the hands of the military who often seize such opportunities to sack civilian governments in Nigeria.

The warning is coming as political parties in the country traded blames as to the party that is responsible for much of the violence witnessed during elections and blamed the police for inaction especially in electoral violence and poll rigging involving the ruling party.

Ali said that the consequences of allowing political squabbles to degenerate to widespread violence as in the first and second republics were too grave to contemplate and urged leaders of the various political parties to put their houses in order to avoid sending the wrong signals to the barracks.

This is one of the most sensible things i have heard from Ahmadu Ali. It definitely means he has called himself to order too because he's been the chief architect of making violence-related pronouncements capable of truncating the nation's democracy.

It definitely means he is taking his diplomatic lessons seriously.

Power Embarassment

2008-03-05T08:18:00.002+01:00

President Umaru Yar’Adua and the five governors of the North-West zone were yesterday thrown into darkness at the zonal congress of the Peopless Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna, following a series of power outage.
The outage occurred three times, lasting for nine minutes.
President Yar'Adua felt embarassed by the power outages and vowed that it would make him confront the power monster head-on.
Mr President, frequent power outages has become a way of life for us and does not constitute any form of embarassment.
If these embarassments can continue at the top i am confident things will improve.

Days of Darkness

2008-03-04T07:16:00.002+01:00

Nigerians may have to endure the erratic power supply situation, which took a worse turn recently when cables, which transmit about 330kv electricity from the national grid to Lagos and some other parts of the South West, were vandalised by unknown persons.

The affected areas are considered the nation's core commercial hub.

The vandalism took place at Okobaba and Tempest Farm at Ota, Ogun State, taking its toll on electricity consumers around the country, as the backlash has affected the national distribution system.

I understand the repair work on the vandalised cables will take about two months.

What will happen to us if thrown into total blackout for two months?
How will artisans who dont have generators cope? How about those who dont have generators at home?
The weather is already very hot forcing many to rely on their generators before they can have a sound sleep.
My generator is already giving me problems after falling victim of the 'bad' fuel allegedly imported into the country by a major oil company.
The PHCN has to announce the duration of the 'dark days' so that some of us can purchase our candles in cartons.

Airport Rehabilitation

2008-03-03T07:02:00.002+01:00

I travelled to the eastern part of Nigeria at the weekend and i was really concerned at the extent of decay of our airports.
I used the Sam Mbakwe airport Owerri on my way to Umuahia and came back through Port Harcourt international airport.
Am shocked that the werri airport is still being patronised by passengers given the state of facilities there.
There is absolutely nothing to show that it is an airport aside the tarmac and abandoned aircraft belonging to the defunct Oriental Airlines. No waiting area for passengers travelling and the security is so porous. The airline booking spots looked more like roadside kiosks.
It's same story in Port Harcourt. The airport is still as it was months before it was shut down for renovation work. The departure hall which was overcrowded was so stuffy and the only difference i noticed was the tarmac which had been expanded.
Must we shout before things are done right? How about all the huge allocations to the aviation sector and the income generated by various agencies operating at the airports?

Expired Politicians

2008-02-29T07:10:00.002+01:00

There is a reported fresh plot by some aggrieved members of the House of Representatives to make the lower house ungovernable for the speaker, Dimeji Bankole, in order to unseat him.
The plot is allegedly being hatched by some 'old school' politicians loyal to a former president.
The plot is to ensure that the House of Representatives is disorganised so they don't unanimously vote for progressive candidates during the forthcoming national convention of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The points raised against Bankole and the leadership of the House are:
•non-confrontational policy with the Executive;
•tight fiscal policy;
•insistence on probity on matters that could be ignored;
•disparity in allowances of members and senators; and
•cut in cost of transportation.
The others are medical, oversight and overseas travelling allowances; and the alleged "smuggling" of N60 billion for the Federal Road Maintenance Agency into the 2008 budget, among others.
It's disheartening that some of these 'expired' politicians have not come to terms with the current trend in the country.
Someone should please inform them that it's not business as usual and their alleged blackmail tactics will fail woefully.
If the speaker is involved in any scandal he should be removed but if he is strict to ensure probity then he has the support of all Nigerians.

Kogi Killings

2008-02-28T07:44:00.002+01:00

Several people were feared killed yesterday when policemen drafted to maintain peace at Okene in Kogi Central went on a killing spree.
Several others were also maimed in a reprisal attack to avenge the killing of a riot policemen by unidentified youths in the area on Monday.
Unconfirmed reports about 20 persons were killed durring the attack.
About 5,000 people are also said to have been rendered homeless while 65 residential houses and 150 stalls were set ablaze by the policemen who were allegedly avenging the killing of their colleague.
How Long will these senseless killings continue? Is this the best approach to tackle indiscipline?
Our police should be more civilised.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Hurray!!! Am a year older today. Thank God for his grace.

Yaradua: Which Way Foward?

2008-02-27T09:08:00.002+01:00

It was celebrations galore at the presidential villa yesterday after the tribunal upheld the election of president Yaradua.
Though the opposition is heading for the Supreme Court, it appears the coast is clear for Yaradua to unleash his magic stick and become his real person.
There is abslutely nothing to panic about now and one expects that he wields the big stick to sanitise the system.

Yaradua's Victory

2008-02-26T15:02:00.003+01:00

The presidential election tribunal today upheld the election of president Umar Yaradua.
The tribunal has dismissed petitions by opposition candidates, Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar for lack of merit.
Today's judgement has elicited mixed reactions as some feel its fair while others are of the opinion that it was manipulated to favour the 'powers that be'.
Whatever opinions people hold, i feel the important thing is that we have to right the wrongs of the past despite all odds...even if removing the president will correct the injustice in the system.

Electricity Tariff Increase

2008-02-22T07:17:00.002+01:00

The Federal Government has dismissed plans to increase electricity tariff.
President Umaru Musa Yaradua is reportedly worried about the perception that the Federal Government is not respecting agreements reached over the privatisation processes.
On would have wondered at government's justification for increasing electricity tariffs when there is still apparent inadequate power supply despite the billions of dollars pumped into the sector.

Apology Galore

2008-02-20T07:30:00.002+01:00

The presidency is reported to have sent three top ministers to plead with the speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, and his members over ill-treatment metted out to him during th national awards.
The speaker was given a lower award to spite his office.
What i dont understand is if the presidency will withdraw the national award and give him what he truely derserves; a GCON.
It's time we speak up to correct the injustice in order to move this country foward.

MEND LEADER DEAD?

MEND claims its leader, Henry Okah, who was recently extradicted from Angola over gun running allegations has been killed by security operatives.
MEND claims in an email that Henry Okah was shot dead in Kaduna during an interogation.
The presidency has denied the allegations.

Too Many Deaths

2008-02-19T08:42:00.002+01:00

The Director of Army Public Relations, Solomon Giwa-Amu, has died in an accident on the Abuja-Kaduna road.
Brig.-Gen. Giwa-Amu reportedly died as a result of injuries he sustained following a road accident along Abuja-Kaduna road.
This is coming barely weeks after the death of ACF chairman, Sunday Awoniyi, on same road.
Maybe more serving government officials will have to die on the road before government sees the urgency in fixing this 'important' road and others acros the country.

ASUU Strike

2008-02-18T07:10:00.001+01:00

University teachers will today begin a one-week warning strike over their demand for the reinstatement of their 49 sacked University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) colleagues.
ASUU is bothered that in spite of all its efforts, the government has not shown any commitment to its promise to resolve the crisis.
ASUU is also worried that despite the reports of the various committees set up by successive governments that the sacked lecturers be reinstated, the problem remains unresolved, for strange reasons.
This case has dragged for too long and a responsible government should have resolved it years ago.
Can we sort this once and for all so we don't get distracted again?

Generational Humiliation

2008-02-15T09:58:00.002+01:00

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, was yesterday humiliated again by the powerful forces controlling Aso Rock.
The speaker was conferred with the honour of CON rather than his deserved GCON.
This is the second time running that the number four citizn will be so humiliated.
First, he was barred from attending a PDP caucus meeting in Aso Rock even though it was his right as a member and one of the highest ranked public office holder of the party. The party later apologised but the deed had been done.
To have degraded his office again during the national awards ceremony gives me great concern.
Is it because he is young? Did he choose himself as the speaker? Is it a bad omen to fight injustice?
This is indeed an insult to my generation and i feel this should be the last episode by the carbal that does not mean well for this country.

Media Clampdown

2008-02-14T07:51:00.002+01:00

I was a victim of recent clampdown on the media when i was arrested last month in Ibadan, Oyo State, for daring to go near a disputed statue to do my report.
I have also read how many of my colleagues are brutalised by either political thugs or the men in black.
Some state governments have also gone a step further by threatening to jail journalists who report their findings...Akwa Ibom State is a reference point.
Lately, the attack on journalists and EFCC officials attending a workshop in Ibadan shows the tide of political harassments and intimidation.
It's time the federal government steps in to check these excesses.

Political Rascality

2008-02-13T07:18:00.002+01:00

A coalition of human rights organisations in Lagos State yesterday took to the streets, protesting against violence against women in the country.

The protesters demanded that a member of the state House of Assembly, Korede Osunsanya, representing Eti-Osa Local Government, be removed for allegedly assaulting a female staff of Sterling Bank.

The pregnant victim was said to have fainted under the barrage of blows from the furious lawmaker.

The protesters marched from the secretariat of the Civil Liberties Organisation, along Allen Avenue, to the state House of Assembly to submit a petition against the lawmaker.

What manner of rascality is this? Is this what they mean by servant-leader politics?
It's time these forms of abuse are checked.

Niger Delta Promises

2008-02-12T07:29:00.002+01:00

The federal government has again made 'wonderful' promises to develop the Niger Delta region for fear of being blacklisted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and other Western nations.
Is it now that the federal government has suddenly realised its responsibilities?
I want to find out if they are going to shelve their budgeted 444 billion naira meant for security in the Niger Delta or convert it for development purposes.

Police Raids

2008-02-11T05:53:00.000+01:00

One of my friends (journalist) was arrested last Friday by the police on his way back from work in Lagos. His offence was that he boarded a commercial motorcycle after 10pm. He was not only arrested, he was assaulted and had his ID card seized by the policemen.
Fortunately, he was able to send me a text before they seized his phones. I got to the stattion and was informed i cant see him until after some hours. I called some top cops and they promised to intervene so i had to wait patiently for over 5 hours with another friend/colleague (Ugochukwu Emezue of Silverbird television)who had come to lend me support to seek bail for our detained colleague.
Help finally came when the super cop arrived to order his bail. I sought to know my colleague's offence and i was told he was arrested during a raid on a blackspot. I was confused and asked my colleague why he had to visit a criminals den at night but he denied all the police said and narrated how they were indiscriminately arresting people on the streets and laying false claims.
I confronted the policemen with my colleague's version of the story and all they could say was that they were doing their job and one of them asked 'wetin him dey do outside for past 10pm?
Is it now an offence to get home late from work? What if my coleague did not send me a text? What is the fate of others arrested with him who have no one to make a case for their bail?
I was also greatly disappointed at the rate which policemen at Ojodu police station, Lagos, were openly collecting bribe money from relatives of suspects.

Fresh Elections

2008-02-08T06:16:00.001+01:00

The recent pronouncement by the Appeal Court which finally put a ceiling on Ibrahim Idris claim to the governorship seat of Kogi State has to some extent brought hope to the opposition.
It's not about cancellation of the election and ordering for fresh polls. Can we get it right now? What has happened to the electoral system? Are we not going to use same electoral officers again?
I feel this is the time to right the wrongs and ensure transparency to serve as a test case for forthcoming polls.

Budget Passage

2008-02-06T06:00:00.000+01:00

I read reports in the media last week that the national assembly had concluded plans to pass this year's budget yesterday. I waited endlessly and nothing of such happened.
Are we back to the years when budgets were delyaed untli past the first quater before they were passed?
I feel it's right to ensure transparency, accountability and all that but if at the end the budget fails to achieve its set objectives then what can we say we have achieved?

Endless Strikes

2008-02-05T09:03:00.000+01:00

The law courts were under lock an key yesterday following a strike action by judicial workers over government's failure to implement agreements reached with them.
The strike paralysed judicial activities across the country and denied some suspects awaiting trial an opportunity to be heard or granted bail.
It's baffling that government will always wait for strike actions to take its toll on activities before they fix problems.

Sweet End to Football Fever

2008-02-04T14:22:00.000+01:00

What a relief for all the hypertensive Nigerian football fans who have had their BPs checked severally since the Africa Cup of Nations kicked off. I hope the seven supporters of the super eagles who were hospitalised after our match against Mali have not been rushed back to the hospital.
We have finally been kicked out of the competition so we can be spared the nervous moments for once.
I keep asking myself why i should develop high blood pressure for people who are making their money and not attaching any form of patrotism to their trade.
Something is generally wrong with the entire system and until we begin to profer solutions we may still fall like pack of cards in all sectors when it matters most like our wing-less pigeon eagles did against Ghana.

419 Lawmakers

2008-02-01T07:52:00.000+01:00

The chairman of the senate committee on national security and intelligence, Nuhu Aliyu, has backed out of plans to name his colleagues who are fraudsters.
He had threatened to name all those he investigated for fraudulent acts while he served as the assistant inspector general of police.
He has now made a volte face and apologised to his colleagues saying he does not want to lose his friends in the senate.
Does this imply that his friends are fraudsters? How come a top cop is chickening out after shouting at the rooftop?
This is a great sign that corruption may take a longer time to wipe out from our system.

FOI Bill

2008-01-31T06:24:00.000+01:00

I am still trying to come to terms why the national assembly has been foot-dragging in the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill.
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo had refused to sign the Bil into law when it was passed by the former national assembly last year before he left office.
I understand the Bill has been adjusted to protect certain interests but then why the prolonged debate?
Why do other Bills get accelerated debates and passage and the snail speed in the passage of the FOI Bill?

Football Fever

2008-01-29T12:25:00.000+01:00

The super eagles of Nigeria are billed to play what may turn out to be their last match today at the ongoing Africa cup of nations in Ghana.
Why on earth they decided to put themselves in this tight corner is what am yet to come to terms with.
Why would the NFA enter into such an agreement to pay them $3000 each for disgracing Nigeria against Cote d'Ivoire?
Definitely i see a house cleaning exercise if they do survive today and progress to the quater finals or eventually crash out if Francophone politricks plays out between Cote d'Ivoire and Mali.

Immunity Clause

2008-01-25T06:36:00.000+01:00

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has predicted that the immunity clause in the 1999 Constitution will be removed in the imminent amendment by the National Assembly.
Section 308 of the constitution shields the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies from criminal prosecution – a provision that many see as a licence for looting by the protected public officers.
President Yar’Adua has expressed confidence that these public officers would soon be stripped of their current immunity from prosecution.
Yar’Adua said he expected the removal of the immunity clause from the constitution to greatly facilitate the work of anti-corruption agencies in the country.
I no longer believe political predictions. i would rather keep my fingers crossed and wait for the constitutional amendment.

Ribadu/Akunyili Presidential ticket

2008-01-24T10:40:00.000+01:00

I stumbled on this idea of the presidential ticket of Nuhu Ribadu/ Dora Akunyili while reading contributions of members of the FOI coalition.
Some members believe the antidote to the nation's corruption 'wahala' is creating an enabling environment for free and fair elections for these duo to emerge in the event that president Yaradua loses out at the presidential election tribunal.
Which party platform will grant this ticket?

Honourable Gangsters

2008-01-24T07:10:00.000+01:00

The chairman of the Senate committee on Security and Intelligence, Senator Nuhu Aliyu, yesterday threatened to name members of the National Assembly whom he investigated for Advance Fee Fraud (419) when he was Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Criminal Investigations Department.
He issued the threat while contributing to a debate on a motion on the direction and tempo of the war on corruption by the Federal Government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Senate President, Senator David Mark, however, stopped him from going further, saying the matter had been referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
That was a clever move by the senate president to save his colleagues the embarassment of their lives.
How long are we going to allow alleged 'gangsters' govern us?
Someone should please advise Senator Aliyu to document the allegations for the media so we can publicly spill the beans in the interest of our nation.

Share Certificate imbroglio

2008-01-23T08:46:00.000+01:00

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last August reached an agreement that made CBN to discontinue its pre-allotment verification of bank offers. SEC also gave all companies six weeks to submit allotment proposals after the closure of an issue. The commission thereafter directed that share certificates should be dispatched to investors not later than 15 working days from the date of clearance of allotment but this appears to be a mere paper directive.
It's been complaints galore as many investors are yet to receive their share certificates in respect of bank and other offers months after the clearance of allotment.
Are the banks and companies making public offers too powerful and above the law?
Why have the regulatory bodies not wielded the big stick to serve as a deterrent?

Another Idol in the Dock

2008-01-22T14:08:00.000+01:00

Former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, yesterday surrendered himself to officials of the economic and financial crimes commission in Lagos.
The former chairman of governors forum has allegedly been on the run since the EFCC commenced investigations into allegations of corruption evelled against him and some of his family members.
He is billed to face 142-count charges of corruption.
This is definitely another plus to the outgoing EFCC boss, Nuhu Ribadu, who wants to tidy up his table before heading to Kuru.
Still waiting for more 'idols' in the dock?

Long Wait for 2008 Budget

2008-01-21T08:55:00.000+01:00

I expected the national assembly to have made good its promise to pass the 2008 budget in record time. The lawmakers had promised Nigerians that the budget will be passed before the end of 2007. The month of January,2008 is gradually mindoing up and they are still giving reasons why the passage of the budget is delayed.
The presidency had submitted its budget proposal on time, the ministries and parastatals turned up for their defence on time and what am worried about is the snail speed of the various committees of both chambers.
We've got no choice than to continue to play the waiting game.

One More Down...Still Counting

2008-01-18T18:47:00.000+01:00

The Enugu State Election Petitions Tribunal has declared the election of Governor Sullivan Chime null and void.
The tribunal saying voting did not take place in most parts of the state.
Chime’s election was nullified following petitions filed by three political parties—DPP, AC, Accord Party and the Labour Party, asking the tribunal to nullify the 14 April, 2007 governorship election in the state.
Another victory for the common masses or political vendetta?
More of these scenarios will be painted in the next few days.

Political Parties PLC

2008-01-16T08:19:00.000+01:00

Twenty six political groups have applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for registration as parties.
If registered, they will join the existing 50 to bring the number of parties in the country to 76.

INEC in 2003 registered 30 political parties that took part in the general elections at all levels.
But in the 2007 general elections, 50 political parties took part in the exercise at all levels.

Is it all about forming a credible opposition or lining up our pockets?

How many of these registered political parties fielded candidates during the last elections to warrant registering more? Politicians are just making a mockery of our constitutional provisions to enrich themselves-all they are fighting for is to establish a structure that can guarantee them INEC grants.

Am still waiting for INEC's planned probe of all political parties that took part in recent elections.

Tobacco Taxes

2008-01-15T07:27:00.000+01:00

The Federal Government has sought 130 billion naira damages from a tabacco firm, Philip Morris International for selling tobacco related products to underaged persons. Other defendants in the suit are British American Tobacco Limited, British American Tobacco Company PLC and British American Tobacco Investment Limited.
The case has however been adjourned to the 17th of March.
The Federal Government is praying the court for an order compelling the defendants in the suit to cease the marketing, promotion, distribution, and sale of tobacco related products to minors and underaged persons.
They also asked for an order of mandatory injunction restraning the defendants from representing or portraying to minors or persons under the age of 18, any alluring or misleading image regarding tobacco-related product whether by direct depictions, pictorial, advertorials, images, words messages, sponsorship, branding and or through overt or covertand or subliminal means.
This is definitely a brilliant step by this administration to protect the nation's future given the adverse effects of tobacco on youths.
The aspect am worried about is why it's impossible for government to discontinue collecting taxes from these firms.

New EFCC Boss

2008-01-14T09:08:00.000+01:00

The appointment of EFCC former director of operations, Ibrahim Lamorde, as the acting chairman of the commission has continued to generate a lot of debate.
Some have applauded the appointment saying it's a continuation of the 'good works' of Nuhu Ribadu's men.
Others have picked holes in the appointment saying it did not folow due process.
I feel that what should concern Nigerians and the international community is the ability of the new EFCC boss to continue from where Ribadu stopped.
Ibrahim Lamorde, as the EFCC director of operations, was the unseen hand behind Ribadu's success so why not give him a benefit of doubt atleast for 3 months before we conclude if he is indeed a new 'stooge'.

Militarised Democracy

2008-01-11T08:03:00.000+01:00

I was yesterday arrested and detained by some overzealous security officers attached to the official residence of Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State. I was picked up along with the Ibadan correspondent of Silverbird/Rhythm FM, Tade Oludayo, for daring to go close to the controversial statue of the unknown soldier. The unknown soldiers statute was erected after that of late sage, Obafemi Awolowo was demolished.
I had no business with their intra-state politics over the disputed statue as i was merely out there to do a balanced report for my organisation but i was suprised when security officials accosted me and my colleague, arrested us, got us detained and interogated us harshly.
Most suprising was comments by the guard commander of the security officials who wondered why his colleagues did not 'open fire' (shoot) when they saw us walk close to the cenotaph. The guard commander also threatened to order us to be thoroughly beaten. The cenotaph is metres away from the government house.
I had to exploit all my 'powerful' contacts before the ADC to the governor (Salami) came to our rescue.
It's suprising that confirmation of reports has become a criminal offence. My explanation to the security officials that i had secured permission from the governor's ofice fell on deaf ears and they were hell-bent on making me and my colleague, whom i had engaged as my guide, to pay for our 'sins'.
Below are links to some newspaper reports about the incident in today's newspapers.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=100117

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200801111424129

http://www.independentngonline.com/?c=117&a=8863

http://www.tribune.com.ng/11012008/news/news12.html

Unequality Before the Law

2008-01-10T08:56:00.000+01:00

Former governor of Delta State, James Ibroi, was yesterday admitted at the national hospital, Abuja, for an undisclosed illness. He was driven down to Abuja from the Kaduna prisons accompanied by a heavy detachment of anti-riot policemen. The prison authorities had initially planned to fly James Ibori to Abuja with a police helicopter.
Ibori was reportedly reffered to the national hospital by prison doctors and private medical consultants attached to him.
How many prison inmates have access to medical doctors? How many inmates even have the rare priviledge of being attended to by private medical consultants while awaiting trial?
Does it imply that though we are all bonafide citizens of Nigeria yet we are not equal before the law?

Hunting News Hunters

2008-01-09T18:17:00.000+01:00

Feelers from Rivers State indicate that security agencies are hounding some journalists whom they perceive are 'aiding' or rather 'encouraging' militancy through their reports.
The security agents are on the prowl trying to gag the pen pushers for daring to balance their reports by constantly interviewing the militant group leaders and airing/publishing their reactions.
Some of the journalists have already been summoned to appear before security chiefs in the state for interogation.
When did news hunting become a crime? Should journalists now desist from seeking opposing views other than that of government agencies?
Oh! I just remembered they say the pen is migtier than the gun.