Nation
THE STATES
FCT The National Youth Council of Nigeria recently held an emergency meeting of it executive council at the Youth House, Abuja where its condemned the call on the President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to resign from office due to ill health. It would rather call on all Nigerians especially the youths to pray for his speedy recovery. The meeting where the lingering issues from supremacy and membership tussle of the council’s presidency were discussed, was presided over by the Acting National President Deolu Sotade George. Recently there was a purported meeting and election conducted by non-members led by Mr Akoli Dickson who declared himself President of the Youth Council. In a chat with The Tide, the Ag. President Sotade Goerge said it was the prompt intervention of the law enforcement Agencies that led to the arrest of some hoodlums led by Dickson who invaded the National Youth Council of Nigeria’s secretariat (Youth House) in Abuja, on 4th December, 2009 and stole some valuables including the NYCN Toyota Coaster bus, with registration Number NYCN 04. He called on all Nigerian youth to be calm while the security agencies ensure that the perpetrators are brought justice. At the end of the meeting which lasted several hours, the NYCN executive jointly signed a resolution which includes; that the NEC set up a 6 man congress planning committee with a representative of the ministry to plan the next congress scheduled to hold between 26th and 27th February, 2010, with the responsibility of conducting the bye-election into all vacant positions within the council. Oyo An Oyo-based group, G3, has advised the political elite in Oyo State against fanning embers of negative sentiments, recrimination and destructive tendencies in assessing governance. Rather, it said they should be guided by values such as objectivity thoroughness, and sincerity of purpose, which are the hallmarks of decent, articulate and thoroughly bred elite. At a news conference last week jointly addressed by the President and General Secretary of the group respectively Comrades Isiaka Eweka, and ‘Prince Oluwakayode Afonja, the group commended Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, for impacting positively on the socio-economic lives of the people of the state, especially Oyo town and its environs. The group applauded the leadership role of the council chairman for the distribution of motor cycles and grinding machines to over 1,000 people. However, the group advised critics of the state government not to be visionless and feeble-minded in their thought, but be guided by values such as equal chances for the representation of interest, open debate among alternative view points and platforms, tolerance, fairness, justice, fair play. Ondo The former Chairman, Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) Prince Raphael Nomiye at the weekend urged repentant militants to sustain the current peace in the Niger Delta region. He assured that President Umaru Yar’Adua would meet all the demands agreed upon with the Niger Delta militants and the Federal Government in its bid to develop the region. Speaking with reporters in Akure shortly after the swearing in ceremony of new executive committee of Ilaye Regional Development Committee (IRDC) Nomiye said Nigerians should continue to pray for President Yar’Adua to facilitate his early recover, stressing that he meant well for the Niger Delta region and the entire country. Nomiye, who is presently the chairman of IRDC, said the past executive members of the group were not ready to leave office after spending the mandatory four years which terminated on Dec. 15, describing their protest against the dissolution and moves to extend their tenure as an aberration. His words: “The position of state government is clear on IRDC, government cannot allow them to go for tenure extension, those protesting against the dissolution were sponsored by the people who wanted to perpetuate themselves in office, they were planning to cause Chaos in the area.” Lagos A former officer with the Nigerian army, Major Ene has accused the Nigerian Secret Service of threatening her teenage daughter. In a chat with our correspondent on Saturday, Major Ene who is currently challenging the Nigerian military for the alleged inhuman treatment he got after fighting in Liberia and Sierra Leone as a member of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group, ECOMOG, said her daughter, Sarah Ofon-Mbuk Ene, is constantly being threatened in her school by the Secret Service. Ofon-Mbuk is a second year student of Banking and Finance at Redeemer’s University and has been receiving threat messages from people he said were agents of the Nigerian military. Ene said: “On several occasions, my daughter receives threat massages and hate calls from people that are suspected state agents. They even threaten to kill her. They usually call her in the dead of the night. When she picks the phone the caller would warn her to tell her father to “back off”. Ene who is currently challenging the Federal Government for ill treatment and for failing to provide him with adequate medical care after bullets were lodged on his body during a bloody encounter with armed rebels in Sierra Leone, said the secret agents are waging what he calls “psychological war’ on his family. Kano Nigerians have been called upon to take active part in the strive to advance the democratisation process and sustain the culture of political pluralism in the country. Making the call in Kano, the Executive Director, Resource Centre for Human Rights Education (CHRICED), Mallam Ibrahim Zikini Ilahi called for popular participation by the citizens in governance and politics. Speaking during the workshop sponsored by German group Miserere tagged. Enhancing Participation and Accountability in Local Governance, Zikinillai said the project is unique and innovative because it addresses the political and structural aspects of democratisation and also attends to the political character of operators of governance just as it seeks to improve the democratic foundation. According to him, for change to be enhanced in Nigeria, there is the need for appropriate institutional mechanism for realizing popular governance and a nursery for its nurturing and development. He said ‘The threats posed by the features and tendencies of unaccountable governance can best be addressed and neutralised by the mass of citizens entering into and becoming a determining force in governance and the political process generally and by their developing and internalising a popular culture of democracy. He observed that for very practical reasons, such popular participation is only of very limited possibility at the national or state level. Only at the level of the local government and through its instrumentality is this type and level of popular political participation possible. Bauchi A non governmental organisation (NGO), the Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO) in Bauchi has asked Bauchi State government to hasten action in fishing out perpetrators of the recent crisis that engulfed parts of Bauchi metropolis. It also challenged the state government to ensure the perpetrators face appropriate penalty, and appropriate sanctions that should serve as a deterrents to others are put in place without further delay, which it said might be dangerous. The demands were contained in a statement issued and signed by the CLO chairman, Bauchi State chapter, Comrade Musa Mohammed Gani. The CLO also urged the state government to reward ward heads who contained the spread of the crises in their wards, while those known to have partnered with and allowed the miscreants to wreck havoc on innocent and law abiding citizens be severely punished for their roles. Ghani noted with regrets that despite the resources being expended in creating jobs for thousands of youths, the fundamentalists do not seem to appreciate government’s effort in trying to better the peoples live. Niger As encomiums continued on the late former first lady, Maryam Babangida, Senator Isa Mohammed has called on the federal government to name Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna after her. Speaking with Journalists after the seventhday Fidau prayer held for the repose of her soul, Senator Mohammed who was the deputy chairman Senate Committee on Local Government Administration said the only way the country can immortalize her legacies and memories is to name the Federal University of Technology in Mnna after her. Eulogising the virtues of the late First Lady, the lawmaker said that the contributions of Maryam transcende the borders of this country, stressing that lip service should not be paid towards calls for the immortalisation of her name. The prime minister of the Republic of Niger, Alhaji Aliyu Mohommed was in Minna, as he joined millions of sympathisers to condole the former military president General Ibrahim Babangida over the death of his wife, Maryam. The Nigerian leader was accompanied to the seventh day Fidau prayer by the past military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar. Kaduna The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncorvered no fewer than 57 properties in the country allegedly owned by the sacked Managing Director of Oceanic Bank Plc, Mrs Cecilia Ibru. According to a statement made available to newsmen in Kaduna, the properties are located in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. The statement specifically said that one of the properties is housing the visa section of the British Embassy in Abuja, while another include 15,000 square meters of land at Okunade water front Victoria Island in Lagos. Some of the properties are a 12 storey tower in one hectare of land at Ozumba Mbadiwe water front Victoria Island Lagos, three residential towers in Port Harcourt GRA, Metro Plaza Abuja where the British visa section is located a residential block of 19 apartments in 34 Bourdillon Road, Ikogi, 35B Isule Eko Avenue, Dolphin Ikoyi, and 103 hectares of land in Lagos. Others are mansions in 3 Okotie-Eboh, Ikoyi, I0A Sobo Arubrodu Street Ikeja; a storey building at 50 Marina, Lagos; seven properties in 5A George Street Ikoyi; other properties in 5B, 4B George, Street and 15, square metres of land at Okunade water front, Victoria Island Lagos. Benue National President of the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, Dr Jerry Agada has said that Nigerians would start to enjoy the benefits of over two years of planning by the Yar’Adua administration in 2010. Addressing pressmen in Makurdi he said that most of the plans initiated by the Yar’Adua administration since its inception in 2007 are matured and are ripe for manifestation. Agada who was Minister of State for Education said that he was privy to general concrete plans that are on the verge of fruition. He said that President Yar’Adua is not an administrator that believes in playing to the gallery, noting that the president believes in careful planning before commencement of execution. The ANA boss advised Nigerians not to take seriously those politicians of the health of the president through calls for his resignation, saying what the president needs is prayers to recover and handle his duties. Plateau The church in Nigeria has not contributed significantly to the overall development of the nation. This was the view expressed by the chairman, planning committee of the Annual Nigeria Christian Fair 2010, Prof John Brown. According to Brown, “we cannot say very satisfactory. But to a certain extent, the church in Nigeria is trying to move this country forward. But we are not yet there. We are just on the way. The journey has stared and we are hoping to be there,” he added. Speaking on the Fair coming up in Abuja next year, he said, “where the church has failed the nation is that the church has condoned a number of corrupt politicians. “The church invites these politicians when they are having launchings in their churches and then these politicians may donate million of naira. But nobody will ask them where do you get these millions from.”
In a bid to meaningfully engage secondary school students in Ogoniland during the Christmas holidays and beyond, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has trained them on petroleum jelly and liquid soap making.
This is even as the Project has partnered with the National Orientation Agency(NOA) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) to keep the students away from crime and other related social vices during the Yuletide, by giving them pep talks that would put them on their toes during the period.
This came to the fore as HYPREP recently organised an Ogoni Young Men Mentorship programme and life skill workshop with the theme, ‘Career Coaching: Developing The Young Minds’ at Birabi Memorial Grammar School, Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The beneficiaries of the programme are essentially members of environmental clubs in 13 schools in four local government areas of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme.
At the event, both NOA and NDLEA gave career talks to the students, aimed at keeping them off social vices like drug abuse and addiction as well as negative peer influences through out the Christmas holidays and beyond.
Speaking at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof NeinibariniZabbey said the Project deemed it necessary to invite the National Orientation Agency and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) to speak to the students in order to shield them from negative peer influences as they are preparing to go for the Christmas holidays.
He explained that the workshop would enable the students to know when the signs of the negative peer influences start coming.
Zabbey, who was represented at the occasion by HYPREP’s Head of Sustainable Livelihood, Mrs Josephine Nzidee, said the Project is not only going to train the beneficiaries but also give them the tools and skills that would grow them in the future so that they would start making money for themselves.
Also addressing the students, the Rivers State Coordinator of the National Orientation Agency(NOA), Mr Young Ayo-Tamuno expressed delight for meeting young minds, to discuss issues on values, describing it as a great opportunity.
He noted that there are seven values which constitute the role and commitment of the government towards the citizenry and another seven core values which constitute the code for the citizens.
While commending HYPREP for organising the event, Ayo-Tamuno said team work is key to making Nigeria a better place for all, as both the government and the citizens have their respective roles to play, with each staying committed and focused.
The Chief Programme Officer of NOA, Mr Henry Ayede was the one who actually mounted the rostrum and drilled the students on the seven core values embodied in the National Value Charter for citizens, and stressed the need for them to imbibe them and put them to practice as they grow up.
Ayede listed the values to include discipline, duty of care, leadership, tolerance and respect, transparency, environmental awareness and resilience.
He also underscored the need for the students to imbibe the spirit of hard work and dignity of labour, contending that while hard work and dedication contribute to success, every job can contribute to national development.
According to him, dignity in labour is the foundation of success.
On his part, Mr Bill Ebiokpo of the Media/ Advocacy Unit of NDLEA, who represented the Bori Area Commander of the agency, advised the students to guard against drug abuse and addiction, which he said have far reaching consequences.
The Principal of the Senior Secondary of Birabi Memorial Grammar School, Barrister Bob Agbozi thanked HYPREP for organising the programme, which he said enriched his knowledge and that of the students on the core values guiding the society, saying inculcating such values in young people and teaching them practical skills have contributed immensely to the greatness of advanced countries and even countries like Rwanda in Africa.
He noted that the career coaching would change the behavioral pattern of the students particularly during the Yuletide.
He also thanked NOA for the career talks and urged it to replicate the programme in other places, not only in schools but also in market places.
The training of the students on petroleum jelly and liquid soap making was anchored by an expert, MrsLekpa Abel, with HYPREP workers lending a helping hand.
It was, indeed, a practical session with the students, who came face to face with the production materials of the products.
Donatus Ebi
It was celebration galore as the people of Isu Community in Etche Local Government Area of River State held a civic reception in honour of the Council Chairman, Dr Uzodinma Nwafor .
The epoch- making ceremony which took place recently at the community ancestral home saw the attendance of the political class, the clergy, opinion leaders, the academia, youths, women, elders and chiefs gather to honour their brand new chairman.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Etche Local Government Council, Dr Uzodinma Nwafor expressed gratitude to the people for according him such honour, saying it shows their unwavering support to the development of Etche.
Nwafor announced the readiness of his administration to embark on electrification of Ozuzu clan including Isu community.
The Etche council boss also said the market at Isu will be reconstructed to improve the economic life of the people.
He revealed that the two projects will commence in January as efforts are on to mobilise the contractors.
Nwafor told the mammoth crowd that his major concern remains, peace and unity of the entire Etche, saying security of lives and property remains top on his agenda as no meaningful development can thrive in an atmosphere of violence.
He urged parents to encourage their wards and children to refrain from violence and embrace peace. “Let us allow Etche to be at peace .Don’t allow any body to use you set Etche ablaze. Parents advise your children to stay away from crime .We must stay in peace and unity. Our children must shun violence ,it can’t take us anywhere as a people ,” he declared.
He thanked the people for their support as well thank their son, former commissioner for Energy ,Okey Amadi for being a Pilar of his political sojourne.
Earlier, the Isu opinion leader and Principal, Community Secondary School, Mgbosomini in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area, Mr Chijioke Amadi said the honour done Etche chairman was a collective division of his people.
Amadi described the council boss as an illustrious son who has contributed immensely to the wellbeing of the community.
He declared that his community and the entire Etche will keep supporting him because he is doing well.
Amadi urged the people to keep praying for him and the Rivers State Governor to succeed in delivering dividends of democracy.
Senate has set up an adhoc committee to investigate the demolition of buildings in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT by the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, just as it summoned the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, to appear before it to explain the reasons behind the demolitions, which have left many residents stranded
The resolutions followed a motion by Senator Ireti Kingibe ( FCT), who expressed concern over the illegal demolition of structures in the nation’s capital and called for an immediate stop to further demolitions.
The Red Chamber particularly ordered the FCDA to halt ongoing demolitions of property in the Territory within the next two weeks pending the report of its adhoc committee constituted to probe the issue.
The adhoc committee, to be chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, has the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru; Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Tahir Monguno, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, Senator Sahabi Ya’u, Senator Victor Umeh, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Senator Idiat Adebule and Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, as members.
The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who announced the composition of the committee, gave it two weeks to submit its report.
Akpabio while reading the resolution of the Senate, said: “The Senate urges the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to stop further demolitions of structures, except those ordered by courts of competent jurisdictions, until the adhoc committee constituted by the Senate to ascertain the propriety or otherwise of the exercise concludes its investigation and interface with the FCT administration within the next two weeks.”
Kingibe in her lead debate said that in recent times, the demolition exercise in the FCT was no longer based on reasons that necessitated the demolition.
She urged the Senate to be further concerned that the current demolition in the FCT was not in line with due process of court orders to demolish.
“As such, a cross section of individuals had suffered untold hardships occasioned by massive demolition, which has led to a loss of properties worth billions of naira.
“Also concerned that at the moment, an estate by name, Messrs Paulosa, for which late Colonel Paul Osakpawan Ogbebor is the chairman, is currently under revocation and demolition. And from reliable information, the said plot of land was allocated to him in 1984 with requisite title document.
“And further concerned that the owner of this estate was a patriotic Nigerian who served the nation meritoriously and one of the first intakes of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, with registration Number 001,” Kingibe said.
She urged the Senate to accordingly resolve to urge the FCT administration to halt the ongoing revocation and demolition of the said property, “as it does not fall within the purview of the reasons for the massive demolition being carried by the FCDA.”
Senator Kingibe also advocated thatall demolitions should follow due process while the Senate set up a committee to investigate the matters arising from the demolition.
However, Senator Sunday Karimi ( Kogi West) in his contribution said the Senate needs to hear from the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, before ordering a halt to the demolitions.
“If you look at this motion, the presenter said, a specific land allocation was mentioned belonging to one Paul Ogbebor.
“We don’t know anything about this thing and we are just coming because of this to tell the minister to stop?
“There is need to investigate this matter before giving any directive. We must hear from the minister. But we have to hear before we say stop demolition.
“Let’s hear from the Minister. You cannot shave a man’s head at his back. We need to hear from the Minister,” Karimi said.
The Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central), however disagreed with Karimi, saying that the request that the Senate should call on the FCT minister to halt further demolitions was in order.
He said: “Mr. President, with respect I disagree with Mr. Karimi. I think we need to be fair to everyone. There is before us an allegation that says certain steps are to be taken which will culminate in demolition. Are we saying that we should allow the place to be demolished while we are trying to look into it?”
In his response, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio agreed with the chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters, saying “my thought is in line with yours. If we just say, continue the demolition, and then we start investigation, what are we then investigating?”
He, thereafter, read the resolution of the Senate calling on the FCT Minister to halt further demolitions of property in the FCT pending the investigative report of its adhoc committee chaired by the Deputy Senate President.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi