Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Jonathan has no role in Salami’s recall – NJC



Suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami

Suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami
| credits: File copy

National Judicial Council on Tuesday told an Abuja Federal High Court that President Goodluck Jonathan had no powers under the law to play a role in the reinstatement of the suspended President, Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami.

The NJC told the court that rather than Jonathan, the exclusive powers to recall Salami was vested in it.

Following its decision to recall the suspended PCA, the NJC had reportedly forwarded a letter recommending Salami’s reinstatement to the President, but Jonathan refused to act on the recommendation, as a result of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Bello Adoke’s advice that the matter was sub judice.

In its written address in response to a suit instituted by 11 human rights activists against Jonathan and Salami’s continued suspension, the NJC agreed with the plaintiffs that the President had no role to play in the recall of the suspended PCA.

Jonathan, the AGF, NJC, Salami and the Acting PCA, Justice Dalhatu Adamu, were listed as the defendants in the suit filed on behalf of the activists by Mr. Jitobo Akanike.

The NJC’s written address, dated October 2, 2012, was filed by its counsel, Mr. Usman Isah.

The plaintiffs had asked the court to determine whether Jonathan had the powers to recall Salami, and also, whether he (Jonathan) can reappoint Adamu as acting PCA after the expiration of three months without the recommendation of the NJC.

The NJC agreed with the plaintiffs on both issues, maintaining that Jonathan had no powers under the law to recall Salami, and that Adamu’s continued stay in office as acting PCA was illegal.

“By virtue of the combined provisions of sections 153, 158 (1), of the Constitution, and the NJC’s power to exercise disciplinary control over judicial officers contained in paragraph 21 (1) of the part 1, third schedule of the Constitution, the NJC is clothed with the power to suspend and recall the 4th defendant (Salami) without any recourse to the President (the 1st defendant),” the NJC argued.

The council added, “We submit that by virtue of section 238 (5) of the Constitution, the 5th defendant (Acting PCA) cannot be reappointed after the expiration of three months without the recommendation of the 3rd defendant (NJC), as such the continued stay in office by the 5th defendant is unconstitutional and illegal.”

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Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi
President of the Senate, David Mark
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi

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I’m no stooge of Tinubu – Akeredolu



L-R: Tinubu, Akeredolu and Akande

L-R: Tinubu, Akeredolu and Akande
| credits:

Action Congress of Nigeria’s candidate for the October 20 Ondo State governorship election, Rotimi Akeredolu, has dismissed claims by Governor Olusegun Mimiko that he plays stooge to former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu.

Akeredolu said this while addressing supporters at Ikare Akoko on Tuesday.

He said, “Was he not the stooge when he ran to Tinubu for his support when his mandate was stolen?

“Mimiko said I was planted in this state by Tinubu but where did he get his own support? Tinubu is the Moses of our time. He is only working to liberate this state from the clutches of the oppressors.

“You people have spoken by giving us your support. I am calling on you people of Ikare and Ondo to  vote massively on October 20.”

National Chairman of ACN, Chief Bisi Akande, presented a banner to Akeredolu, saying it signified that the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association would be the next governor of the state.

Akande said, “I am thanking you now, but I know I will come back and thank you again after the election.”

Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola told party supporters to stay at the polling booths after casting their votes so that the ballots could be counted in their presence.

Aregbesola said the step would frustrate  rigging.

He said, “Rogues who have positioned themselves to steal votes would not have a chance in the coming election.”

Former Governor  Segun Osoba predicted victory for the ACN.

More Stories in Countdown to Ondo gov poll

Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt Caleb Olubolade (retd.)
Mimiko, Akeredolu and Oke

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Wanted oil marketers refuse to surrender to EFCC



EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde

EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde
| credits:

The three oil marketers declared wanted  by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the fuel subsidy scam have yet to surrender themselves, it was revealed on Tuesday.

Spokesman for the anti-graft agency, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed to our correspondent that the marketers were still on the wanted list of the EFCC.

He said, “The three persons declared wanted by the commission over the fuel subsidy scam – Abdul Afeez O. Olabisi,  Abubakar P. A. Jeldi,  Ikechukwu O. Nworgu – are still on the EFCC Wanted Persons list.

“As stated in an ealier statement on the subsidy scam, the arraignment of suspects will be in batches.Two batches have been arraigned so far.

The EFCC had on September 7 declared the marketers wanted for their involvement in the fuel subsidy scam.

They are Abdul Afeez Olarenwaju Olabisi (Fago Fargo Petroleum and Gas Limited);  Abubakar Peters Ali Jeldi (Managing Director of Nadabo Energy Limited) and Ikechukwu Onuabuchi Nworgu of Star Inspection Services Nigeria Limited.

The agency said they were wanted for offences bordering on criminal conspiracy, forgery, obtaining money by false pretences and money laundering running into several billions of Naira.

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Displaced Bakassi natives on protest
Recent flood in Lokoja
Inspector General of police, Muhammed Abubakar

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Gunmen kill 23 students, others in Adamawa



Inspector General of police, Muhammed Abubakar

Inspector General of police, Muhammed Abubakar

GUNMEN midnight Monday stormed an off-campus residence of students of the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, Adamawa State, and shot dead 23 students.

Also, three other persons, including a retired soldier, a guard and father of a studfent, lost their lives in the orgy of killing with a total of 25 felled victims.

The murdered students were said to have been called out by their killers. As a replacement for one of their targets, the gunmen killed the father.

Police on Tuesday confirmed the number of deaths even as students were said to have deserted the campus of the polytechnic. The police also said five others sustained serious injuries and were receiving treatment in the hospital.

Commissioner of Police in Adamawa, Godfrey Okeke, confirmed to our correspondent on the phone that 26 corpses had been deposited in the mortuary.

Okeke said the killers came with a hit list with which they identified their targets before gunning them down.

According to him, the police had commenced investigations into the killings and detectives were exploring wide angles to identify the motives for the attacks and the perpetrators and their sponsors.

 The CP said, “It was around 2am that one of my officers told me about the attack in Mubi and I asked him to find out what happened. We learnt that the attackers came with a list and were calling out the names of their victims whom they either shoot or slaughter.

“This morning (Tuesday), I went to the scene with the SSS director and Brigade of Guards Commander and we saw 26 bodies on the ground. They have been deposited in the mortuary and we have commenced investigations into the incident.”

Asked why the operatives of the Joint Taskforce who have  been in charge of security in the area did not respond to the sound of gunshots, Okeke said the JTF men were not aware of the incident because the gunmen muffled the sounds of their gunshots and also used knives to slaughter some of their victims to avoid detection.

He said the police would explore all possibilities, including the fact that the killings might have been sponsored by participants in the student union elections that held last Saturday at the Federal Polytechnic.

 “We are exploring all angles in our investigations; you know there was a student union election at the school last Saturday, so we will investigate this angle too to know whether there is a link to the killings,” he said.

Public Relations Officer of the Adamawa State command of the Nigeria Police, Mohammed Ibrahim, had earlier confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria that 25 people were killed, 19 of them students of the Federal Polytechnic.

“We are just leaving Mubi with the Commissioner of Police and the Brigade Commander. Nineteen students were killed… all in all 25 persons were killed. Although the investigation is continuing, there are signs that there may have been some internal factors. But we cannot prove it until we complete our investigation”, Saharareporters quoted Ibrahim to have said on the phone.

A resident however told NAN that students of both the polytechnic and those of the nearby School of Health Technology lived in the affected hostel.

Spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, Yushua Shuaib, also confirmed the incident though he couldn’t confirm the casualty figure.

Shuaib told a news agency that police were investigating the possibilities that the killings were as a result of rivalry between factions in the students’ union election in the polytechnic.

Shuaib was quoted as saying that the attack had been probably launched by a faction not satisfied with the election.

“The crisis in Mubi is suspected to have been fuelled by campus politics after an election at the Federal Polytechnic,” the NEMA spokesperson said.

Abdulkarim Bello of the Red Cross said, “They were conducting elections in the Federal Polytechnic and unknown gunmen just entered and sprayed people with bullets”.

A student, who was said to have refused to give his name, reportedly told saharareporters that the gunmen were wearing military uniforms, and were calling out the names of individual students before killing them.

The student said that after surrounding the compound around midnight, the gunmen started taking the students outside, ascertaining their names and shooting them, while others butchered the bodies with sharp knives. The mutilated corpses were left lined up in the courtyard.

The student said the killings were likely to have a connection with last Sunday’s Student Union Government election, which was said to have been contested on regional grounds between Northern and Southern students in the institution.

 

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Recent flood in Lokoja

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Court orders CBN to declare whereabouts of N191bn forfeited by Cecilia Ibru



A Federal High Court, Lagos on Tuesday gave the Central Bank of Nigeria 72 hours to declare the whereabouts of about N191bn asset forfeited by the convicted former Managing Director of Oceanic Bank Plc (now Ecobank Plc), Mrs. Cecilia Ibru.

Justice Mohammed Idris gave the order in a judgment on Monday.

The judgment was on a suit instituted by the President of Progressive Shareholders Association, Mr. Boniface Okezie, seeking to compel the apex bank to release the information under the Freedom of Information Act.

In granting part of the reliefs sought in the suit, Idris also ordered CBN to declare “the total cash and value of properties recovered from Cecilia Ibru.”

He ordered the apex bank to declare “the whereabouts of the money recovered from Cecilia Ibru; and what part of this cash and properties has been returned to Oceanic Bank and/or its shareholders.”

He said the order must be complied with “within 72 hours.”

More details later.

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Source : punchng[dot]com

Court orders CBN to declare whereabouts of N191bn forfeited by Cecilia Ibru



A Federal High Court, Lagos on Tuesday gave the Central Bank of Nigeria 72 hours to declare the whereabouts of about N191bn asset forfeited by the convicted former Managing Director of Oceanic Bank Plc (now Ecobank Plc), Mrs. Cecilia Ibru.

Justice Mohammed Idris gave the order in a judgment on Monday.

The judgment was on a suit instituted by the President of Progressive Shareholders Association, Mr. Boniface Okezie, seeking to compel the apex bank to release the information under the Freedom of Information Act.

In granting part of the reliefs sought in the suit, Idris also ordered CBN to declare “the total cash and value of properties recovered from Cecilia Ibru.”

He ordered the apex bank to declare “the whereabouts of the money recovered from Cecilia Ibru; and what part of this cash and properties has been returned to Oceanic Bank and/or its shareholders.”

He said the order must be complied with “within 72 hours.”

More details later.

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Source : punchng[dot]com

Gunshots cause fresh scare in Lagos



Policemen attached to the Rapid Response Squad on Tuesday morning patrolled Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way in Ikeja, Lagos State after gunshots rang out near Sheraton Hotel.

The policemen, in vans and motorcycles, and with guns at the ready, patrolled the busy road from the intersection at Joel Ogunnaike Street to Maryland and back.

A PUNCH correspondent, who drove past the police patrol, noticed that even drivers of the vans rode with rifles on their laps.

Reports said some unidentified gunmen fired shots near the upscale hotel, although it could not be confirmed if they attacked motorists or any offices.

However, it was suspected that the gunmen had planned to raid parts of Lagos, in the same fashion as a gang of armed robbers rode through some parts of the metropolis some weeks ago, killing and robbing motorists, policemen and foreign exchange traders.

More details later.

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Source : punchng[dot]com

Obi continues tour of flooded areas in Anambra



Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, on Tuesday continued his tour of areas ravaged by flood in the state.

The governor visited Onitsha and moved to Umueze Anam, with a team of government officials, to ensure the evacuation of people stranded in flood-hit communities.

The state government had swiftly responded to the flood disaster by evacuating affected persons from their communities to rehabilitation camps.

Also, efforts are being made to feed the displaced persons and provide them with water, mosquito nets and other relief materials.

Schools in the affected areas have also been shut.

Obi had on Monday abandoned the Independence Anniversary parade in the state capital, Awka, and headed for Ogbaru Local Government Area, where some communities were badly hit by the flood.

As at Monday, four camps had been established in Anambra West for displaced persons in the state and neighbouring Kogi State, according to information released by the state government on Tuesday.

The camps are Umuoba Unity Primary School, with 175 persons; Umuleri General Hospital, with 300 persons; Bishop Crowther Primary School, with 200 persons; while St. Joseph’s Secondary School has yet to be occupied.

More details later.

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Source : punchng[dot]com

Shock greets FG’s overhaul of aviation agencies



Shock on Tuesday greeted the Federal Government’s overhaul of some agencies in the Ministry of Aviation.

In the restructuring, some personnel were redeployed while some directors were retired.

Aviation sector workers gathered in groups on Tuesday morning at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, discussing the development.

Some said they were surprised at the shakeup while others said they would take the situation with equanimity.

A national newspaper reported on Tuesday that the shake-up affected top management staff in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Accident Investigation Bureau and Nigerian Meteorological Agency.

The paper quoted sources close to the ministry as saying on Monday that letters were released to top directors and general managers either redeployed to sister agencies, or elevated to higher positions, as well as those being brought into the parasatals from outside.

Letters for those either retired or sacked are expected to be released Tuesday, the report said.

It stated that FAAN’s directorates were increased from seven to nine, with seven of the directors to head the directorates being brought in as new recruits.

FAAN General Manager (Training), Hajiya Salamatu Eluwa, was promoted to Director of Administration while the its Public Affairs Department was split into two, with the former General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Akin Olukunle, redeployed to the Protocol and Passages Unit, while Yakubu Datti would now head the newly created Corporate Communications Unit.

Also affected in the shake-up is the former Director of Engineering of FAAN, Mr. Saleh Dunoma, who is being redeployed to head the newly created Directorate of Projects, the report said.

The paper also learnt that the Directorate of Legal Services, which was phased out some years back, had been restored.

More details later.

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Source : punchng[dot]com

Monday, October 1, 2012

Nigeria, a fertile place for short-term investment – Adubor



Vincent Adubor

Vincent Adubor
| credits:

Vincent Adubor is an Assistant Director with the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers. In this interview with Okechukwu Nnodim, he says Nigeria is one of the most fertile places for short-term investment

What are your three key investment principles?

You must invest in what you can control, where you think you will be in charge. You don’t go and invest where you don’t have an idea of what is happening. So you must be knowledgeable about what you are investing in. If you are to invest in land, you must know that location is one of the most important things to consider and you must know other things that surround the security of the land you are investing in.

So before going into any type of investment, you must be familiar with it; you don’t just invest because other people are investing.

Secondly, you must be able to know point of entry and point of exit. For example, now that we are talking about property issues in Europe and in America, there was a time it was at its peak. And at that peak period, I don’t think an average investor can just enter.

You have to know what is the average price like, how does it start, what is the bottomline, what is the support and what is the resistance so that you will be able to say if I enter at this point, what is my gain going to be like and how long it is going to be.

Therefore what I am trying to say is that you should know your point of entry and exit. If you are a speculator, you must know when to exit. If you are a long term investor, you must be able to give duration in terms of projection of when you might have made your maximum return or at least 50 per cent and above. And at the point of exit, even if you’ve not made what you want to make on the investment, have you taken advantage of breaking even at exit instead of total loss? So this is what I mean by point of entry and point of exit.

Thirdly, what are your expectations in terms of return on investment? In every business the bottom line is profit. So what are you looking at? Is it short, medium or long term? All these will help you to know when and where to invest in, whether it is stock, land or any business.

Are there short-term investments in Nigeria that can generate good returns?

I think Nigeria is one of the most fertile places to invest for short term. Let’s take the capital market for example and let’s forget about what happened even after the meltdown, you and I know that there was a time when (the share price of ) Guarantee Trust Bank Plc, not quite one year now, was N9. Today you and I know the price and when you take the average percentage in terms of income, you will know what I am talking about. So if you have cash and you are not in a hurry, Nigeria is a fertile place to invest.

So in that aspect, you could have made your 100 per cent returns under one year and one year is a short term from all angles. In terms of investment analysis in Nigeria, when you talk of money placement, one year, 180-days or 190-days period is short-term and it is like the money market.

But even in the capital market, if you want to invest and pull out all your money you can make it. Even in the past two months, if you analyse the stocks movement, forget about the market makers they have now, you would have noticed that some stocks have gained up to 25 to 30 per cent.

It’s been argued that only about 10 per cent of the listed equities have gained this much, so how would an investor interested in the stock market know which stocks to invest in?

Well like I said, many of our practitioners, are not well exposed to market analysis, but what is important is that over the years even if you are not a broker, you would have known that even though there is capital market meltdown, there are some stocks that are known to be steady. So historically you will know that, you will be able to look at one or two stocks.

Apart from that, in terms of property, aside the cost of building, location is another point. If you are able to get a good location in Nigeria and build a good property and you are able to handle it properly, I mean under two years you will make your money. I am talking of real estates now and you can get good returns there. I know that even in Ikorodu, Ketu and some other non-luxury areas, people bought land and even when they couldn’t build on them, the land continued to appreciate.

For an average individual who wants to invest in the stock market, what are the basic things to look out for?

If you don’t know anything about the market you must meet a practitioner, which is why we are brokers. And the broker must look at the fundamentals, forget about whether a company is paying dividend now or they are paying next year or what they have paid. Look at the current fundamentals and see the projections and see whether the ones that they have already sold out agree with their projections or surpassed it.

You may not reap immediately but in the long term you are going to reap.

So the fundamentals of companies, not bandwagon effect of companies, like ABC companies are mopping up and you don’t know their objectives and you join them without finding out. No! Do your analysis through your stock, let him advise you and go to all the sectors to pick and you will get something good.

Foreigners always say it is easy to make money in Nigeria, do you agree?

Anything you can do in a virgin land like Nigeria will guarantee you good income. If you travel outside to developed nations, nearly all ideas have been exhausted there and they are only refining ideas. But here we have not even started with any idea.

More Stories in AM Business

Abiodun Doherty
Nimi Akinkugbe
Key reasons why first time businesses fail

Source : punchng[dot]com

Group demands soldiers, police neutrality



Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar

Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar
| credits: File copy

Ahead of October 20 Ondo State governorship election, a group, Ondo State Progressives, has demanded neutrality from soldiers and police during the poll.

The group said at a press conference in Lagos on Monday it would resist any attempt by security agents to take sides in the poll.

Chairman of the group, Mr. Dele Okeigbo, said the warning was necessary to avoid bloodletting as witnessed in 1983.

Okeigbo also asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to give every party a level-playing ground to operate in order to avoid chaos.

Okeigbo said, “Soldiers can be deployed in the state but they should be neutral during the election. They should play their roles professionally and not to take sides.

“As a group, we want the best election conducted in our state. We do not want chaos; we want INEC to give every party the opportunity to exercise their franchise. We do not want bloodletting as we experienced in 1983.

“The electorate should vote wisely for the right candidate and party that will move the state forward. Ondo is our own and its interest must be protected.

“Ondo is a volatile place and they can easily be provoked if there is a kind of manipulation. Our people know their rights and let nobody provoke them.”

Okeigbo said the group had enlightened the electorate to have it at the back of their minds that their votes remains their power and they should preserve their future by voting conscientiously.

“The voters must continue to guard their votes. They must vote for people who can deliver,” Okeigbo said.

More Stories in Countdown to Ondo gov poll

Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu
Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko

Source : punchng[dot]com

Nasarawa governor pardons nine prison inmates



Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura on Monday pardoned nine prison inmates from the state as part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 52nd Independence Anniversary.

Al-Makura, who announced the pardon when he visited the prisons in Lafia, said the gesture was also part of activities to mark the 16th years of the creation of the state, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

He donated one Hilux van, two cows and 20 bags of rice to the inmates, directing that it should be cooked and served to the inmates to celebrate the double anniversary.

The governor also called for the speedy dispensation of justice in the country to further decongest the prisons.

He decried the delay in the administration of justice in the country, pointing out that many inmates had languished in prisons without obtaining justice.

“The speedy trial of suspects will certainly help to decongest the prisons as cases of awaiting trial suspects will reduce drastically,’’ he said.

He called on the Federal Government to give priority attention to welfare of prison inmates so that they could become reformed citizens on completion of their jail terms.

The state Comptroller of Prison, Kunle Sanusi, thanked the governor for the gesture and assured him of the judicious use of the items.

More Stories in News


Source : punchng[dot]com

FRSC warns motorists as fallen tree blocks Ibadan-Ife Road



Federal Road Safety Commission on Monday night warned travellers on Ibadan-Ife Road to exercise caution around Akinlalu junction.

FRSC said in a Facebook post that a mighty tree fell across the inward Ibadan side of the expressway, five kilometers after Oduduwa University and  just before Akinlalu.

“Traffic alert. For those travelling to Ibadan, you are advised to slow down when approaching Akinlalu junction, about five kilometres after Oduduwa University. A mighty tree just fell and blocked the the road. FRSC marshals from RS11.11 are clearing the obstruction.” the post said.

More details later.

 

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Source : punchng[dot]com

Children stage peace walk in in Lagos



Fifty children, dressed in green and white colours, on Monday in Lagos staged a peace walk to advocate for violence against women and children, as well as their peace and safety.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the walk was organised by a Non-Governmental Organisation, the Environment Clean-Up and War Against Cholera.

The children, whose ages range from two years to 15 years and drawn from different schools and religious organisations, converged on Darman College, Alakija in Oriade Local Council Development Area, for the walk.

They also carried placards with various inscriptions, preaching peace, love and good governance.

The President/Convener of the NGO, Mrs. Edith Ojoye, said the walk was in accordance with the UNICEF convention on the rights of the child.

“We just want to use today, being the independence anniversary of our country, to cry out against the violence in our country and in the world.

“We call on our government to spread the message of peace; the children are the future of tomorrow but they and  the women are the worst hit during war and violence,” Ojoye said.

She expressed the hope that with the celebration of the 52nd independence, Nigerian leaders would come together and restore peace to the nation.

“The children should be given the opportunity to live and serve their fatherland.

“No child should be made an orphan through war or violence.

“May God lead our leaders aright so that peace can be restored to Nigeria,” she added.

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Source : punchng[dot]com

Group identifies gas flaring as cause of flooding



An NGO, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, has attributed the incessant flooding in Nigeria partly to gas flaring by oil companies.

The group’s Head of Legal Resources, Mr. Chima Williams, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Benin that there was the need for climate experts and government agencies to find lasting solutions to the problems of oil spillage and gas faring in the Niger Delta.

Williams said oil companies operating in the region should be held accountable.

“It is on record that Nigeria flares more gas, associated with oil extraction, than any other countries thereby cooking the skies through gas flaring.

“This continuous flaring has contributed immensely to the climate change issues by releasing carbon, methane, and nitrous oxide, among others, into the atmosphere,” he said.

Williams explained that the climate change had negatively affected many communities, disrupting the environment and the economy through flooding.

“Although government, the international community and the oil companies have agreed to stop gas faring, government lacks the political will to do so,” he said.

According to him, gas flaring endangers human health, harms local ecosystems, and destroys plants and animals, food production and water among others.

“From pronouncements on climate change, coming from government agencies, it is obvious that government cannot plead ignorance of the massive contribution of gas flaring to global warming.

“After years of paying lip service, government must take urgent actions to protect the lives of its citizens and rescue the nation from the menace caused by oil companies.

“It is not enough to set up committees to look at the flooding problems but efforts should be directed at solving the problem of gas flaring holistically,” he said.

Williams said gas flaring had caused untold hardship to host communities, and called on the National Assembly to do more to stop the flaring.

He urged the government to review the nation’s environmental policies, which he said, had become obsolete.

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Source : punchng[dot]com

Independence Day tragedy averted as police defuse bomb in Jos



A tragedy was averted in Jos on Monday when the Plateau State Police Command defused an Improvised Explosive Device on Ajayi Street in the centre of the metropolis.

Our correspondent gathered that the IED was planted by unknown persons at about 10.10 pm on Sunday at the heavily populated area of Kwararafa, very close to the Jos Central Mosque.

Though no life was lost, but the police succeeded in arresting one person over the incident.

The police, while confirming the story, said that though the device exploded before men of the bomb disposal squad, led by ASP Abel Mbibi, got to the scene after they were tipped off by members of the public, they evacuated the device and were able to defuse the tension that arose as a result of the incident.

Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Abuh, in a statement said the suspect was immediately handed over to the Special Task Force.

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National Publicity Secretary, Action Congress of Nigeria, Alhaji Lai Mohammed

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Independence Day: Akinjide urges Nigerians to remain committed



The Minister of State for FCT, Ms. Olajumoke Akinjide, has urged Nigerians and residents of the FCT to remain committed to the unity and progress of the nation.

This was contained in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by the Special Assistant (Media & Publicity) to the Minister of State for FCT, Mr. Oluyinka Akintunde, as the country celebrates its 52nd Independence Day.

The statement quoted Akinjide as saying that the last 13 years of unbroken democracy in the country had given Nigerians fresh hope for a flourishing and prosperous future.

“The transformation agenda of the present administration is on right track and will guarantee Nigeria’s future and prosperity,’’ she said.

She said that the government was committed to the transformation agenda with the implementation of new initiatives including the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme and Youth Enterprises with Innovation in Nigeria.

“The SURE-P and YOUWIN programmes are aimed at creating jobs and executing projects that will improve the lives of Nigerians.

“There has been noticeable improvement in the areas of power, agricultural development and other sectors of the economy.

“The present administration at the national and FCT levels remain committed to executing projects that will positively impact on the lives of Nigerians.

“Government is deploying financial resources in a manner that will guarantee sustainable prosperity for the country,” she said.

Akinjide enjoined Nigerians to renew their faith in the country and to remain fervent in their prayers for the leaders of the nation and the FCT.

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Source : punchng[dot]com

Independence: Should Nigerians celebrate?





There are things to celebrate
Dr. Osahon Enabulele, President, Nigerian Medical Association
“In spite of the challenges affecting Nigeria’s health sector coupled with the unacceptably poor health indices, it is important to note that there have been some achievements recorded over the years in the sector.
“For instance, whereas most other public/government parastatals and banks have either collapsed or are at the verge of collapsing, the managements of most public and private hospitals in Nigeria have survived the travails and systemic decay of the Nigerian society. This is an achievement in itself. Of course, one cannot forget the tremendous milestones recorded in Nigeria’s health sector in the 80s and early 90s with general improvements in Primary Health Care, as well as noticeable improvements in institutional and human resource development.” 

 This is time to mourn
Olumide Olusoga, 30, a graduate of Sociology, Tai-Solarin University of Education
“This is the time for us to mourn the failures of our leaders. We have not seen any development or improvement in the country. Most people are running away from the country because there is no hope for them.
“We can only celebrate social problems, Boko Haram, unemployment and prostitution. Nigeria would have been better without independence because I believe that the colonial masters would have performed better that the crop of leaders we have had in this country”, he said.

 Let’s reflect on our failures
Mr. Gomba Obey, lawyer
 “I do not think we have any reasons to celebrate the Independence Day.
“At Independence in 1960, the hope for a better Nigeria were pretty high. It was believed that we could handle our affairs better than any other person.
“The experiences we have had since independence show that our belief that we can run our affairs is wrong, our hopes that we will be a secure and prosperous nation is dashed, and our struggles for independence were pointless.
“What we should be doing now is to remind ourselves of our failure and engage our minds on how to succeed. It does not call for celebration because there is nothing to celebrate.”

 The industrial sector is dead
Dr. Philip Ugbodaga, National Chairman, Coalition to Save Nigeria
“We have nothing to celebrate after 52 years of flag independence. In 1960, we had powerful political leaders and statesmen with very robust pan-African credentials. Today, we see ourselves more from the veil and prism of ethnicity as Ibo, Hausa, Yoruba or Afenmai. The great heritage bequeathed to us by the sacrifices made by our founding fathers have been squandered and dissipated by successive Nigerian leaders.
“Although immensely blessed by God with amazing human and material resources, Nigeria is still grappling with challenges in virtually every sector. The agricultural sector is comatose, the industrial sector is dead.

 Nigeria is going backwards
Abbey Jefia, Medical doctor
I would not really say we should mourn during our independence anniversary, but the truth is that we don’t really have anything to celebrate if we consider the fact that for the past 52 years, we have not achieved anything. As I speak right now, there is no fuel in Port Harcourt and the roads are bad, bad government, power is horrible, education level has gone down and the level of unemployment is worrisome. Generally, I think we are actually going backwards. I think Nigeria has not been blessed with good leaders.

 The past and present leaders have really done nothing. I remember when I was in secondary school, we had no generator in school, we had no borehole because the taps were flowing and we hardly had blackouts. Today, we have actually gone backward. Look at Ghana; Ghana has left us and I doubt if we will ever get to the level Ghana is right now. Let’s forget about the western world and look at Africa. We are still the sleeping giant. So, I will say there is nothing to celebrate. But at the same time, I don’t think we should mourn because we are not dead yet. Personally, I think we need divine intervention for the country to change positively.

No tangible thing to celebrate
Elder Wole Oyelese, ex-minister and PDP leader in Oyo State
“As Nigeria marks her 52nd year of independence, there really is no tangible or reasonable cause for celebration. What we should be doing is to mark a day of thanksgiving rather than a celebration of our shame as a nation.
“Nigeria has a lot of things to thank God for but hardly anything to celebrate. That we are still one country though not a truly united people who trust one another is one miracle and a major reason to give glory to God.
“That the ominously dark cloud of the Boko Haram insurgency, the petroleum subsidy removal riots and others did not turn into ethnic conflict is also a cause to thank God. That despite the corrupt acquisition of the nation’s wealth by unrepentant public officers and political office holders, our economy has not totally collapsed is also a reason to be grateful to God. What really is there to celebrate? It will take a people without a sense of shame or remorse to roll out the drums to celebrate given the level of challenges currently facing the nation.”

 Nigeria is slave to corruption
Prof. Victor Adetimirin, Head, Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan
“Our nation is in a state of crisis. We took Independence from Britain in 1960 but we are really not independent. Our nation is in slavery to corruption, instability, poverty, bombings, senseless killings and bloodshed. In 2012, loss of human life is the highest for any year in peace time in the life of our nation.
“We do not manufacture simple item like bicycles. Tyres for vehicles are imported. Refined fuel is imported laden with corruption of unimaginable proportion.”

 We can get better
Mr. Ndubuisi Enechionyia, member, All Progressives Grand Alliance
“Of course, Nigeria should celebrate. There are many negatives but there are still things we should be thankful to God for. One is that there is still a giant country called Nigeria.
“Two is that this giant called Nigeria can be woken up anytime the right leadership emerges and we can move on like Brazil, China etc.
“Three is that we are in a democracy, which can only get better with continuous refinement. The 2011 elections were the first elections since 1999 where result sheets got to the polling booths, so there is hope for the future.

 Nigeria working for few elite
 Yinka Odumakin, spokesman for Save Nigeria Group
“There is nothing  to celebrate as we have become an embarrassing nation to the world  as all our opportunities have been bungled by corrupt and visionless leaders.
“Nigeria is not working for the vast majority of its citizens because of the greed of its few elite.
“We are a showpiece for failed nations  and only shameless leaders would be  proud of what the country has become.

 Let’s revisit celebration of affluence
Eseme Eyiboh, former spokesperson, House of Representatives
The 52nd Anniversary of our Independence only reminds us as a people of our failure to take advantage of our enormous material and human endowments to develop and grow.
 It is a prompter to all of us as a people for our failure to give verve to Justice which is central to growth and development.
“The Anniversary is a wake-up call to revisit our current celebration of affluence in place of enterprise, to reverse the prevalent trend of leadership being taken as a gift instead of a responsibility earned and which must be accounted for
“On the whole, as a people, we have lacked the good conscience to continue to pledge to our nation Nigeria to be faithful, loyal and honest amidst the plethora of pervasive and self-inflicted astronomical rise in unemployment and powerty, insecurity and injustice, corruption and waste in governance.
“As a people, we have collectively lost the moral authority to continue to say “So help me (us) God!”

Nigeria should mourn, celebrate
Mr. Samad Sanusi, civil servant
“I believe Nigeria should both mourn and celebrate this Independence in the sense that the country is not what it should be after over 50 years of independence. We are not where we should be in terms of development. Our contemporaries like Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asian and even African countries have left us far behind. Ghana which some years back had almost collapsed is now back on its feet. It has celebrated for years now uninterrupted power supply.
“Can Nigeria boast of even one day of uninterrupted electricity? The other countries like Brazil have gone far technologically. They have produced their own cars but Nigeria cannot boast of producing her own bicycle. So really we have nothing to celebrate except that we are still alive to witness this independence celebration.”

 Nothing to cheer about
Akintayo Iwilade, lawyer
“The October 1 date hardly inspires the people since what ought to be the gains of independence have eluded the country for too long.
With deficits in progressive political systems and structures, an  unproductive economic system, a mindlessly exploitative wealth distribution system, an embarrassing lack of science and technology, among others there is nothing to cheer about. 
“The peoples’ apathy towards the hollow rituals of October 1 can be considered perfectly rational. However, we need not mourn since those failures are not expected to define the country’s future. But talking of celebration, there is not much to cheer about.”

 Our values have been eroded
 Gbenga Fatodu, Lagos civil servant
“I don’t think there’s anything to celebrate about our independence, because it’s been 52 years of fruitless governance, corruption, insurgency, stiff hardship and poverty…So sad to see how things are getting worse and our economic system in comatose! Series of human carnage and civil unrest as characterised by insecurity are some of the horrors terrorising our land and turning an average citizen to a stranger in the land.
“Our values have been eroded. There are no basic facilities for education, health care, lives and property with total neglect for infrastructure. Our road networks have become death traps
“The nation is replete with tendencies more divisive than they were during pre-civil war era.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Kajola Terrace Apartments for completion in 18 months



Kajola Investment Plc and Animasaun Group are set to deliver the Kajola Terrace Apartments, which comprises 12 units of four-bedroom flats in Ikeja, GRA in the next 18 months.

The project is a joint venture between Kajola Investment which provided the land and the Animasaun Group brings its expertise into play in the area of funds mobilisation and construction.

The Chairman, Kajola Investment Plc, Prof. Wale Omole, said during the turning of the sod of the luxury terrace apartments on Tuesday in Lagos that the partners have equal stakes in the project.

According to him, the Kajola Terrace Apartments come with unique features that stand each of the units out.

He said each unit would have four bedrooms and a servant quarter, adding that “the target of the project is top executives and high profile individuals with luxury taste, as well as expatriates and corporate institutions.”

“In designing the estate, careful attention has been given to parking facilities, setbacks, airspaces, height regulations, space control, safety regulations, landscaping, recreation area and waste management system, among others,” Omole said.

He described the apartments as a test case, following which the company would move into the low income housing segment in some parts of Lagos, and later, Abuja.

On his part, the Managing Director, Animasaun Group, Dr. Dapo Animasaun, said the indigenous firm of developers decided to go into the partnership because of its belief in the viability of the project.

According to him, the serene location of the project will make it an easy attraction for upwardly mobile executives, who desire good life and value good taste and choice.

He was, however, silent on the amount to be expended on the project and the price at which each unit would be sold.

Animasaun said his firm would complete the project within 15 months, following which Kajola Investment would begin the sale of the own units.

He said his company saw it as “a delightful joint venture project” because of the calibre of people behind Kajola Investment.

“These are people who have seen it all and do not feel threatened by our ideas. On our part, we see this partnership as an opportunity to align our vibrant ideas with the experience of the promoters of Kajola Investment,” he said.

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An estate in Abuja

Source : punchng[dot]com

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