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Forty members of
the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) posted to Oyo State delivered
babies during the three-week orientation programme.

The state director
of the NYSC, Gabriel Ibe, who disclosed this during the passing-out
programme of the Batch ‘A’ orientation programme in Iseyin, on Tuesday,
said the nursing mothers were sent back to their families after
registration.

He said a total of 2,423 graduates were posted to the state for the compulsory one-year national service.

Mr Ibe said the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) engaged the corps
members for two out of the three weeks orientation programme to train
them for their expected duties as ad hoc staff in the forthcoming
elections.

He said the
three-week programme was packaged to expose the participants to the
ideals of patriotism and selfless service for the nation.

Mr. Ibe however expressed worries over the way politicians attempt to drag corps members into the murky water of politics.

“I have read with
utter consternation and trepidation the allegation published in a
national daily, that the government of Oyo State is organizing parties
for corps members in Oyo State, with a view to getting their support,”
he said.

“Let me state
categorically here that no person, group of persons or government has
approached me or my officers with any proposal to host a party for
corps members in Oyo State. Neither will any corps member or staff
engage in such activity, as they know fully the implications.”

He alleged that the
politicians raising the allegation had approached corps members during
the last voters’ registration exercise to manipulate the process in
their favour, adding that the refusal of the offer led to the attack on
some corps members at Erunmu area of Egbeda Local Government of the
state.

The Oyo State government has completed the electronic
storage of about 350,000 land documents in its archives, the state
governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, said yesterday.

Speaking at the official commissioning of the newly
automated lands registry at the state ministry of Lands, Housing and
Survey, in Ibadan, the state capital, the governor said the new system
will help guard against theft, falsification of documents, fire threat
and other forms of destruction to the documents.

He said before his government took the step, land
documents were saved manually since the days of the colonial
government, exposing them to all forms of dangers associated with the
process.

According to him, the new system is not only going
to take care of those challenges, but will also reduce space used in
storing the documents as well as assure on safety.

“The paper documents in the registry consist of
volumes of several ledgers and property cards that have become very old
and worn out due to wear and tear by reason of use and vagaries of
weather,” he said.

The governor urged property owners in the state to
register their interests to avoid being outwitted by fraudsters and
those who might want to obtain land documents under false pretence.

Saving time

He warned land prospectors to go to the land registry
to conduct researches before entering into agreement on lands to
ascertain the bona fide owners of the property, stressing that the
system will always be open to all for verification after payment of the
required fee.

The consultant in charge of the project, Makinyele
Oladeji, said his company, Tabcod Nigeria Limited, uses the latest
facilities on earth for the automation.

“The implication of this project in that the time
required in searching for land documents will be reduced by more than
80% since documents can be retrieved with the touch of a button,” he
said.

The head of Zion
Church World Wide and the ruler of Ugbo-nla, in the oil rich Ilaje
Local Government Area of Ondo State, Mobolorunduro Henry Ogunfeyimi was
remanded in prison custody yesterday for allegedly parading himself as
king of Ugbo kingdom and for destroying the properties of the paramount
ruler of the Ugbo kingdom, Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan.

Mr Ogunfeyimi and nine other defendants were ordered to be remanded in prison custody by a Chief Magistrate, O.C Agunbiade.

The accused will be in prison custody till May 3 when the court will determine whether or not to grant them bail.

Others remanded in
prison custody are: Oluranti Ogunfeyimi, Ajimuda Daniel, Olatunji
Mafimisebi, Gladius Omogbemi, Niyi Ogunfeyimi, Imole Ogunfeyimi, Isogun
Ajodun, Gbadebo Olakanmi, Adewole Ajuwayo and Johnson Agbodu.

The charges

The charge sheet
reads, in part: “on the 25th day of February, at about 1:30pm in
Ugbo-nla, in the Okitipupa Magistrate District, the accused persons did
conspire with one another to commit misdemeanor, to wit malicious
damage and thereby commit an offence punishable under section 517 of
the Criminal Code cap 30 vol 2 laws of Ondo State .” It also alleged
that “they willfully and unlawfully damaged an alumaco glass door
,valued N120, 000, property of Oba Akinruntan, the Olugbo and thereby
committed an offence punishable under section 451(1) of the criminal
code cap 30 vol 2 of the laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 1978.”

Mr Ogunfeyimi alone
was accused of conducting himself in a manner likely to cause the
breach of peace by addressing himself as “His Royal Highness, Oba Dr
Ogunfeyimi Henry of Ugbo-nla” and therefore committed an offence
punishable under section 249 sub section of the criminal code cap 30
vol 2 laws of Ondo State .

Minor offenses

At the resumed
hearing of the case, the accused persons, through their counsel,
Olusanmi Tobase asked the court to grant them bail on liberal terms
since the offences against them were minor in nature.

He said the accused
were on police bail before they were arraigned at the last adjourned
date, adding that they would provide credible sureties that would stand
for them in the court.

The judge, however, refused to grant their application for bail pending the trial of the case.

Governors of the 36
states of the federation, at an emergency meeting in Abuja Tuesday
morning, expressed worry over the increasing rate of electoral violence
across the country, promising to work together to reduce it.

The meeting, which
was to discuss the rising level of insecurity and impending bills
before the National Assembly, was attended by only a few governors.

The Kwara State
governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Bukola Saraki,
told journalists at the end of the deliberation, which lasted for about
three hours, that the importance of security cannot be over-emphasised
in any successful poll.

“We are concerned
about the security, election guidelines and procedures. But by and
large, as governors, we are all committed to our position that we want
to win gallantly or lose gallantly. We are ready to accept results of
the elections, just as we preach issue of no violence in this election.
We are committed to our pledge to ensure transparent and credible polls
at our respective states and to let our supporters know this in the
interest of our great country,” he said.

The governors, in
their submission, however disagreed on a bill on the reduction in
personal income tax before the national assembly, which they said will
greatly affect most of the states.

“In as much as the
reduction in personal income tax will definitely affect many of the
states and that this is coming at a time we are having challenges about
minimum wage, we want to ensure that these policies are put in a basket
so that we address them at once,” Mr Saraki said. “We need to look at
issues of minimum wage, review of personal income tax and revenue
allocation. We agreed to look at these collectively and we are making
representation to National Assembly to look at these.” While governors
of Kwara, Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger, Anambra, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Edo and
Cross River were in attendance, deputy governors of Kogi, Yobe Oyo and
Jigawa States were also sighted.

Ekiti State
governor, Kayode Fayemi however said the state governors agreed on the
need to come together and fight against all forms of political
intolerance in Nigeria.

Be tolerant

Mr Fayemi, who
spoke with journalists at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos on his
way back from Abuja, said the state governors were concerned about the
need to protect the country’s democracy.

“I have just come
from a Council of State meeting where this was discussed and we all
agreed that it is in the interest of the country to eschew violence in
the forth coming elections and that all leaders, whether you are a
governor or the President, should do everything within their powers to
assist the security agencies and the electoral commission in ensuring a
free, fair, transparent, credible and violent free elections,” he said.

The country has recorded many cases of violence linked to politics as the general elections draw nearer.

As Nigeria goes to
the polls on Saturday, the wife of the vice president, Amina Namadi
Sambo yesterday flagged off the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) women
and youths door-to-door campaign in Kaduna State for the election of
President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Patrick Yakowa.

Mrs. Sambo told the
women and youths who attended the rally at Ranchers Bees Stadium in
Kaduna to vote only for PDP candidates because of the laudable
programmes embarked upon by the Jonathan administration and for the
transformation and unity of the country.

“President Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan has agreed to implement the 35 percent women
representation in both elective and appointive positions and improve
the living condition of women and youths. In Kaduna State we are lucky
in this present administration of President Jonathan. There is need for
this state to vote for him come next month elections.”

The youths and
women, drawn from the 23 local governments in the state, assured the
wife of the vice president that they would embark on a neighbour-to
neighbour campaign to ensure victory for PDP candidates during the
elections.

Mrs. Sambo also advised mothers to warn their children against political thuggery during the elections.

In her address, the
wife of the Kaduna State governor, Amina Ibrahim Yakowa, said the
desired transformation of Nigerian women in various areas of their
endeavour which include, health, empowerment and increased political
awareness among women would be realised if the duo of Jonathan and
Yakowa are elected president and governor respectively.

Four days to the
National Assembly elections, the Independent National Electoral
Commission on its tweeter post said it is ready to ensure free and fair
elections in Nigeria, urging voters to go out and exercise their rights.

It urged that incidents and developments during the elections be reported to the tweeter platform called @inecnigeria.

The commission listed the procedure for ensuring a successful voting activity:

>>Take your Voter’s Card to the polling unit where you registered recently to be accredited between 8am-12noon.

>>During the
accreditation stage, an appropriate finger of your left hand will be
marked with indelible ink as proof of accreditation.

>>Anyone who
fails to join the queue by 12 noon when the poll orderly stands behind
the last person will not be eligible for accreditation, but whoever is
already waiting in the queue before 12:00 noon will get accredited no
matter the time.

>>Please note
that anyone without his/her Voter’s Card has no business going near the
polling centre as he/she will not be accredited.

>>After your
accreditation, you must be back on the queue at 12:30 p.m. for another
head count of accredited voters who show up to vote.

>>There will
be a head count, and the number of accredited voters will be announced
loudly by the Presiding Officer to all present.

>>Anyone who
shows up after the head count is taken will not be allowed to join the
queue, though he/she may have been earlier accredited.

>>During the
voting process, after the polling officials have verified your
accreditation, appropriate finger of your right hand will be marked
with indelible ink as proof of your having shown up to vote.

>>Thereafter, you will be issued with ballot papers signed, stamped and dated appropriately by the Presiding Officer.

>>On getting
the ballot paper, you’ll move to the voting cubicle compartment to
fingerprint the space for the party candidate of your choice

>>You’ll then return into the open and proceed to drop the ballot in the transparent Ballot Box provided.

>>Please note that Voting closes for each polling unit when the last person on the queue votes.

>>After
voting, you may remain at the polling unit until the votes are sorted,
counted and the tally announced by the Presiding Officer.

>>You must conduct yourself in a peaceful and orderly manner if you choose to stay behind and await the tally.

>>Adequate provisions have been made by INEC to enable physically challenged persons to exercise their franchise.

>>Please note that proxy voting will on no account be allowed.

>>INEC’s Blackberry PIN released: 2687A1CA

The Osun State
Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), Rufus Akeju was yesterday questioned by the Police
over assault on the state correspondent of the Leadership Newspaper,
Sefiu Ayanbimpe.

The Police were
acting on a petition written by the Correspondents Chapel of the
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on the allegation of assault against
Mr Ayanbimpe by Mr Akeju while performing his professional duties.

Mr Ayanbimpe who
was working on a petition by the state chapter of the Conference of
Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) on N25 million bribery allegation
against Mr Akeju was invited to the office of the REC where the
journalist was physically assaulted by Mr Akeju in the presence of some
senior officials of the commission.

Criminal in nature

The Police acting
on the petition by the NUJ were said to have invited Mr Akeju to the
State Intelligence and Investigations Bureau (SIIB) to explain his role
in the allegation of public assault levelled against him by the NUJ.

The state
Commissioner of Police, Olusegun Solomon had earlier invited some
executive members of the NUJ to his office over the matter with a view
to resolving the matter amicably but realised that the allegation was
criminal in nature, thus referred it to the SIIB for proper
investigation.

On Monday, a
Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo had restrained the INEC from
making use of Mr Akeju in the conduct and supervision of the next
general elections in the state.

The court had
ruled on a case of alleged financial inducement by the ACN leaders
levelled against Mr Akeju by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the
state.

The refusal of four
political appointees in Ogun State to join the Peoples Party of Nigeria
{PPN} may have landed them in trouble. The public officials who hail
from Yewa South and Obafemi-Owode local government areas have
reportedly been sacked from their jobs.

NEXT investigation
revealed that the affected appointees include Remi Ogunsola, a special
adviser on special duties, Deji Orebiyi, a consultant, and Taiwo Jimoh,
a liaison officer from Yewa South, who have all been replaced. Sources
also said that the caretaker chairman of the council, Muhammad Adekunle
Adewunmi was also under pressure to join the new party as well. Mr.
Adekunle, has not been sacked but our source said the pressure is
mounting.

In Obafemi-Owode
local government, the Liaison Officer of the Council, Obasanjo Soyoye
was allegedly removed over the same issue, and subsequently replaced.

NEXT further
reliably gathered that the victims of this power play have been handed
their sack letters which were signed by the Secretary to the Ogun State
government, Adegbemi Onakoya.

The sack letters
were also copied to the permanent secretary, Bureau of Political
Affairs and Admin and Director-General, Bureau of Management and
Budget. The sacked political appointees were directed to handover
government properties in their possession to the governor’s office.

The content of the
sack letters, a copy of which is in possession of NEXT reads, “In view
of the ongoing re-organisation machineries, I wish to inform you that
your appointment as Governor’s Liaison is no longer required.”

It added, “You
should therefore handover government properties in your possession to
the permanent Secretary, Bureau of Political Affairs and
Administration, Governor’s office, Abeokuta. I thank you for your
contributions to the success recorded by this administration and wish
you best of luck in your future endeavours.”

‘It’s victimisation’

One of the sacked
officials, Mr. Soyoye, confirmed his removal but attributed the action
to pressure to make him leave the Peoples Democratic Party {PDP}.

“I am Obasanjo
Soroye, the Governor Liaison Officer, Obafemi-Owode Local Government,
so as far as I’m concerned, I was working for the governor until
Wednesday last week when I started working for Olurin and Jonathan,” he
explained.

“And to my
surprise I was called this morning, that I have a letter, when I opened
the letter, I saw that I have been terminated. There is no further
communication,” Mr Soyode said.

However, reacting
to the issue the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation,
Sina Kawonise, denied that the victims were sacked over their alleged
refusal to defect to the Peoples Party of Nigeria.

“This to formally
disclaim the falsehood that Governor Gbenga Daniel has sacked members
of his cabinet who refused to join the Peoples Party of Nigeria {PPN}.
Governor Daniel did not sack anyone in his cabinet because his/her
affiliation,” Mr. Kawonise added.

He continued,
“Governor Daniel himself remains in PDP and continues to solicit votes
for President Goodluck Jonathan in all the PPN’s rallies he attends. I
use this opportunity to challenge any political appointee of Governor
Daniel who claims to have been sacked to produce his sack letter for
the world to see,” he added.

The governorship
candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Akwa Ibom State,
James Akpanudoedehe, has described his arrest and subsequent trial in
Abuja as an attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to stop him
from campaigning for the governorship election in the state.

He told a Federal
High Court in Abuja yesterday that his arraignment by the police was
politically motivated. His counsel, Kola Awodein told the presiding
judge, Adamu Bello that Mr Akpanudoedehe’s arrest in Akwa Ibom State
and his quick arraignment in Abuja was designed to keep him away from
the campaign trail.

Mr Akpanudoedehe,
who is standing trial for treason, has been in police custody since
last Friday following an order of the court that he be remanded pending
yesterday when his bail application was heard. He was arraigned on a
four-count criminal charge bothering on treason and felony, and pleaded
not guilty to all.

The court will tomorrow rule on his bail application.

The accused, a
former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was arrested
over last week’s clash between supporters of his party and those of the
PDP in the state during which many people were killed and properties
worth millions of naira damaged.

Mr Awodein urged
the court to grant his client bail pending the hearing and
determination of the charge against him by the police. He argued
further that the accused person be admitted to bail by the court based
on his antecedent as two-time senator, former FCT minister, former Uyo
Local Government Area Chairman and at present, a governorship candidate.

The counsel also
told the court that there was an earlier phantom murder allegation
against the accused person, in which the police searched his residences
in Uyo and Abuja and found nothing incriminating.

“The applicant was
compelled to approach a court of competent jurisdiction when he was
being harassed to create an enabling political environment to carry out
his campaign like every other candidate in the state and the court made
an order restraining the police from interrupting his campaign,” he
said.

He also told the
court that Mr Akpanudoedehe has an ailment that requires frequent
medical attention, a position he said was not countered by the
prosecution. He said the prosecution’s submission that they are still
investigating the matter showed that they have yet to establish a prima
facie case against the accused.

But the police
counsel, R. E Nkem asked the court not to grant the accused person bail
in view of the nature of the offence and the severity of the
punishment, if found guilty.

“The accused person
is charged with treason and other pending charges like that of murder,
arson and others, as such he should not be granted bail,” Mr Nkem said.

Justice Bello, after hearing from all the parties adjourned till Thursday, March 31st, 2011 to rule on the bail application.

The charge

The Police accused
Mr. Akpanudoedehe of levying war against the state with intent to
intimidate the governor of the State, Godswill Akpabio.

The charge sheet
read: “That you, John James Akpanudoedehe, ‘M’ and others now at large
as citizens of the Nigeria, on the 22nd day of March, 2011, at Ikot
Ekpene in Akwa Ibom state did conspire amongst yourselves to commit
felony, to wit: Treason by levying war against the state with intent to
cause such levying of war as would intimidate or overawe the governor
of the state and you thereby committed an offence punishable under
Section 37(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act Cap ‘C’ 38 Laws of the
Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“That you, John
James Akpanudoedehe, ‘M’ and others now at large, as citizens of the
Nigeria on the 22nd day of March, 2011, at Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom
state in the Abuja Division did levy war against the state in order to
intimidate or overawe the governor of the state by discharging several
gun shots at him and his entourage while on his official assignment and
you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 37 (10 of the
Criminal Code Act Cap ‘C’ 38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”

Mr Akpanudoedehe pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge.

The Nigerian
Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress yesterday expressed
happiness over the signing of the N18,000 minimum wage into law by
President Goodluck Jonathan.

While briefing
journalists at the Presidential Villa, after a meeting with the
president, the NLC president, Abdulwaheed Omar, and his Trade Union
Congress (TUC) counterpart, Peter Esele, described the signing as
historic.

According to them,
the increase of the minimum wage from N7,000 to N18,000 would go a long
way to improve the welfare of workers in the country.

“We are very
excited,” Mr. Omar said, adding that they decided to meet with
President Jonathan to clarify the conflicting reports of the signing
into law of the minimum wage bill.

“Mr. President
himself confirmed that he has signed the bill to law. We are happy that
Mr. President has signed the minimum wage bill into law and the
minister of labour has assured us that a copy of the bill would be sent
to us,” he said.

“We are jubilating
over it and the next thing is implementation. We will try to ensure it
is fully implemented because as you are aware, that is usually the bone
of contention,” the NLC president said.

On the alleged
threat made by some states not to implement the N18,000 minimum wage,
Mr. Esele said the first achievement was the signing of the bill into
law, adding that the union will deal with the issue of defaulting
states when the time comes.

Mr. Jonathan
finally put to rest speculations of whether or not he has signed the
bill. Responding to concerns expressed by the leaders of the two labour
unions about the new minimum wage, the president said he had signed the
minimum wage bill into law, adding that, “ordinarily, such a sensitive
Bill should have attracted a ceremony with members of the labour
movement in attendance, but I did not want the tight schedule of the
election campaigns to delay the signing.”

Hope for successful elections

Speaking on the
national elections starting this weekend, he said the 2011 elections
will be different, because a lot of work had been done and each vote
cast would count.

“Before now, our
elections have been of questionable credibility, but we are determined
to conduct free, fair, and credible elections, so that we will be
accepted and take our rightful place in the international community,”
he stated.

Mr. Jonathan
condemned the violence that was unleashed in Akwa Ibom State and in
other parts of the country, and warned that the culture of impunity
which propels lawlessness, especially in the run-up and during the
elections, would not be tolerated from anyone.

He stated that
efforts were being made to ensure that the Petroleum Industry Bill was
passed into law during the current National Assembly, and drew
attention to the Memorandum Of Understanding recently signed by the
Ministry of Petroleum and foreign investors for the establishment of
two fertiliser plants, a refinery, petrochemical and ethanol plants,
all aimed at strengthening the economy and creating jobs in the
downstream sector of the oil industry.

The president said
Nigeria needs a generation that will make the extra sacrifice which
will take the country to a level equal to its contemporaries, and
appealed to the labour movement to be part of such a generation.