Nigeria Content Online

The Economic
Community of West African States Commission president, Victor Gbeho,
yesterday expressed his frustration with the negative role certain
African countries have taken which is fueling the crisis in Cote
D’Ivoire. Mr. Gbeho was speaking at the presentation ceremony of the
final report by the European Union Electoral Observation Mission on the
presidential elections in Cote D’Ivoire in Abuja.

“The concern we
(ECOWAS) have is that apart from some geo-political interests by some
countries, there are others that are encouraging Gbagbo not to leave,”
he said. “Because of certain individual interests, some countries have
decided to break the tradition of solidarity in ECOWAS. What is
happening is a matter of serious concern to ECOWAS and the
international community, as certain countries have taken sides.

“As we talk now,
there is a South African war ship docked in Cote D’Ivoire coastal
waters, apparently in anticipation of any military action. Actions such
as this can only complicate the matter. One is surprised that a
distinguished country like South Africa would decide to send such a
support at this at this time.

“ECOWAS has never
been afraid of dialogue, but it has made it clear that any dialogue
that is not based on the wishes of the Ivorien people, as expressed
through the result of the last presidential election, would not work,”
Mr. Gbeho said.

The Ivorien crisis
followed the refusal of the former president of Cote d’Ivoire, Laurent
Gbagbo, to accept the result of the November 28, 2010 presidential
run-off, which saw opposition leader, Alassane Ouattara, emerging as
winner. Though ECOWAS heads of governments have since recognized Mr.
Ouattara as president-elect of Cote d’Ivoire, and consequently urged
Mr. Gbagbo to vacate power, or be forced out, cracks in the ranks of
the regional group appear to have thrown a spanner in the works for an
early resolution of the crisis.

In the report
presented by the chief observer of the 120-member EU Observation
Mission, Christian Preda, he expressed disappointment that the
presidential election, which was being awaited by the Ivorien citizens,
Africans and the international community as a signal of reconciliation
and return of democracy in the country has ended in crisis. He said the
mission, made up of representatives of the 23 EU members states as well
as Norway and Switzerland, closely monitored the process prior to the
elections, analyzed the campaigns, media coverage, Ivorien legislation
and its implementation against established international standards for
democratic elections.

According to the EU
team, though the first round of the elections went on normally, with a
record participation rate, the campaign for the second round was marked
by an upsurge of violence coming mainly from the incumbent president’s
camp. Though the report said EUEOM observed irregularities in the
conduct of the polls, it however pointed out that its evaluation
indicated that these irregularities affected the final results.

“The constitutional council’s decision taken upon the request by
candidate Laurent Gbagbo is considered by the EUEOM as a violation of
the Ivorien legislation and an abuse of power,” the report stated.

State Houses of
Assembly have voted to incorporate the National Industrial Court into
the 1999 Constitution now going through its third amendment.

The states voted overwhelmingly in support of this addition made by the National Assembly in December last year.

According to
Istifanus Gbana, chairman conference of Speakers of State Houses of
Assembly, 33 states voted in favour of the incorporation. He said this
Tuesday during a visit to the National Assembly where he submitted the
voting pattern of state assemblies to the clerk of the National
Assembly, Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa.

Mr. Gbana who is
also the speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly said he submitted
the votes of the 33 states based on an earlier deadline speakers gave
themselves to vote on the law.

He argued that the
resolution of the 33 states reflects more than the two-third majority
vote (24 states) required to pass the law. He however said he hopes
“the other states will soon send in their resolution.” with this
endorsement, the industrial court has attained the status of a high
court and appeals over its judgments will be heard and terminated at a
Court of Appeal.

The court will be
headed by a president and will be constituted by at least one judge or
at most three judges; as the president of the National Industrial Court
may direct.

The president of
the court will be appointed by the president on the recommendations of
the National Judicial Council subject to the confirmation of the senate.

History

The National
Assembly had December last year passed the third amendment to the 1999
constitution in order to fully incorporate the National Industrial
Court into the Constitution, four years after it was established.

The court was
established through an act in 2006 but according to the lawmakers has
not performed optimally because it was not listed in the 1999
constitution.

The court will
exercise jurisdiction in civil matters relating to employment, trade
unions, industrial relations and matters arising from the work place,
the conditions of service – including health, safety, and welfare of
workers, employees, and other matters incidental to it.

The court will also
preside over matters arising from the Factories Act, Trade Dispute Act,
Trade Unions Act, Labour Act, Workmen’s Compensation Act or any other
law relating to labour, employment, industrial relations, workplace or
any other related law.

The court will also determine issues concerning orders restraining
any person from taking part in any strike or any industrial action,
lock outs and (or) issues connected with any dispute arising from
national minimum wage for the federation or any part of the country.

The Congress for
Progressive Change (CPC) has expressed its outrage over the alleged
doctoring of the list of candidates it submitted to the Independent
National Electoral Commission last week. The national chairman of the
party, Tony Momoh, told journalists yesterday in Abuja that the
commission disobeyed the provisions of the enabling law by substituting
some names which it submitted to it for approval. Apparently referring
to the announcement of Mohammed Abacha, son of the late military
dictator, Sani Abacha, as the CPC gubernatorial candidate in Kano
State, Mr. Momoh insisted that only the parties had the right to choose
who contests on their platform and not the commission. The list of
candidates published by INEC shows that the name of Jafaru Isa
submitted by the CPC national leadership as Kano state governorship
candidate was replaced with that of Mr. Abacha and his running mate,
Hussaini Garba.

“INEC is a creation
of the law and can’t be unlawful in the handling of the party’s
candidates list,” Mr. Momoh said during a meeting of the party’s
national executive committee. “We should be watchful. This is the last
opportunity we have to deepen the democracy. The manner the INEC
handled the list leaves much to be desired. How can they flagrantly be
substituting candidates on their own?”

According to the CPC boss, other factors also determined the winner of a primary.

“So INEC can’t do whatever they like,” he said. “They can’t do anything outside the law.”

Kayode Idowu, the
chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega, explained to
journalists that the commission had abided by the law in its operations.

“Besides, the
period of claims and objection is there for whoever has any grievances
against any candidate to come forward with it,” he said. “So there is
still the opportunity to make complaints and raise objections.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Momoh said that CPC alliance talks with the Action
Congress of Nigeria collapsed because its presidential contestant,
Muhammadu Buhari, could not agree to the terms dictated by the ACN.

Barely a month
after the death of Fatima Ajani, on board Ethiopian Airlines, another
Nigerian, Ebegboni Matti, died on Sunday in Addis Ababa aboard another
flight. Mr. Matti, accompanied by his wife Stella, was on his way to
Bombay, India, for a medical check-up.

John Ejinaka, the
Head of Chancery, Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia confirmed to the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent in Addis Ababa that Mr. Matti,
died some minutes before the aircraft landed at Bole International
airport.

The aircraft, which
departed Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, was to land in
Addis Ababa, while passengers travelling to Dubai, India and other
countries were to transit to their respective destinations.

According to the
Head of the Chancery, the deceased’s wife said she accompanied her
husband last year to India for treatment and that they were travelling
back for a medical check-up when he suddenly found it difficult to
breath. She said she demanded for oxygen from the cabin crew when the
husband could not breathe properly but none was provided up to the time
he eventually collapsed and died.

Mr. Ejinaka said the corpse, has been deposited at Menelik Hospital morgue, and will be transported to Nigeria on Tuesday.

He revealed that
the embassy recorded three such cases last year and six others in 2009
and advised those suffering from heart-related illness to avoid
transiting through Ethiopia because of the country’s high elevation and
shortage of oxygen.

He also urged
Ethiopian airlines to always screen their passengers before boarding in
order to ascertain their health status before departure. ‘‘The number
of casualties is increasing, the airline should screen their passengers
and ascertain those going for treatment of heart related ailments.
Those who should travel with doctors should be advised to do so in
order to reduce the increasing incidents of Nigerians losing their
lives on their way for treatment or returning from treatment’’, he said.

Two weeks ago
another Nigerian returning from Bombay , where he went for heart
treatment found it difficult to breath, however the situation was saved
as the patient was quickly rushed to the hospital. He was discharged
after spending 10 days and doctors certified that he could travel.

President Goodluck Jonathan has described the former
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Abel
Guobadia as a great leader whose contributions to the development of
the nation will remain indelible.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation,
Yayale Ahmed, said this yesterday when he led a delegation of the
Federal Government on a condolence visit to the Edo State governor,
Adams Oshiomhole on the death of the late former INEC chairman, in
Government House, Benin City.

According to Mr Ahmed who conveyed the condolence
message of President Jonathan, “It is on this sorrowful moment that the
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria thought it fit and proper
to ask us to come immediately, following the passing on of one of our
great leaders, a public servant to the core, a successful medical
doctor and a successful manager of men and resources.” He also noted
that, “the exemplary life led by Guobadia reminds us that always, the
best thing is to serve diligently and excellently in whatever we do.”
He added that in the two difficult institutions he headed, the INEC and
National Judicial Council, he came out with his head held high.

“The greatest tribute we can pay to this kind of
people is to follow their footsteps and emulate their exemplary
qualities in dealing with all people irrespective of where they come
from” the president noted.

Responding, Mr. Oshiomhole thanked the representatives from the presidency for the visit and for identifying with the state.

“What is important is what we do while we are alive. Whatever
anybody may say, Guobadia managed one of the most sensitive
institutions in this country and came out unscathed. He has contributed
his quota to the development of the country.”

Minister of the
Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed has said that ongoing projects
in the city may be abandoned if the government insists on slashing its
budget.

Mr Mohammed said
this on Tuesday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on FCT, to
defend the 2011 appropriation. He complained that the ministry’s 2011
budget was slashed from the N81.8 billion initial proposal to N44.183
million, despite the fact that the 2011 Federal Capital Development
Administration (FCTA) budget proposal was 15 percent less than the 2010
appropriation.

He argued that the N44.183 billion proposed for the FCT is inadequate considering the projects embarked upon by the FCTA.

“There is no
gainsaying that the responsibilities of the FCTA keep increasing
considering the incessant influx of people from within and outside the
country,” he said.

“The ultimate
objective of the FCTA is to develop FCT or Abuja in line with the
master plan, with social amenities that function effectively and
efficiently.

“The sum of
N44.183 billion as proposed by the Budget Office for the FCT is grossly
inadequate to meet the requirement of the FCTA in the year 2011 to
complete its ongoing priority projects.

“This reduction is
going to adversely affect the implementation of many projects such as
the National Assembly complex, which cannot be complete before the new
session and Abuja light rail.

“This programme
has suffered, we have spent N40 billion on it and for us to abandon
this project now will amount to waste,” he added.

Abubakar Sodangi
(PDP Nasarawa State), Chairman of the committee criticised the
allocation of N2 billion to the Abuja light rail project as against the
N6 billion proposed by the FCTA. He said the problem of traffic
congestion in Abuja cannot be solved by piece meal allocation, noting
that government must take the task of decongesting Abuja roads serious.

Mr Sodangi, however
advised the FCTA to create alternative roads from Nasarawa State to the
FCT to ease the traffic on the Abuja-Keffi road, while assuring the
Minister that the Committee will liaise with the Minister of Finance to
address the problem of inadequate budget for the FCTA.

The Minister of
Aviation, Fidelia Njeze has disclosed that the Ministry plans to build
a new airport in Bayelsa State, the home state of the President,
Goodluck Jonathan.

The Bayelsa State
airport is an addition to the previously planned new international wing
at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja and seven others to be remodelled
across the country. Mrs Njeze stated this on Tuesday when the ministry
defended its 2011 budget before the senate committee on aviation headed
by Sylvester Anyanwu.

In her argument,
the Minister said, “the airport network in Nigeria was built in the
1970s and early 1980s. Since then, there has been no major investment
by the federal government in upgrading, renewing or replacing airport
terminals,” she said. “The terminal buildings have become obsolete in
design and functionality, are in various stages of decay and are not
reflective of modern airports in emerging markets.” The minister,
however, did not disclose the cost of the new airports and those to be
remodelled, neither did she respond to Umaru Dahiru’s (PDP Sokoto)
probe on why there should be a new airport in Bayelsa State.

The ministry’s
total budget proposal for 2011 is pegged at N27.156 billion. A larger
chunk of the fund, N20.741 billion will be spent on capital projects
while Personnel and overhead will cost N3.972 billion and N2.441
billion respectively.

The minister,
however, stated that in order to achieve their vision, the ministry is
considering other funding options beside the budget. These options will
include: special intervention fund by the federal government, Public
Private Partnership/ concessioning of some of the airports, and the
Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) Fund which currently hold $76
million.

2010 budget review

A review of the
ministry’s 2010 budget performance indicates that only N27.9 billion of
the ministry’s total allocation of N45 billion in the 2010 budget has
so far been released to the ministry. The minister cited uncertainty of
the budget, unexpected and multiple budget reviews, ageing workforce,
and cumbersome process of obtaining Letters of Credit for off shore
procurements through the statutory financial institutions as the
challenges the ministry is facing with the implementation of the 2010
budget.

Tension mounted in
Nasarawa State as supporters of the gubernatorial candidate of the
Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Umaru Tanko al-Makura,
threatened to protest his arrest by the state government. The
commissioner of police for the state command, Wilfred Ebute, had
ordered the arrests following the stoning of the incumbent governor
Aliyu Akwe Domad’s convoy with President Goodluck Jonathan and his vice
as they were on their way to visit the Emir of Lafia, Isah Mustapha
Agwai during the flag-off of its campaign yesterday.

Addressing
journalists at an emergency press conference at the CPC campaign
office, the director-general of the campaign party, Musa Illu said that
early on Tuesday morning, Mr. Al-Makura was invited by the
inspector-general of police, Hafis Rimgim, through the commissioner of
police to his office in order to discuss the stoning incident.

According to Mr.
Illu, the opposition party had deliberately shut down its party office
for the day out of respect for Mr. Jonathan. He expressed his dismay
over the attitude of the state government, accusing the governorship
candidate of the CPC of instigating his supporters to destroy
billboards with images of the incumbent governor as well as stoning the
presidential convoy,

“As far as I am
concerned, those are things that anybody can do, it is not necessarily
somebody from CPC,” he said. “We know what CPC is, we came from there,
we know the incidents that are happening in PDP.”

Next reports that the Tanko Al-Makura has also invited to Abuja by
the inspector general of police Mr. Hafis Rimgim through the
commissioner of police for investigations in connection with the
incident that took placed yesterday in Lafia the state capital.

After the first
reading of the National Minimum Wage amendment bill yesterday, the
House of Representatives pledged a rapid delivery of the new law that
will enforce the N10,500 pay rise announced by the government last year.

With two more
readings, that will include committee considerations and plenary
approvals, the proposal sent in by President Goodluck Jonathan after
tense negotiation with the Labour, will soon be law, allowing civil
servants to be paid N18,000 minimum.

The Deputy
Speaker, Usman Nafada, said the processes, normally stretching through
24 weeks at the least, will be finalised “soon enough” to allow for
presidential assent before current legislative session ends in May. “We
have done it before and we will do it again,” Mr. Nafada revealed this
at a meeting he had with the leaders of Labour Congress and other
affiliate groups , shortly after the bill’s first reading on Tuesday.
“It will be passed before the end of their tenure, not on the day of
their leaving, but about one or two months away to allow the president
enough time sign it,” he said. The Labour officials said they came to
appreciate the legislators for giving attention to the bill and to
lobby for more commitment.

The new wage
benchmark has formed a significant rallying point for Mr. Jonathan’s
administration as the president presses for wide political support from
public and private sector workers alike, ahead of April general
elections. A prolonged negotiation that forced the amount down from the
N52,000, NLC insisted on before.

Addressing the
lawmakers yesterday, NLC, led by its president, Omar Abdulwaheed, said
workers are a “patient” bulk, and are thankful to the lawmakers for
their expeditious attention to the bill. “We want to thank the House
very much for the commitment it has shown so far to get this bill
passed,” he said. He however tasked the members to accelerate the
passage of the bill, well awaited by workers.

Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba, the deputy
secretary-general of the Commonwealth, will lead a team to Nigeria from
February 6 to February 9, to deliberate with political stakeholders on
the forthcoming April general elections.

This was contained in a statement
issued by the Commonwealth Communications and Public Affairs Division.
According to Mrs Masire-Mwambe, “Nigeria was a key and valued member of
the commonwealth family and the manner in which the elections were held
was of much interest to the association” she said. The leader of the
delegation also noted that any election is a complex and challenging
undertaking, and requires the cooperation and support of all
stakeholders. “The election management body must show the necessary
technical capability, and integrity, political leaders and parties must
display political will and the electorate needs to show faith in the
democratic process.” It added that all must reject violence and respect
the rule of law. The statement charged Nigeria to ensure that both the
process and outcome of the elections meet Commonwealth values as well
as international and regional electoral benchmarks.

The Commonwealth reaffirmed its support and expectation for a peaceful and credible electoral process in Nigeria.