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The Federal Road
Safety Commission (FRSC) recorded low accident rate during the yuletide
period, an official of the commission, Mr Kayode Olagunju, who is the
Commander in charge of Okene-Lokoja-Abaji and Abuja for the Christmas
and New Year period, said this on Monday in an interview with the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, but did not give any figures to
buttress his claim.

He added that the
commission has recorded some crashes on the road, “but, as said earlier
by the Corp Marshal few days ago, we are not where we wanted to be but
the rate is lower than what it was last year.

“Today, the road is
better than it was three days ago, and yesterday, traffic was very
heavy because a lot of people delayed their movement till Christmas
Day,” he said.

He also said that
the major problem the commission had on the road was that of some
senior government officials “who have the privilege of using siren,”
disrupted the traffic arrangement on ground.

“They put on their
siren and their convoy disorganise the traffic control arrangement and
when they move many other road users followed them.

“However, we were
able to get some of them to comply by force, while the number plates of
those who proved aggressive were captured in our video coverage of the
operations,” he said, but that “we shall definitely release their names
which we compiled, under what is known as the roll of shame.”
Meanwhile, NAN correspondents who visited some parks in Abuja report
that some people were seen relaxing with their family members.

At the Millennium
Park in Maitama, Chinonso Uka told NAN that she came to relax with her
kids as part of the Christmas celebration.

On his part, Ikechukwu Ole expressed regret that there was no money for “the masses to celebrate the Christmas.”

“We are hoping that
by the grace of God when our man, President Goodluck Jonathan is there
he will provide for us to celebrate next year’s Christmas in style,” he
said.

Also speaking to
NAN, Abdulahi Kaku, the General Manager of Maitama Amusement Park, said
about 2,478 people visited the Park in the past three days.

“We brought traditional dance troupe to entertain people; there was
also dancing competition and many people won various prizes,” he said.

Despite ongoing discussions between two major opposition
parties, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC), findings by NEXT indicate that the parties will field separate
candidates in the 2011 elections.

Both parties have admitted being involved in negotiations which
will lead to a merger or an alliance. While the ACN negotiation team is lead by
Niyi Adebayo, former governor of Ekiti State, the CPC team is led by Aminu
Masari, former speaker of the House of Representatives.

Sources within the ACN however confirm that for reasons
including the short period before the general elections, the rigid positions of
the parties and the rejection of the alliance by top members of the ACN, the
proposed alliance would not work.

“Let me tell you that majority of our party leaders and members
do not support it. Also, there is no time for any merger. We have less than
four months to the elections, even the electoral act does not allow that,” a
national official of the ACN told NEXT. Apart from the four ACN governors
(Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, Adams Oshiomole of Edo, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti,
and Rauf Aregbesola of Osun) who are reportedly opposed to the alliance, the
chairman of the party, Bisi AKande, is also said to be against it.

Mr Akande’s opposition is based on the insistence of the CPC
that Muhammadu Buhari, a retired General and former military ruler, should be
made the presidential candidate of any alliance that was formed. Mr. Buhari is
not only the CPC’s only presidential aspirant, the party was primarily formed
to help him achieve his presidential ambition.

“The CPC was founded on my authority by my political associates
as a solution to the debilitating ethical and ideological conflicts in my
former party, the ANPP,” the former head of state stated on the party’s
website.

Prior to the formation of the ACN, the Action Congress had
stated that its presidential candidate for the 2011 elections would be a young
man, a child of independence, who has demonstrated competence and integrity and
is untainted with corruption allegations.

Party for the young

After his unopposed re-election at the ACN convention in Benin
on Tuesday, Mr. Akande again restated this position in his acceptance speech.

“Now that the Action Congress of Nigeria and the entire people
of this country are happy with the services of these young men (four ACN
governors), I think you will all cooperate with me to ensure that we return
another young man as the President of Nigeria,” the party chairman stated while
surrounded by the four governors.

Unlike Mr. Buhari who is 68 years old, all the presidential
aspirants of the ACN are around 50. The Action Congress presently has three
presidential aspirants. They are Uba Saidu Malami (46) a businessman; Attahiru
Bafarawa (56), former governor of Sokoto State; and Nuhu Ribadu (50), former
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Usman Bugaje, the former National Secretary of the party, is
believed to have dropped his presidential ambition and will instead run for
governor of Katsina state.

“We can say boldly that our party has the youngest and brightest
presidential aspirants in the country,” Lai Mohammed, the national publicity
secretary of the ACN stated while commenting on the relatively young
presidential aspirants of the party.

Another senior official of the party said barring last minute
political upheavals, Mr. Ribadu will likely emerge the presidential candidate
of the party.

Some of the factors believed to be working for Mr. Ribadu, apart
from meeting the criteria the party set up, are his popularity not just within
the ACN but also across different political parties, and his acceptance and
popularity among young Nigerians.

Mr Ribadu proved his political acceptance when leaders gathered
at the Thisday dome in Abuja on Tuesday, December 14 to launch his
autobiography, “My Story, My vision.” Describing the former EFCC boss, Ken
Nnamani, former senate President and PDP chieftain stated that “Nuhu is one of
the few Nigerians that I consider a good example.

The type of courage he has is the type of courage Nigeria needs
if we indeed want to join the committee of Nations in the year 2020.” Another
PDP leader who clamoured for a Ribadu presidency is Femi Fani- Kayode, the
former aviation minister.

“If a man like Ribadu emerges as your candidate, many many
people from PDP, from APGA, will join your party,” Mr. Fani-Kayode stated.

The National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance
(APGA), Victor Umeh, as well as other APGA chieftains are also said to be
rooting for a Ribadu candidacy if they are to join any alliance.

The Tinubu factor

One person who many believe is going to influence the decision
of whether the ACN picks Mr. Ribadu or joins forces with the CPC to pick Mr.
Buhari as the presidential candidate is Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State
governor and the most influential ACN chieftain.

“Asiwaju wants an alliance of progressive political parties to
defeat the monster called PDP, that is why he is encouraging the talks. But
definitely he supports that all presidential aspirants go for primaries,” one
of his aides said.

The Disabled
Persons Empowerment Foundation (DPEF) wants more of its members to be
given the opportunity in governance to contribute their quota to
national development.

Mr Parkins Uzor,
Chief Executive Officer of the foundation made the call in an interview
with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki, Abia State on
Monday.

He stressed that the Federal Government can do this by integrating more persons with disabilities in governance.

According to him,
when people are not represented in any way in government, it is
difficult for them to influence or sponsor bills that will affect their
lives.

He said, “Any
democratic dividend from the three tiers of government without full and
total emancipation of people living with disabilities is a monumental
failure.

“Persons with
disabilities have all it takes to economic prosperity. We have the
political energy and momentum. Our strength for economic growth is
undisputable.

“There is no
provision in the constitution which says people living with
disabilities are not entitled to holding public offices or elective
positions.” Mr Uzor called for the creation of a Disabled Persons
Welfare Fund and a Ministry for the Physically Challenged where funds
recovered from corrupt officials should be kept for effective use.

He said some sections of the public are not concerned about the plight of persons with disabilities.

“They keep creating awareness that people living with disabilities should not be stigmatised.

“Our problem is not stigmatisation but empowerment. If we are being empowered, nobody will stigmatise us,” he said.

The Ondo State governor’s wife has called on Nigerians to contribute to the upkeep and welfare of the needy in the society.

Olukemi Mimiko said
this over the weekend while celebrating the end of the year party with
the inmates of Ago Ireti Leprosarium and the State Children’s Home said
the visit afforded her the opportunity to felicitate with the less
privileged particularly the children describing them as special gifts
from God.

“Anyone who is
blessed with such gifts should treat them with love and care, instead
of abandoning them. The aim of the end of the year activities is to
re-assure our children and the less privileged in our society that,
they are always being considered in government programmes and policies.”

“Let me place it on
record here that the present administration in the state is very
passionate about the present and future of our children, through
numerous programmes and policies to avail children the opportunities of
development and attaining their God given potentials in all
ramifications.” She later presented various items and cash gifts to the
inmate and the children. Items presented include: yam tubers, palm-oil,
cartoons of soya beans oil, and bags of rice among others.

Bukola Tenabe, the
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, noted that
Governor Olusegun Mimiko has approved the construction of a new hostel
and a reception hall to solve the accommodation problems of the Home.

Mrs Tenabe therefore commended the governor’s wife on her visit to the Home.

The Chief of Army staff, Onyeabo Ihejirika, said
yesterday that although the deployment of soldiers to the Niger Delta
was to ensure peace, the military will not condone lawlessness. Mr.
Ihejirika, a lieutenant general, was on a fact-finding tour of Delta
creeks on Sunday where a militant leader, John Togo,

is threatening the peace and stability of the
area. He warned that the present government will not tolerate any act
capable of bringing down the nation’s reputation will be viewed
seriously.

Accompanied by the Joint Task Force (JTF) Commander, C. Omoregie, a major general, and other military
chiefs, the Chief of Army Staff met with some inhabitants of the area
at Ayakoromo, where soldiers displaced some residents and urged them to
maintain peace at all time assuring that the military will not attack
them.

“I want to assure you that the soldiers were
deployed to this area to maintain peace and not to kill. The only
person we are looking for is John Togo whose evil deeds have resulted
in the death of innocent persons.” He explained that development can
only come in an atmosphere of peace and promised that all the buildings
destroyed during the exchange of fire between John Togo and the
soldiers will be rebuilt but advised that the villagers should always
give up themselves whenever search is being conducted by the solders.

Villagers’ tears The villagers who corroborated
the fact that nine persons were killed during the crisis and not 50
were moved to tears as the Army chief hugged them one after the other
and they in turn pledge their loyalty to the federal government.

Samuel Rubber, who spoke on behalf of the council
of elders, commended the military for saving them and urged that basic
facilities be extended to them, especially as the place is almost
desolate.

Addressing the soldiers earlier, Ihejirika commended them for their gallantry adding that Nigerians are proud of them.

He however charged them to fish out John Togo and his gang, adding, “There will be no peace for the wicked.

The Army Chief however expressed dismay over the death of some
soldiers, adding, “I feel sad that some soldiers died, in fact it is
very painful but I can assure that they did not die in vain while
protecting the image of this great country”.

A member of the
House of Representatives, Hassan Adamu, on Monday said effective voter
registration would check the menace of election manipulations in the
country.

Mr Adamu, who is a
PDP member representing Birnin Gwari, Giwa Federal Constituency, said
the introduction of the Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines by INEC
would add value to elections.

The legislator
commended the commission’s proposal to recruit NYSC and senior students
of tertiary institutions to conduct the 2011 exercise, but however,
appealed to the commission to consider the terrain of most of the
locations in the country to incorporate indigenous staff to work with
the NYSC and the students as local guide.

“These people are more conversant with the terrain. It will ensure
effective conduct of the exercise to avoid disenfranchising people,
especially those in the remote places.” He said.

Former Minister of
Police Affairs Adamu Waziri has advised the people of Yobe State to
vote for President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 general elections.

Mr Waziri made the
call in Damaturu on Sunday when he formally declared his intention to
contest the governorship election in the state on the platform of the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Addressing party
supporters in Damaturu, Mr Waziri said that President Jonathan stood
for “peace, growth and prosperity of the country, and Yobe in
particular.”

He described the
campaign by the PDP to snatch Yobe from the ruling All Nigeria Peoples
Party (ANPP) as a “struggle for freedom.”

Mr Waziri urged PDP supporters to close ranks and collectively move
the state forward, adding that “we must support whoever emerges as the
party’s candidate so as to wrest power from the ANPP.”

A Kano-based
Islamic Scholar, Muhammad Dauda, has decried the growing rate of
divorce in the state, describing the situation as “worrisome.” “The
rate at which marriages are crashing in Kano these days is alarming,”
Mr Dauda told the News Agency of Nigeria in Kano on Sunday.

He said it is more disturbing that the practice is common among young couples who divorce few months after their marriage.

Mr Dauda, who is the Imam of FRCN FM Pyramid Radio, Kano, identified
poverty as the major cause of the development. He said that some young
men were finding it difficult to feed their wives shortly after
marriage, and described the situation as “unfortunate.” “I have
witnessed times without number the collapse of new marriages in Kano
due to the inability of the husbands to feed their wives,” the Imam
said. He said the situation was now discouraging both bachelors and
spinsters from marriage.