Nigeria Content Online

The League for Human Rights has alleged that forceful and early marriages are still practised in Yobe State.

Tamwakat Golit, the
Project Coordinator of the organization, told the News Agency of
Nigeria, in Damaturu on Thursday, that such marriages usually made the
girls not to complete their education. She claimed that in spite of the
campaign for free and compulsory basic education by the state
government, girls in the villages still suffered forceful and early
marriages.

Mrs Golit called on the state House of Assembly to complement the
executive arm of government in fighting the menace. According to her,
the group was building the capacity of women in Bauchi, Yobe and
Katsina States by educating them on human rights violations.

Participants at the
on going Seventh African Development Forum in Addis Ababa have accused
developed nations of paying lip service to funding Africa’s efforts at
combating climate change.

Speaker after
speaker noted that while Africa contributes barely four per cent of
carbon emissions, the continent bears the brunt while those whose
actions endangered the planet remain reluctant at financing the process
that will mitigate the disaster.

Jose Endundo, the
minister of environment, nature conservation and tourism in the
Democratic Republic of Congo who spoke on the theme: Africa and
international climate change negotiations, said previous commitments
contained in the Kyoto protocol and at the Conpenhagen conference must
be met immediately.

“Africa will no
longer tolerate the alibi of using governance issues like transparency
and legitimacy as a pretext to efforts at checking the consequences of
climate change in Africa,” he said.

Mr. Endundo warned
that if the parties concerned do not deploy the required funding to
check the menace of global warming, the number of ecological migrants
would swell to 200 million in the next three decades.

“Common sense show that we can no longer have the rich on one hand and the poor on another.”

Mr Endundo said
historical facts, and fairness require that the advanced nations
provide the technology, the capacity and the funds needed to ensure
sustainable development in Africa in the face of climate change.

In his
contribution, Peter Ekweozoh, an assistant director in the federal
ministry of finance in Nigeria, said as a member of the negotiating
team to the climate conference, he disagrees with the notion that
Africa lacks the capacity to fight climate change.

He noted that for
decades Africa has come to negotiations expecting the European and
American partners to provide critical help on issues, but such help
hardly comes.

Mr Ekweozoh said
the only way out is for the continent to acquire the requisite
technology that will ensure that Africa consumes its quota on
emissions.

“The technology to grow is in the public domain. We must use it to build industries and provide jobs for our people.”

However, Ako Amadi,
the executive director of Nigeria’s Community Conservation and
Development initiative, told NEXT that he is disappointed at Mr
Ekweozoh’s submission that Africa has the capacity which is domiciled
outside the continent.

A retired marine biologist from the Institute of Oceanography,
Lagos, Mr Amadi said Mr Ekweozoh failed to consider the fact that
capacity is an institutional matter, and research institutions have
been destroyed, at least in Nigeria.

The pharmaceutical
industry remains unregulated despite existing laws and enforcement
agencies guiding the manufacturing, importation and distribution of
drugs in the country, the national chairman of the Nigerian Association
of Industrial Pharmacists (NAIP), Lolu Ojo, has said.

Speaking during the
NAIP interactive session held yesterday at the Tahir guest palace in
Kano, Mr Ojo said Nigerian pharmaceutical firms were not contacted to
join the proposed Affordable Medicine for Malaria (AmFm).

He said the
country’s economy would suffer if foreign firms are allowed to ship
anti-malaria drugs to be sold at less than N100 per dose.

“The objective of
the project is commendable, but the implication of the execution of
this project will be disastrous for the industry. None of the existing
companies is considered competent to be engaged for the manufacturing
of these products,” he said.

“The billions of
doses will be produced in foreign countries and shipped to Nigeria for
consumption. The country derives no benefit. Besides, no one considers
the fate of companies producing and selling the anti-malarial in the
country; their business, staff and future. It is a pathetic story.” He
lamented the government’s lukewarm attitude to the industry, saying
government presence is only felt in the amount of charges, levies and
sundry underhand dealings against the indigenous pharmaceutical
industries.

Left undone

To buttress his
point, he cited the fourth phase of the petrochemical industry that was
supposed to serve as a source of raw materials for the pharmaceutical
industry, that has remained in the pipeline.

“It is a pity that
we have left undone the fundamental actions needed to propel Nigeria in
the world map in this sector,” he said.

He further listed
nonexistent patronage from the government, fake and substandard drugs,
rising cost of production as well as the chaotic distribution of drugs
in the country as some of the problems besetting the pharmaceutical
industry in Nigeria.

He lamented that
the pharmaceutical industry is not as vibrant as it is supposed to be,
adding that it is appalling that the total volume in terms of turnover
is far less than $1 billion.

He used India as
reference point, saying it is a country that took decisive steps to
develop its pharmaceutical industry, which has eventually paid off .

“The Indian domestic market in 2008 was worth $11 billion and it is projected to hit the $15billion mark by 2012,” he said.

In 2007 -2008, India exported drugs worth $7.5 billion to the rest of the world.

The governor of Edo State, Adams
Oshiomhole, has called on the leadership of the Nigeria Police to work
with his government in its effort to stem the tide of kidnapping, armed
robbery and other crimes in the state.

Mr. Oshiomhole made the call when a
delegation of paramount rulers from Esan land, in Edo central
senatorial district, led by Ehizogie Ailogierio I, the Enogie of
Igueben, visited him at the government house to protest what they
called marginalization, particularly from the monthly security vote to
councils, exclusion from the recent visit by Edo delegation to the
presidency over erosion problem and keeping them in the dark over
developments in the state.

The governor said he has warned council
chairman not to use their security vote to supplement police activities
as they are placed on salary and allowances in addition to being
equipped to discharge their duties by the federal government.

Mr. Oshiomhole said the federal
government alone pockets a large chunk of about 52.6 percent of the
federation account, while 47.4 is shared between the 36 states, the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the 774 local government areas
across the country. He said the federal government, apart from
collecting the lion share, has been unable to meet its security
obligations to the people.

“We are forbidden under the
constitution from setting up state police, we have no say whatever on
who gets posted to Edo State; we have no say on who gets promoted, who
gets demoted, who gets punished and the same thing too on the state
security service,” he said.

No value for money

He said his government had provided
over 100 patrol vehicles and a mandate on the police to collect fuel
from designated petrol stations which costs are paid for on monthly
basis, yet at every robbery attack the police would say they have no
fuel in their vehicles.

“Unfortunately whereas the federal
government has exclusive monopoly of control of security apparatus, we
who live in the state which have no control we are victims of
insecurity and in some levels it is purely academic if we are to simply
fold our arms just to remind the federal government that they have the
obligation under the constitution to protect lives and property,” he
said.

He said the people of the state were
not getting the value of the huge sums of money being expended monthly
by the state government to assist the police to combat crime.

The Ondo State
office of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) yesterday sanctioned
eight 2009/2010 batch C Corps members posted to Ondo State for
absenteeism and abscondment.

Jaiye Ojumu, the
State Coordinator who disclosed this at the passing out parade of the
corps members, said the suspended corps members were part of the 949
youth posted to the state in 2009.

He however noted
that ten of them were given state award for their contribution to the
development of the state through community development programme.

Babatunde Ogundare
was overall best youth corps member for building a medical clinic for
inmates of the Olokuta Maximum Prison Akure.

“Ogundare
distinguished himself during the one year mandatory service. He built a
modern clinic in an over-crowded prison in Akure,” Mr Ojumu said.

State governor,
Olusegun Mimiko urged the corps members to allow lessons of dignity of
labour, self reliance, selfless service and peaceful co-existence that
they imbibed in the last one year to guide them for the rest of their
lives.

“The era of higher
education as a meal ticket or passport to plum employment should give
way to a season of entrepreneurship,” he said, charging Nigerian youth
to resist any attempt by politicians to subvert the democratic process.

Mr Mimiko also
warned corps members that will be engaged by the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) as ad-hoc staff to kick against any
irregularities that some politicians might want to perpetrate. “As the
electioneeringcampaigns have commenced, I want to charge the youth of
this nations to resist being used to subvert the democratic process,
they should conduct themselves in an orderly manner.”

Edo State governor,
Adams Oshiomhole also called on members of the NYSC to join the
campaign against corruption in the country, adding that when the youth
join in the fight against corruption, it means a bright hope for the
future of the country.

He spoke at the
passing out ceremony of corps members deployed to Edo State, where it
was also revealed that two of the corps members died during the service
year.

Mr Oshiomhole said
the lure of easy wealth has turned many youth to the vices of “crime,
cultism, corruption and indiscipline” but said he expected that “as ex
corps members, you will not be found treading the path of crime and
corruption.” The governor said he was satisfied with the corps members’
selfless service in the past one year in the state. He said their
effort have greatly imparted on the socio-economic landscape of Edo
state, especially in the rural communities where majority of them
served.

The state commissioner for youth and sports, Anita Evbuomwan said 13
of the corps members would be asked to repeat their service year over
acts of indiscipline, an action she said “serves as a deterrent not
only to those erring corps members, but also to those still serving.”

Palpable tension is
mounting in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, as the Court of Appeal
sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, will today deliver judgement in the
petition filed by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate,
Kayode Fayemi, against the majority verdict that declared Governor
Segun Oni of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the
governorship re-run election in the state in 2009.

Ayo Salami, the
president of the Courts of Appeal is expected to lead four other
eminent Appeal Court judges to deliver the judgment.

Mr. Fayemi is challenging the conduct of the election in five wards thus:

Ifaki wards 1 and 2, Orin/Ora, Usi – all in Ido/Osi local government, and Ipoti Wards A and B in Ijero local government.

Counsels to Mr.
Fayemi and the ACN, Tony Adeniyi, and that of the PDP, Obafemi Adewale,
acknowledged the receipt of the notice, saying the notice came to them
at about 11am yesterday.

The Action Congress
of Nigeria(ACN) governorship candidate in the state, Kayode Fayemi, had
filed an appeal last May against the return of Governor Segun Oni in
the highly vilified election that was held on April 25 and May 5, 2009.
The rerun election was held following an earlier suit filed by Mr.
Fayemi against the election of Mr. Oni in 2007. The Appeal Court in
Ilorin, headed by Mohammed Dattijo, had, on February 17, 2009,
nullified the election and ordered a rerun.

Mr. Oni had earlier
won through a split verdict at the lower tribunal, chaired by Hamman
Barka, where three of the five-member panel, including Mr. Barka,
validated the election of the governor.

Police deployed

Meanwhile, police authorities in Ekiti have deployed over 3000 policemen to all the 16 local government areas of the state.

The spokesperson of
the State Police Command, Jimoh Mohammed, confirmed the deployment,
assuring that the police would ensure that no one or group is allowed
to take laws into their hands. He warned politicians to desist from
anything that could jeopardise the existing peace in the state as a
result of the outcome of the judgment.

“The command headquarters in Ado Ekiti has mobilised its men to all
the police divisions in the sixteen local government areas to reinforce
those that are already on ground. The command is poised to curtail any
violence that may erupt as a result of the verdict,” he said.

Efforts to outshine
one another by politicians in Oyo State, led to the abrupt ending to a
book launch organised in honour of the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Samuel
Odulana Odugade 1, in Ibadan on Thursday.

Political aides to
the Oyo State governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, and a group of local
government chairmen in the state threw decorum to the wind as they sang
abusive songs to interrupt the address delivered by Bola Tinubu, former
governor of Lagos State, who was the chief launcher at the occasion.

The drama started when Mr Tinubu was called upon to give his address and make a formal presentation of the book to the public.

Starting with the
usual protocol, the former Lagos State governor had no problems with
his address until he got to the heart of the presentation, which was
critical of the system that produced the incumbent state governor and
the aftermath of the process.

Supporters of Mr
Alao-Akala, who were mobilized in large numbers to overwhelm the
opposition, started to boo Tinubu and sang different songs. But they
got a match from the opposition, as counter choruses echoed from the
other side.

At a stage when the
opposition seemed to be gaining the upper hand, state political office
holders and local government chairmen joined in the fray and forced Mr
Tinubu to discontinue his address.

Having waited
intermittently for the singing to subside, the former Lagos State
governor insisted he was going to finish his address, no matter how
long it takes.

He, however,
realized he would not continue since the atmosphere was already
charged. So, he stopped the address and went ahead to present the book.

Mr Tinubu thereafter left the scene with most of the opposition politicians present at the book launch.

Among those who
left with him were Lam Adesina, former Oyo State governor and leader of
the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); Teslim Folarin, Senate Leader;
Rasidi Ladoja, a former governor of the state, and a host of other
members of the opposition.

When he rose to
give his remark as the chief host, Mr Alao-Akala admonished the
Olubadan to caution his chiefs against polluting the traditional seats
of the state with partisan politics.

Apparently
disappointed by the turn of events at the book launch, the traditional
ruler delegated his response to one of his chiefs.

Politics of supremacy

The late arrival of
invited guests delayed the commencement of the programme. The Soun of
Ogbomoso, Oyewumi Ajagungbade, left the venue before the programme
began, after waiting for hours sitting alone at the high table without
any other invited dignitaries to join him.

Also, for reasons
yet unclear, Abdul-Azeez Arisekola Alao, the Aare Musulumi of Yoruba
land, left immediately the governor’s convoy entered the premises of
the event.

The politics of
supremacy did not end in chanting and making remarks. The book launch
proper also had some colours of politicking.

Mr Tinubu launched
the book with N1 million. When it was the turn of the Oyo State
governor, he did the same with N10 million while other pledges of
millions also came from his aides and other political office holders in
the state.

Mr Tinubu, in his speech, had praised the courage of the Olubadan, whom he said had brought grit to the royal seat of Ibadan.

“When most people
in the land were playing safe, anxious and fearful not to offend the
powers-that-be, the Olubadan launched a full scale campaign on such
vile politicking, and why it dirtied the traditional institution,” he
said. “That was an act of great courage, since the Oba was not only
fighting the locals who were abusing the traditional institution, he
was also up against the all-mighty federal might, whose managers then
were benefiting from the abuse.”

The book was a biography of the Olubadan and was reviewed by Kunle Lawal, a professor.

Some elders of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) in Ogun West Senatorial District have petitioned the
national chairman of the party, Okwesilieze Nwodo, asking him to
intervene in the issue of the alleged imposition of Isiaka Gboyega by
the state governor, Gbenga Daniel, as the gubernatorial aspirant under
the ticket of the party.

The elders, who rejected Mr Gboyega’s
ambition, alleged he was imposed by Mr Daniel in connivance with
members of the PDP Ogun West Apex Council, which they said was
constituted by the governor for the purpose.

Among those who signed the petition
were Kayode Adeyemi, Saka Adeoti, Kayode Kudoro, Wale Jimoh, Bola
Amusan, Remi Oladapo, Tunde Olorode, Bisi Olatunji, Sunday Adeosun,
Bisi Olaoye and Kudirat Badmus.

They said that the members of the
council, which included Salamatu Badru (deputy governor), Boye
Adeshina, Bisi Popoola, Ayo Otegbola, Matilda Apampa and Bolaji Aretola
hold different positions in Mr Daniel’s administration and are the
governor’s stooges willing to dance to illicit, anti-party whims and
caprices.

They said the governor’s action was capable of foisting electoral disaster on PDP Ogun State in the 2011 elections.

Aggrieved leaders

“We are aggrieved party leaders and
concerned eminent citizens of Peoples Democratic Party from Ogun West
Senatorial District of Ogun State and we vehemently oppose and condemn
the illegal imposition of Ma Isiaka Gboyega by Otunba Gbenga Daniel,
the Executive Governor of Ogun State as the gubernatorial aspirant
under the ticket of PDP in connivance with PDP Ogun West Apex Council,”
the petition stated.

“Moreover, it is common knowledge that
the said Apex council was constituted by Otunba Gbenga Daniel and
virtually all the six members are currently serving in the various
parastatals of Ogun State and are on the payroll of Otunba Gbenga
Daniel’s administration.” They said their rejection of Mr Gboyega as
the party’s gubernatorial candidate are necessitated by the facts that
he is the current managing director of Gateway Holdings Limited and is
currently facing various charges of financial misappropriation of
public funds before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They also said that their zone is
blessed with seasoned, experienced and dynamic talents such as Lekan
Ojo, Tunji Olurin and Kola Bajomo, stressing that these are some of the
people who can salvage the state from its present sordid and deplorable
condition.

Blameless Daniel

However, Aliyu Nurudeen, a media aide
to the governor, denied the elders’ allegation, saying he (governor)
was not involved in the ambition of Mr Gboyega.

“It is an Ogun West issue,” Mr Nurudeen said in a telephone interview yesterday.

“The governor has nothing to do with it. He has no hand in it. Let
the PDP national leadership call him and he will explain to them. In
any case, they are free to write a petition.”