Nigeria Content Online

A bird sanctuary is the latest addition to the tourism bouquet
of Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, Calabar, Cross River State.

Tinapa, located on the fringe of the Calabar River, is home to
various species of birds that perch all year round on the branches of trees in
the environment.

“Tinapa ecosystem offers a variety of birds and nature tourism
opportunities, hence it’s a route chosen by a high diversity of birds. By
visiting the Tinapa bird route, you will not only see amazing biodiversity, but
also help to maintain the ecological integrity of one of the world’s most
biologically diverse places,” Bassey Edem, the Managing Director of Tinapa,
said.

Unique habitat

Conservation experts say Tinapa is one of the few remaining
habitat for pelicans, herons, swallows, thrushes, woodpeckers, humming birds,
cuckoos owls and hawks in our country. Quite a good number of migratory birds
also fly through the area twice a year enroute the Abu’evam hills in Boki Local
Government Area of Cross River State, where they spend some time before going
back to Europe and America.

“This bird sanctuary indeed shows how rural host communities can become
active bird habitats defenders while tangibly benefiting from biodiversity, a
true challenge for many bird areas around the world,” Mr Edem said, adding that
the expansion of leisure at the resort to include bird-watching “involves
training local people to be able to deliver high value and low impact birding
tourism. The Adiabo people will tell you about those birds in a cultural
context.”

The World Bank will release $900 million (574 million pounds) to
help fund relief efforts for Pakistan’s flood disaster as international
agencies warned millions of people were at risk from disease.

The United Nations has warned that up to 3.5 million children
could be in danger of contracting deadly diseases carried through contaminated
water and insects in a crisis that has disrupted the lives of at least a 10th
of Pakistan’s 170 million people.

Up to 1,600 people have been killed and two million made
homeless in Pakistan’s worst floods in decades.

Hundreds of villages across Pakistan, one of the poorest
countries in Asia, have been marooned, highways have been cut in half and
thousands of homeless people have been forced to set up tarpaulin tents along
the side of roads.

The World Bank funds will come through the reprogramming of
planned projects and reallocation of undisbursed funds, but it did not say how
it would be utilised to aid flood victims.

“We are reprioritising to make the funds immediately available,”
said Mariam Altaf, a spokesman for the World Bank.

Public anger

Public anger has grown in two weeks of floods, highlighting
potential political troubles for an unpopular government as aid failed to keep
pace with the rising river waters.

On Monday, some Pakistani flood victims blocked a highway to
demand government help as aid agencies warned relief was too slow to arrive for
millions without clean water, food and homes.

The damage caused by the floods and the cost of recovery could
bring long-term economic pain to Pakistan and shave more than one percentage
point off economic growth, analysts say.

Pakistani stocks ended down 2.9 per cent on Monday on fears the
impact may be more damaging than first estimated.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Britain, Wajid Shamsul Hasan,
told Reuters the cost of rebuilding could be more than $10 (6.38 pounds) to $15
billion (9 billion pounds).

He appealed to the international community to provide funds for
relief and reconstruction for a country fighting Islamist militants, or risk
potentially destabilising the whole region.

The government has been under fire for its perceived inadequate
response. Islamic charities, some linked to militant groups, have stepped in to
provide aid to flood victims, possibly gaining supporters at the expense of the
state.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi expressed
concerns over Pakistan’s stability, saying it was dangerous to let the
Islamists fill the vacuum.

“If a person is hungry, if a person is thirsty and you provide
water, he’ll not ask whether you are a moderate or an extremist,” Qureshi told
the British Broadcasting Corporation.

“He’ll grab water from you and save himself and his children who
were starved. So you have to be aware of this challenge.” Only a quarter of the
$459 million (292 million pounds) aid needed for initial relief has arrived, according
to the United Nations. That contrasts with the United States giving at least $1
billion (638 million pounds) in military aid last year to its regional ally to
battle militants.

The U.N. has reported the first case of cholera. In a statement
issued in New York, it said the greatest threat was from acute watery diarrhoea
and dysentery, but that hepatitis A and E and typhoid fever were also
significant risks.

Victims are relying mostly on the military, the most powerful
institution in Pakistan, and foreign aid agencies for help.

Nevertheless, a military coup is considered unlikely. The army’s priority is
fighting Taliban insurgents, and seizing power during a disaster would make no
sense, analysts say.

Cleaners, fumigators and other workmen were hard at work at No 13
Beira Crescent, in the Wuse II area of Abuja yesterday. This is where Nuhu
Ribadu, former anti-graft boss, is setting up a campaign office in line with
his bid to run for president in 2011.

Although Mr. Ribadu is yet to announce an alignment with any
particular political party and has not publicly declared his intentions to run,
it is only a matter of days before he does that now, his aides told NEXT
yesterday.

He has not yet declared but will do that soon,” said Chido
Onumah, media assistant to the former EFCC boss. “This is the presidential
campaign office and it should be ready in a couple of days. It will be the hub
of operations for his bid to run for president.”

Mr. Onumah also said that his team has recruited a group of
professionals who will undertake several positions in the new office. Mr.
Ribadu is widely touted as the preferred candidate of the Action Congress of
Nigeria, (ACN). “It is not certain what political platform Mr. Ribadu will be
running under but he has been approached by several parties,” said Mr. Onumah.
“He is currently consulting widely with other politicians and groups. At the
end of the day, he will sit back and decide which political platform fits into
his plans and visions.”

The ACN, however, insists that Mr. Ribadu is yet to formally join the party
and therefore cannot be considered a prospective presidential candidate. “I am
not aware that Nuhu Ribadu has joined the party,” said Lai Mohammed, the party
spokesperson.

Only one in every ten federal civil servants between the grade
levels 14 to 16 is incompetent, the results of the re-sit of the competency
test organised for the federal civil servants have shown.

According to the results, which were released by the office of
the head of service on Tuesday, 89% of the 2800 civil servants that sat for the
test passed the cut-off point of 40%.

The latest result shows a 59% increase in the success rate
recorded in May when the exam was first held.

The test was organised to test the competency of the senior
civil servants in areas of basic office skills.

“You will recall that when the Mandatory Training Competency
test took place in May, 2010, only 30.5% of civil servants who sat for the
competency assessment test crossed the cut-off mark of 40%,” the head of
service, Stephen Oronsaye, said. “I was not particularly happy at the outcome
of the test,” he further said.

Mr. Oronsaye defended the astronomical success rate in the
latest test, saying the woeful performance of the civil servants in the
previous test was due to challenges that were experienced during the training
and the assessment. He blamed the failure on logistics and “some gaps in the
contents of the training modules and course materials developed.”

According to Mr. Oronsaye, a six-member committee helped planned
the latest test, eradicating the challenges that were experienced in May.

“The result of the re-sit test has clearly shown that commitment
and determination towards learning and development can be achieved. It is
indeed gratifying to note that civil servants are beginning to understand and
appreciate the critical importance of the need to have a well developed,
competent, and knowledgeable civil service that is focused on effective service
delivery and able to meet the expectations of policy makers and the public,”
Mr. Oronsaye added.

Olakunle Olaitain, the president of the Association of Senior
Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSON), however, dismissed the result, saying it is
a “non issue.”

Mr. Olaitan led the group of civil servants who protested
against the test.

Not for promotion?

The test, which was held against stiff opposition from the civil
servants, will not be used for promotion. Rather, its results will be studied
to reveal areas of training needs of the civil servants.

“The Assessment Test is distinct and different from the
promotion examination conducted by the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC),”
he said, while announcing the results.

“The Assessment Test is to assist us to understand and help to
address the training needs of the civil servants as well as to optimise the
utilization of the talents of civil servants in the performance of their
duties,” Mr. Oronsaye explained.

However, those that failed the test, alongside the over 300
civil servants who boycotted the test, will not be presented for promotion.

Also, the over 300 servants who did not take the test will face
other disciplinary measures “in line with the rules and regulations of the
civil service.”

Mr. Olaitan, however, advised his members who feel their right
are abused whenever the disciplinary measures are announced by the head of
service, to go to the courts for redress.

Critical areas

Notwithstanding the excellent performance, Mr. Oronsaye said the
performance of participants has indicated the lack of adequate skills in policy
formulation and development, and writing of council memos, amongst others, in
civil servants.

“Clearly, we need to ensure, as a matter of urgency, that these
routine areas of job performance are addressed and improved upon,” he said.

“I wish to emphatically declare that, before the end of the
year, we will put in place a framework for performance management. This will be
backed by integrating a standardized and specialized mandatory training into
the work plan and programmatic activities of ministries, departments, and
agencies,” he said.

In future, Mr. Oronsaye said the test will be better packaged with
more incentives and a more comfortable testing environment. He said the
participants will be paid training stipends, while the training will be
“residential” but mandatory.

“We are also committed to initiating an interactive and vibrant on-line
learning system. As a consequence, we are considering a blend of virtual and
classroom learning and assessment. This, we are committed to introducing before
the end of the year,” Mr. Oronsaye added.

New media rules planned by the South African government are
symptomatic of the draconian apartheid-era press laws and could hinder the
growth of democracy in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said
yesterday.

The New York-based media freedom group, in an open letter to
President Jacob Zuma, said the proposed laws would severely curtail the
country’s media independent.

The group says it writes the letter to express concern about the
legislative proposals that it believes would severely restrict South Africa’s
independent press corps, ‘which is distinguished for its dynamism and
professionalism.’ ” We call on you as the head of state and leader of the
ruling African National Congress (ANC) to ensure that such proposals are either
amended in line with constitutional safeguards for freedom of the press and
access to information, or withdrawn altogether in the interest of preserving
the transparency, accountability, and democracy gained after apartheid,” the
CPJ said.

The country’s parliament is currently considering an information
bill that ruling African National Congress MPs say will protect state secrets,
but media groups said could prevent investigative reporting and curtail reports
on corruption.

“The Protection of Information Bill currently before parliament
is meant to replace an apartheid-era law dating from 1982. Yet the broad
language and far-reaching provisions of the legislative proposal introduced by
Security Minister Siyabonga Cwel is reminiscent of apartheid-era regulations
since it would virtually shield the government from the scrutiny of the
independent press and criminalize activities essential to investigative
journalism, a vital public service. Journalists, under the proposed law, would
face heavy jail time for violations,” the CPJ said.

It also reveals that the bill propose that “officials and state
agencies would have unchecked authority and discretion to classify any public
or commercial data as secret, confidential, protected, or sensitive based on
vaguely defined ‘national interest’ considerations and without any explanation,
according to our research and legal experts.”

Shelve the law

Also, political appointees overseeing state intelligence
agencies would have final say over which information should be classified or
not.

The bill places the onus on journalists to establish ‘public
interest’ (broadly defined as ‘all those matters that constitute the common
good, well-being or general welfare and protection of the people) to justify
declassifying any information.

The Executive Director of the CPJ, Joel Simon, called on Mr.
Zuma to amend or shelve the Protection of Information Bill and the Media
Appeals Tribunals proposal.

“We ask that you ensure that any media reform in South Africa is
the result of a transparent, consultative process reconciling the interests of
government, the ANC, and the concerns expressed by the overwhelming majority of
civil society,” he said.

Few Nigerians in
daily conversation with compatriots escape the rather aggressive and
abrasive question as to their origins. Why would any Nigerian wish to
know “exactly” where people come from in the same land? What difference
does it really make?

Of course we are
all from somewhere, but belong to a larger entity called Nigeria. The
citizens of a nation state are the products of an ever-evolving change
process of internal migration and settlement, modulated by economy,
ecology and politics. Their true identity should be defined by the
country they belong to, and practicalized by its politics.

Broadly, a citizen
of Nigeria is from the state and city in which he or she lives in,
works and pays taxes. It could change. I was from Lagos before I came
to Abuja. That is, however, not a satisfactory status in Nigeria.

After 50 years and
a civil war that nearly split the country, we are still preoccupied
with primitive tribalism in a globalized world. The creation of 36
states and the expensive construction of a centralized capital at Abuja
were actually designed to foster national unity and cohesion of the
differing tribes and tongues.

Today, the
political party that rules Nigeria has introduced a clandestine form of
tribalism, couched and camouflaged in the terminology of “geopolitics”
and “zoning,” designed to drive a wedge between coordinating cultural,
social, economic and political units. The ultimate is to promote the
barbarism of unfair advantage and naked kleptocracy.

Ethnic profiling
and categorization, whether over drinks in a pub, or at a job
interview, makes nonsense of individual achievement, brilliance and
quality, the quintessential elements of the much sought after
privatization and free-market economy.

The fool who likes me be careful with the fool who likes you because of where you come from.

That soul is likely to hate and kill somebody for the same reason.

Foreigners living
and working in Nigeria are increasingly zoning the hiring of staff,
from cooks and drivers in their homes to the executive cadre on the
floors of the business glass house. In a way, you cannot blame them for
copying guidelines laid down by the People’s Democratic Party.

Europeans and
Americans in Nigeria will readily tell you which ethnic groups in the
country they prefer for security at the gate, to cook in the kitchen,
as driver, financial controller, manager and marketing executive. This
is regrettable recourse to the colonial strategy of “divide and rule.”
Perhaps the PDP will eventually propose that we go to South Africa,
exhume the long-buried policy of apartheid (separate development),
piece the bones together into a skeleton that will haunt the memories
of Nigerians all the days of our lives, and finally result in the
break-up of the federation.

Anybody interested
in the study of social geography will be convinced to conclude that
nobody comes “exactly” from somewhere or anywhere, as far as origins
go. In actual fact, the further back we descend in natural history, the
more unified we are as humans.

And where exactly
does that “Nigerian” come from – born in Lagos to Igbo parents, primary
and secondary school education in Lagos, University at Zaria, now
resident in Houston, Texas, USA as professor or athlete? Some of
Nigeria’s footballers are not just foreign-based, but citizens of the
United Kingdom first, and then Nigerian just for soccer purposes. Where
exactly are they from?

“Do you know I did not know you were Ibo? You’re so different!” a
Nigerian colleague confided in me, after two years. And in the UK? “I
hardly knew you were Nigerian.” Silly, agonizing and patronizing
compliments!

A drug suspect said he and his colleagues did the country great
service by favouring the drug trade instead of involving themselves in such
deadlier pursuits as armed robbery and assassinations.

Ajayi Ghana, who was paraded in front of journalists Monday
afternoon, blamed the prevalent economic hardship in the country for his
involvement in the drug trade.

Twenty-year-old Paul Oluwatosin who was paraded with Mr Gana told
newsmen that he was a scrap metal dealer who resorted to trading in hard drugs
because it pays better. Another suspect, Akinwale Olalekan, blamed his
involvement on the death of his parents who passed away when he was young. Five
cannabis dealers were similarly paraded by officials of the Nigeria Drug Law
Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ado Ekiti.

The State Commander of the agency, Bamidele Akingbade, said 73
suspects have been arrested since he assumed office in May, 2010 and that the
Agency has discovered about 76 acres of land used as cannabis plantation. He
said about thirteen drug abusers were arrested at Atikankan Area as well as at
Motor-parks and other dangerous spots in Ado Ekiti, and those found culpable
will soon be prosecuted .

He said his Agency is now partnering with the Police, Civil
Defence Corps and Forest Guards to control the activities of those engaged in
farming cannabis.

Confiscating land

He also commended the state House of Assembly for promulgating a
law that allows security officers to confiscate the land and any building where
cannabis is discovered, saying this will go a long way in checking the
activities of the planters. “We are going to ensure that we partner with all
relevant authorities to ensure that Ekiti become a no hiding place for drug
dealers and abusers,” he said.

Nasiru Sule Garo, (PDP, Gwarzo/Kabo federal constituency) speaks
on next year’s elections and options before the citizens of Kano State. Excerpts:

Fears of credible
elections in 2011

This is the first time Nigerians from different background and
different political parties, are coming together to agree that the man,
Attahiru Jega is credible enough as the INEC Chairman to conduct credible
elections. I have confidence that, especially with the amended electoral act
and the continued assurance we are receiving from Mr Jega and also with the
composition of the commissioners in INEC, the 2011 election would be a free,
fair and credible election. Calls for postponement of election.

The issue of shifting election date is a decision which INEC
should be left to take. So far, they have not really complained on the issue of
time, but only on funding and that is why the House of Representatives did all
we could to facilitate the fund request from INEC. You remember we had to cut
short our holiday to attend to the request. I think the amendment of electoral
act is a good thing, because it will make the INEC more independent and active
and the process also serves as an avenue through which other amendment can be
done, if the need arises in the future.

On zoning

I am in support of zoning because it has and will continue to
bring sanity and sense of belonging in our polity. Again, it is what was agreed
by our leaders; therefore I believe it should be respected. But above all, I am
a loyal member of my party and the party said that zoning should remain but
President Goodluck Jonathan has the constitutional right to contest, because
the constitution is supreme.

Assessment of state
government

The administration of (state governor) Ibrahim Shekarau, to me,
is a monumental failure because the economy of Kano has fallen woefully during
his time despite the huge resources the state got both from federation account
and locally generated revenue. There are no developmental projects, especially
in the rural areas. Education is in sorry state; there is lack of water
throughout the state and virtually every sector is neglected. Some people may
argue that there is road projects that is going on at the moment in the state
capital, I appreciate those projects because it is good for the state. But my question
is, are these only starting now? I believe the answer is simply the governor is
using the projects for his presidential campaign. Even the Kano house that was
recently commissioned in Abuja is also aimed at achieving this deceit for his
presidential ambition. All what I have to say is that his administration just
hide under the banner of Islam to plunder the resources of the good people of
Kano.

Chances of PDP reclaiming
Kano

It is very clear today that the people of Kano are no longer
interested in the ANPP government and they want PDP to take over the governance
of the state. The people specifically are rooting for Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to
vie for the governorship position and I believe they will vote for him because
they have realized that he did a lot for the state during his tenure as
governor. Above all, he has the interest of the state at heart.

Controversial
constituency project

Yes, constituency projects has been helping our constituents
today because it is really helping in providing basic infrastructure in our
localities; that is the only way a legislator can impact on his people
directly, apart from our primary assignment of making laws. You will agree with
me that some local governments and perhaps state governments have failed in
providing the much needed basic infrastructures to our people.

Therefore, the constituency project is helping in that
direction. The constituency projects would be unnecessary when the states and
local governments take their responsibility seriously. I think it is worth
mentioning here that federal lawmakers are not receiving funds for constituency
projects; rather we identify projects in our constituencies and forward it to
MDAs for execution. So, it is actually the executive that is executing the
projects. Ours is no more than identifying the project and perhaps supervising
same.

Anger of his constituents

It is not true that I have not done anything for the benefit of
my constituents. Let me use this opportunity to mention few things I have done.
I have secured federal employment for about 10 people from my constituency and
I have attracted some projects to the area. I assure you there are many more to
come.

The Ondo State Government yesterday said the Ondo State
University of Technology (OSUTECH), Okitipupa will take off from a temporary
site if the contractors at the original site refuse to speed up action. Besides, government also promised to
constitute the Governing Council of the university next week.

The state governor, Olusegun Mimiko, who disclosed this while
presenting a new 18-seater Toyota Hilux bus to the National Association of Ondo
State Students (NAOSS) in Akure, said his administration is committed to the
early take off of the institution and that his government is striving hard to
ensure that academic work start immediately.

“I also sincerely hope that the National Universities Commission
(NUC) will soon return to the state and return the operational licence of the
institution and I can assure you that the University will be developed to be
one of the best universities across the globe,” he said.

He urged the students to shun all forms of social vices capable
of disrupting their academic pursuit and advised them to be actively involved
in the campaign against electoral malpractices.

“As leaders of tomorrow, you must devote your time to your
education in order to come out in flying colours and become responsible
citizens that will contribute to societal development”, he said.

Maintain the bus

The governor said the state government would provide a
professional driver who will be in charge of the vehicle to avoid its being
misused and prevent damage.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Students
Affairs, Olamide George praised the state government for the gesture, which he
said will facilitate the operations of the members of the association.

The president of NAOSS, Temola Temidayo expressed the readiness of the
association to prevent all forms of electoral fraud in next year’s general
election and enjoined the state government to release money for the maintenance
of the vehicle, which he said will only be used for the association’s
activities.