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The National
Assembly, yesterday, passed the 2010 budget of the Niger Delta
Development Commission, adding N4bn to the requested sum and renaming
the N90m earlier billed for “staff marriage”.

Lawmakers reviewed
the spending plan of the regional commission from N236.5bn to N240.5bn,
with over N3.99bn added to “developmental projects” at the regional
office of the commission in Port Harcourt.

The additional
amount for the office raised its total to N109.4bn for projects which
will involve skill acquisition programmes and a renewed mass transit
scheme.

The House NDDC
committee would not state what the extra funds will be applied for, but
indicated on the House paper as the eleventh item, named “additional
revenue”. Funds allocated for such projects in each of the nine oil
producing states, remained the same with the highest amount of N27.4bn,
N22.99bn and N19.2bn, going to Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Delta states.

Lawmakers also
rephrased the allocation of N90m to cater for staff marriages and
funeral donations, two days after its earlier approval of the plan drew
wide condemnations.

Staff welfare

The initial
quotation which read “Death/Bereavement/Condolence
purse/Transportation/Marriage” as part of personnel incentives, has
been replaced with “staff welfare” as stated in the final document
passed Thursday.

On Wednesday,
before the budget proposal was referred to the committee, lawmakers
complained of huge overhead cost detailed by the commission, and
particularly condemned the planned use of N90m for marriage donations,
when the commission faces unresolved developmental challenges in the
oil region.

“Besides the timing
of the budget, which shows the level of seriousness the commission
attaches to the region, we should really consider the individual over
head costs of this budget which are too high,” the House Business and
Rules committee chairman, Ita Enang, noted Tuesday.

The change in name drew no response from the legislators as they
rounded up considerations on key issues to commence a 12 week vacation
ending October 12, 2010.

The rising
incidences of road crashes are caused by careless driving and poor
maintenance of the vehicles, Charles Agbo, acting director general of
the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said.

Mr Agbo, who was
represented by NEMA’s director of training, Clem Aisueni, during a
training workshop of the agency’s drivers in Keffi, Nassarawa State,
advised motorists to ensure the safety of lives and property through
the observance of traffic rules and careful driving. He also advised
corporate organizations to properly train and monitor their drivers,
and urged commercial motorists to avail themselves of useful safety
knowledge while on the roads.

Mr Agbo equally called for greater cooperation between federal road
safety agencies such as the Federal Road Safety Commission and the
Directorate of Road Transport Services. “Last weekend, along the
Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a tanker fully loaded veered off on the long
bridge and collided with the embankment of the bridge that resulted in
[a] huge conflagration causing a terrible damage and traffic jam that
lasted for hours,” he said. “Also in Madalla, near Abuja for instance,
a tanker loaded with fuel skidded off the road and rammed into a market
where it burst into flames, which led to the burning of many persons
and properties.”

Next year’s
elections may be seriously hindered if the N74billion needed by the
Independent National Electoral Commission for fresh voters’ register is
not provided in 14 days, Atahiru Jega, the commission’s Chairman warned
yesterday.

Mr Jega informed
the House of Representatives committee on INEC yesterday that the
voters register he inherited is totally unreliable for any credible
elections, warning that it would require extraordinary efforts to meet
the 2011 election’s deadline if the fund for its replacement, is not
provided within next two weeks. He said funds must be made available
for the exercise on or before August 11, 2010. “We don’t want to leave
anybody in doubt about that,” he said. “This is a constitutional matter
and it is beyond us. The calculation is that, if we can allow three
months for procurement, to ensure that all the necessary equipment are
procured, all the required personnel are recruited and trained, all the
logistics are deployed within three months, then we should be able to,
from the last week of October, to the first week of November (two
weeks) conduct fresh registration of voters. But that will mean that
within this time, we are able to deploy Direct Capture Machines (DCM)
in all the 120,000 voters registration centres in the country. This
requires a lot of resources even for the procurement of the machines
alone.”

Mr Jega has also requested for a waiver of routine procurement
procedures, to will help streamline the process of a prompt contracting
and deployment of machines for the exercise. He said the commission
will procure the Direct Capture Machines directly from the manufactures
and not from vendors; to avoid the mistakes stalled the earlier
contract of the commission under Maurice Iwu. “We will spend about N57
billion if we are to purchase directly from the manufactures”, he said.
“But it will cost about N74 billion if we have to go through vendors,”
he said. The amount includes procurement, recruitment, training of
staff and logistics. He said the cost of the equipment alone, is
between 57 and 69% of the total cost of conducting fresh voters
registration. If the plans do not stand, he explained that the best
option left to INEC for genuine voters register would be the shifting
of the dateline in the Electoral Act.

Protem national
chairman of Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP), Pat Utomi says the
party will provide platform for women, youth and Nigerians in Diaspora
to contest for elective positions in the 2011 elections.

Mr. Utomi, who
stated this during a meeting with some women advocates, also said the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally
recognised the party to participate in the elections.

The women group,
supported by a joint basket of international agencies and donors such
as UNIFEM and USAID, visited Mr. Utomi to canvass more positions for
women in the party ahead of the polls.

Olubori Obafemi, a
media officer of the party on Wednesday, quoted Mr. Utomi as saying
that the group’s aspiration is in tandem with the manifesto of the
SDMP, which is a fusion of about 25 political parties and over 150
political leaders across the country.

“It is our informed
desire to give more spaces to women, people in Diaspora and the youth
in the mega party also referred to as the new Social Democratic Party,”
Mr. Utomi said. “This aspiration is in tandem with the provisions of
our manifesto to show others how to run a real political party, where
inclusion and participation are the key to party building.”

The protem chairman
said the party’s manifesto produced by a technical committee led by a
former governor of Lagos State, Lateef Jakande has already settled the
fact that women and other vulnerable sections in the society should be
given more leverage in party.

“I therefore
recommend this great party, initiated by a great patriot and living
legend of our time, Anthony Enahoro to every Nigerian woman as a party,
the deprived can own and use for their total emancipation,” he said.

Change the polity

Leader of the
delegation, Kesiah Awosika, ensured that the group would encourage more
female professionals to join forces with credible politicians to change
the face of the polity.

“We appreciate your
progressive gesture towards Nigerian women and we shall encourage our
associates who are interested in politics to further consult you in
building synergy for a new Nigeria,” she said.

The National
Assembly has approved amendments to the law establishing and guiding
the activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
in accordance with the request of the new leadership of the commission.

The Harmonised INEC
Act, which was adopted by both chambers of the National Assembly, on
Thursday, shows that the lawmakers’ voted in favour of the special
amendments requested by the new INEC team. Atahiru Jega, the chairman
of INEC, had, in his maiden press conference on 22 July, requested for
specific amendment of some sections of the existing INEC act to enhance
the commission’s chances at conducting a credible free and fair
elections in 2011. Mr. Jega requested the special amendments to
sections 10 (5), 21 and 11 (4) of the 2006 INEC Act, which was at that
point being amended by the National Assembly, to reflect the changes
caused by the amended 1999 constitution.

The amendments

Mr. Jega said the
new leadership requested the amendment of section 10 (5) of the
electoral act to reduce the time for end of registration, updating and
revision of the voters’ register from 120 days before election to 60
days. “This gives us an additional eight weeks, bringing the total
period available to compile a new register to 16 weeks,” he said. He
also requested for the amendment of section 21 of the act to reduce the
time for completion of supplementary list of voters, integration into
the existing register and final certification from 60 days before the
election to 30 days.

Although the amendments sought by the new INEC team was the initial
position of the senate on the amendment of the INEC Act, the House of
Reps had voted to retain the old timelines. The process of lawmaking
requires both chambers to agree on every section of the Act before it
will be passed into law. During the harmonisation, the representatives
however voted in favour of the stance of the senate and as requested by
the new INEC team. The harmonised copy of the bill will be forwarded to
the president for his assent and subsequent passage into law. The new
INEC act reflects a radical deviation from the past stipulating stiffer
regulation for campaigns and party funding and harsh penalties for
offenders.

A question by a
woman on why Patricia Etteh was removed as Speaker of the House of
Representatives over corruption allegations, yesterday, forced
conflicting responses from Dimeji Bankole, the current Speaker who is
also facing allegations of corruption, and the house ethics chairman.

Stella Okereke, a
Nigerian resident in America, faced up to Mr. Bankole during a courtesy
visit by Nigerians in Diaspora group, and demanded to know why he has
retained his seat when he played a role in removing Ms. Etteh on a
similar accusation.

Ms. Okereke said
she monitored the events of June 22, 2010, in the house, when 11
members of the house were suspended for leading calls for the Speaker
to step down on corruption allegations.

“When Patricia
Etteh was accused of committing crime against the house, it didn’t take
a long while before you people pushed her out,” she told Mr. Bankole at
the event organised by the House committees on diaspora and foreign
affairs.

“Since what is good
for the goose is also good for the gander, we are asking why was Etteh
punished when we are having the same thing now.”

Mr. Bankole
devolved the query to the chairman of the committee on ethics and
privileges, Sani Minjibir, whose committee is charged with the
responsibility of the chamber’s self-scrutiny.

Mr. Minjibir argued
that the two cases were not similar, since an investigative committee,
which he was a member of, found Ms. Etteh guilty of not following due
process – an argument Mr. Bankole himself rejected.

“The conclusion we
reached, which has stood the test of time and adjudged okay by my
colleagues, found out that the former Speaker was the person who was
driving the procedures and in all the procedures, due process was not
followed,” Mr. Minjibir said.

“When we come to
the Melaye’s case, we must always understand that until proven guilty,
one is still innocent. As the ethics committee chairman, I have not
taken sides with any party. I don’t attend meetings of any of the
sides, and my colleagues know that, as I will do justice.

“The Melaye’s case
pains me. The rule is that members exhaust internal mechanisms before
anything, and these people did not,” he explained.

But Mr. Bankole
countered the argument, admitting that the House position was not a
judicial indictment. “I will be as frank as possible. I’ve been known
to be sometimes frank,” he said.

“For the records, Foluke Etteh was never indicted by any court, and was not impeached and remains a former Speaker.”

Mr. Bankole,
however, evaded discussing the allegations against him saying the
matter is already before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

On the N2.3 billion
Peugeot car scandal, which he was earlier accused of, he said the
lawmakers who raised the issue forged the price documents to give a
misleading impression of him.

“Those cars were
bought from PAN, based on the price list, but the price list in the
allegations was forged,” he said. “The price list of 2006 was
superimposed on the 2007 price list, so that they can give the public
the impression that the prices were tampered with.

“And then the issue of payment into Zenith Bank; we don’t even have an account with Zenith Bank,” Mr. Bankole said.

He said the
allegations spring up whenever the House takes decisions to investigate
alleged fraud like the N64 billion airport runway project and the N236
billion Abuja expressway contracts.

Motions for the two
inquiries, incidentally, were sponsored by Dino Melaye, the leader of
the group that accused Mr. Bankole of fraud.

Mr. Minjibir, whose committee has not made public results of its
investigations into series of members’ misdemeanours, like a lawmaker
who assaulted a guard, and the Ekiti State lawmakers who were accused
of election malpractices, declared that his committee is already
investigating the speaker’s case and will do justice.

Oil spills allegedly coming from a sunken tug boat
at the Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) jetty is causing havoc at one of
the biggest fish ponds in Delta State, as an estimated N100 million
worth of fish has so far died as a result of the pollution.

A visit to the multi-million naira privately owned
fish farm in Ekpan, Uvwie local government area of Delta State, shows
some of the farmers lamenting their loss as more than half of over
2,000 fish ponds were affected by the oil spillage.

The Delta State commissioner for environment,
Bello Orubebe, has declared the area, which includes Ugboroke, New
Layout, Ekpan, and Agadaga as a disaster zone.

The commissioner made the declaration while on
tour of the affected fish ponds yesterday and ordered the immediate
halt to sale and consumption of fishes from the ponds, pending thorough
laboratory results. An estimated 6,000 fishes have so far died in the
polluted waters.

The president of the Ekpan Uvwie Fish Farmers
Association, Rufus Ekwale, said their ordeal began last week Thursday
when they noticed shining oily substances in the ponds.

He noted that further investigation by them
revealed the source as the Chevron jetty, where a sunken tug boat was
omitting substances suspected to be diesel into the Ekpan river, which
is one of the main supply of water to the fish ponds.

Mr. Ekwale said they immediately dispatched a
letter to the Chevron management, the state governor, the commissioner
for environment, the Delta State Environmental Protection Agency
(DELSEPA), and other relevant agencies in the state.

“As I speak to you now, no response has come from
Chevron management. But the commissioner for environment was here
personally to conduct some tests and went as far as visiting the source
of the pollution”, he said.

Tests on fishes

Joshua Ughere, chairman, board of trustees of
Ufuoma United Farm, Ekpan, said: “we are calling on the government and
multinational agencies to come to our aid. We borrowed monies to start
this business, but now all our fishes are gone. The pollution started
last week, now it has spread all over the ponds. If we are not helped,
we will run out of business.”

Mr. Orubebe told the affected farmers that “the
governor expressed his shock over the incident, lamenting that
hardworking Deltans are being plunged into poverty. He is on top of the
matter. He commiserates with you over this loss. In the meantime, don’t
sell these polluted fishes; they are contaminated. They now contain
bio-degradable content, which is harmful.”

He said his preliminary view of the substance showed that the pollutant is a petroleum substance.

“The total result will be released after a
laboratory test,” he said. “Our concern is to get the polluters to pay.
We will work with other agencies. I have seen the source of the
pollution at Chevron yard. The annoying thing is that they have not
cordoned the area off. I will give them 48 hours to come out with a
remedial plan and adequate compensation. They cannot avoid their
responsibility,” he added.

The commissioner also said over 6,000 farmers are affected. He
called for a proper documentation of the exact numbers of farmers
affected, but promised that his ministry will, in conjunction with
other agencies, carry out examination on whether the remaining stock
can be sold to avoid a colossal loss.

The federal
government will continue to work with the Red Cross Society, and other
humanitarian organizations, to make Nigeria and the world better places
for the less privileged, President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday in
Abuja.

Speaking after his
investiture as Grand Patron of the Nigerian Red Cross Society in the
presidential villa, Mr Jonathan also pledged his administration’s full
support for the N20b Appeal Fund initiated by the Red Cross for victims
of the Jos crises and the earthquake in Haiti. The president said
although the federal government has already donated funds directly to
the government of Haiti to alleviate the suffering of victims of the
earthquake disaster, and provided some support for those affected by
the Jos crises, it welcomed the effort by the Red Cross to raise
additional funds for them and will do all it can to assist in the
realization of the target.

While declaring his
belief in philanthropy and helping the less privileged in society, Mr
Jonathan urged all Nigerians in the public and private sectors,
foreigners residing in the country, and other international
humanitarian organizations to support the appeal fund with generous
donations. “I appreciate what you are doing globally and in Nigeria,
the less privileged need to be assisted,” he said. “Whenever I see
philanthropists helping to remake the world and make it a happier place
for all, I always want to encourage them.”

The Red Cross
delegation was led by Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, and the
President of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Rochas Okorocha. Before
decorating Mr Jonathan with the insignia of Grand Patron of the
Nigerian Red Cross, Mr Okorocha described him as a “true champion of
the weak, poor and less privileged.” He said that under Mr Jonathan’s
administration, Nigeria was quickly assuming a leadership role in
Africa for humanitarian and charitable assistance to those in need.

Rich not doing enough

Mr Obi said the
group had come to see the president to inform him of what the Red Cross
is trying to do to help out both in Jos and in Haiti. “I can tell you
that, with the support of Mr President, corporations and individuals in
Nigeria have been responding very well and we are sure many more will
respond eventually,” he said.

The governor, who said he has been to Jos on several occasion and
personally made some donations, said he will be leading a delegation to
Haiti next week on a fact finding mission. Mr Obi further urged rich
Nigerians to do more in serving humanity with their wealth. “I agree
with you, they are not doing enough. There is nothing you can do with
your wealth except service to humanity. The only purpose God gave us
wealth is to serve humanity,” he said.