Nigeria Content Online

Eseme Eyiboh, the House of
Representatives spokesperson, whose Abuja private residence was
vandalised by about 30 policemen last week, said his refusal to sell
the property to a senator, Mohammed Hassan Gusau, prompted the senator
to invade his home with some policemen.

Mr. Eyiboh, who described the incident
as religiously-motivated, told journalists on Tuesday, at a press
conference in Abuja, that Mr. Gusau, a senator from Zamfara State,
approached him shortly after he bought the property in 2008 from the
administrators of late Sheik Mujaddadi, asking to buy it over from him
because it was built in an Islamic way.

He said the senator promised to give
him about 200 percent more than the cost he (Eyiboh) purchased the
property, located at 7, Iyamoye Close, Area11, Garki, but that he
refused to yield to his pressure because he had built the house to his
taste and it accommodates a chapel.

He added that Mr. Gusau, apparently
dissatisfied, went to Jigawa State and obtained a judgement from a
Sharia Court, which he took to an Upper Area Court, Gwagwalada, Abuja
for implementation, as part of his effort to dispossess him of the
property.

But Mr. Gusau denied the claim in a
telephone interview with journalists, saying he never met Mr. Eyiboh to
discuss how to buy over the property. Mr. Eyiboh, who brandished
documents with which he purchased the property, explained that he was
in the United States when his 20-year-old son sent him a text message
informing him that Mr. Gusau, accompanied by some policemen, had
invaded the property.

Insisting that he was not evicted, the
House spokesperson said his home was vandalised, though he is yet to
enter the property since he returned to Nigeria to take inventory of
the things taken away.

Mr. Eyiboh said he might file a suit
against Mr. Gusau for forcefully throwing out his movable properties
from the house while he was away.

He said the execution of the order was
a clear violation of the Law, as his property was vandalised, even when
he was not forewarned. He insisted that the house remained his, as long
as he was in possession of the Certificate of Occupancy and other
papers on the said property. The lawmaker also said his name was not
listed on the order of the Federal Capital Territory High Court on
which Mr. Gusau and the court bailiffs acted, and neither was he joined
in the Jigawa’s case.

He argued that even if he was joined in
the Jigawa suit, the Sharia Court in that state does not have
jurisdiction over Abuja matters.

The House spokesperson said that the
vandalisation of his property in the effort to force him and his family
out should attract the attention of the security services in the
country as well as the judiciary.

Relating to ‘small boy’

But Mr. Gusau insisted to journalists that he did not approach Mr. Eyiboh over the property.

“There was never a time I called him
(Eyiboh) for a meeting to say that I will pay him 200 percent of the
property’s price in order to sell it to me. I swear there was never a
time I did that.

“The issue is not a religious one. It
is about business and everybody has his money. Nigeria is one country
and Abuja is one. Both Christians and Muslims have the right to possess
any property. I think it is guilty conscience that is pricking him and
he has no basis for making that allegation.”

The senator explained that he bought
the house two months after he was sworn-in, “and I have all written
agreements for the transaction and I paid to three administrators of
the property who signed for me. But he (Eyoboh) said that only two
administrators signed for him and in Law, three is greater than two.
What he is saying does not make sense at all.”

On the vandalisation of Mr. Eyiboh’s
residence last Friday, Mr. Gusau said he was not in Abuja when the
policemen and court bailiffs went to the property.

“I did not lead the squad, go and ask the court. I don’t join issues
with Eyiboh because he is a small boy. I cannot disclose how much I
paid. If he claimed to have bought the house, he should produce all the
documents and receipts,” he said. “I paid to all the administrators and
agents in Jigawa and the money has been given to the owners of the
property.”

The Ondo State government has warned religious
organisations to desist from indiscriminate use of public address
systems or face stiff penalties.

The state commissioner for environment, Omolebi
Adepiti, gave the warning at a one-day interactive session with leaders
of religious groups, organised by the state chapter of the National
Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), in
Akure.

He said government would not hesitate to take
disciplinary action against any religion organisation which flaunts the
directive, once the ministry ends it campaign in December.

He noted that noise pollution in the state used to
be insignificant, “but with increase in our population now, it has
become a great nuisance.The state government decided to take such
action due to series of complaints received from the members of public
on a daily basis about people using industrial generators in
residential areas, without consideration for other people in the
neighbourhood,” he said.

“As government, we cannot continue to close our
ears to the complaints of the public and we are seriously working
towards addressing the issue.”

Review the laws

He lauded NESREA for its initiative in putting up
the campaign, stressing that the state government was also considering
holding a similar stakeholders’ meeting on various pollution issues.

“After the ministry has sensitised and educated
the public adequately, it will have no choice than to enforce the
provision of the law guiding noise pollution,” he said.

“Before the end of this year, we would have
completed the sensitisation and would surely be enforcing it.
Environmental laws in Ondo State is currently under review and I can
assure you that there is penalty for violators of this law.”

The Director General of NESREA, Ngeri Benebo, said the vision of the
agency was to ensure cleaner and healthier environments for Nigerians
and assured participants that the agency would continue to maintain
strong and credible enforcement activities in the country.

Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday
approved the composition of a new power reform structure as part of
efforts to transform the power sector and breathe fresh life into power
generation activities in the country.

The new structure is led by the Presidential Action
Committee on Power, chaired by the president and supported by a
Presidential Task Force on Power.

The Committee will provide leadership and guidance
for the development of the power sector, and determine the general
policy direction and strategic focus of the ongoing power reform. It
has the vice president, Namadi Sambo, as alternate chairman, and its
other members include: the Minister of State for Power, the Ministers
of Finance, National Planning and Petroleum Resources, the Secretary to
the Government of the Federation, the Head of Service, Governor of the
Central bank of Nigeria, a Special Adviser on Power and Chief of Staff
to the President.

The Presidential Task Force, on the other hand, is
charged with developing and driving the action plan for the nation’s
power sector with achievable targets within the life span of the
present administration.

It is also to articulate a proper plan of action for
implementation in the areas of power generation, transmission
distribution, as well as all issues regarding power sector reform. The
task force will report to the president and the Presidential Action
Committee on a regular basis.

Relevance of power ministry

Under the new arrangement, Ima Niboro, the media aide
to Mr Jonathan, said yesterday, the ministry of power will continue to
supervise the day-to-day affairs of the ministry and relevant agencies,
as well as fund the various projects approved in the 2010 budget.

“It will also provide a conducive environment for the
Presidential Taskforce to carry out its assignment. All requests for
the award of contracts for the consideration of the Federal Executive
Council are to be handled by the Ministry,” Mr Niboro said.

The Presidential Task Force is to be chaired by the Special Adviser to the President on Power.

Members include:

The Permanent Secretary (Ministry of Power)

Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum of Corporation (NNPC)

Managing Director, Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN)

Managing Director, Niger-Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC)

Director General, Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP)

Director General, Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE)

Accountant General of the Federation

Chief Executive, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)

CEOs of two power distribution companies

CEOs of two generating companies, and Director of Power in the Power Ministry

The Senior Special Assistant to the President (Special Projects) will serve as Member/Secretary

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP)
said it supports the chairman of the Electoral Reform Commission (ERC),
Muhammadu Uwais’ rejection of the method adopted by the government in
appointing Attahiru Jega as the new chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr. Uwais recently faulted the government for not
strictly following the recommendations of the ERC in nominating Mr.
Jega last week.

But the government, in a statement by the media aide
to President Goodluck Jonathan, Ima Niboro, said it followed extant
law, and not the Uwais Panel recommendations in making the law.

The CNPP, in a statement by its spokesperson, Osita
Okechukwu, on Tuesday, insisted that it is in support of Mr. Uwais,
since only the ERC recommendations could guarantee transparent polls in
the country.

“CNPP, for the umpteenth time, reaffirms that on the
Uwais Report we stand, and on any genuine attempt to reconstruct a
truly Independent National Electoral Commission, which consequently
will guarantee a free, fair, and transparent 2011 elections and
beyond,” the statement said.

The group added that the ERC report and its core
recommendations were borne out of national consensus, rated as a
guiding principle and an article of faith in any genuine attempt to
salvage Nigeria from poor electoral process. It added that the report
will restore the image of the country in the comity of nations and
reinvent the standard and quality of its election.

“CNPP is outraged that President Goodluck Jonathan
and his cabal can now conveniently pull a volte-face and join
anti-democrats in revoking the Uwais Report. For it was convenient to
promise to implement the Uwais Report during the hectic route to become
an Acting President, and abandon it as a substantive president. It is
the height of paradox on the part of President Jonathan.

“CNPP, in league with Justice Uwais and other
democrats, are of the candid view that President Jonathan can amend the
constitution under one month if he places national interest above self
interest to contest the 2011 elections.”

The group recalled it had severally called on Mr.
Jonathan to submit an executive bill, in accordance with the three
bills in the Uwais Report as a change agent which he proclaims himself
to be, noting “rather, what we have today as the First Amendment is
nothing but self glorification, with neither electoral reformn or
restructuring of the federation addressed.”

Working with the law

It said that Mr. Jega and the other democrats among
President Jonathan’s nominees could still have emerged, had the
template of the Uwais Report recommendations been adopted.

“Today, unfortunately, Mr. Jega has inherited an
excess baggage which includes the remnants of Professor Maurice Iwu’s
henchmen in the new INEC.”

The CNPP challenged Mr. Jonathan to muster the
political will to harvest the legacy which genuine electoral reform, in
accordance with the Uwais Report, will bequeath on the nation and
himself, noting that this could be done before the amendment is
concluded by the legislature.

However, Mr. Niboro explained that Mr. Jonathan was
moved to act in the appointment of the INEC officials as a result of
the shortness of time.

“No matter how we feel about the reforms, the law is
the law, and Justice Uwais probably knows this more than the rest of
us. For now, the law in place mandates the President to nominate the
Chairman and members of the electoral commission, along with state
chairmen of INEC, present them to the National Council of State, which
is advisory, and send to the Senate for screening,” he said.

“This is exactly what the President has done. The recommendations of
the Uwais panel, no matter how well meaning, remain recommendations
until they are passed into law by the National Assembly.”

An Abuja-based lawyer and human rights activist, Nkereuwem Udofia Akpan has dragged the Speaker of the House of Representatives,

Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Usman
Nafada to a Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly inflating the
cost of 380 units of Peugeot 407, two years ago. Mr Akpan is also
asking that Messrs Bankole and Nafada should be investigated by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent
Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) over the transaction valued at N2.3
billion.

Joined as defendants in the suit no
FHC/ABJ/CS/409/2010, instituted on Monday, are the Office of the
Speaker, Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria Limited, Inspector General of
Police, Attorney General of the Federation, and Federal Inland Revenue
Service.

The suit was instituted barely 24 hours after Mr Bankole claimed there was no underhand deal in the transaction.

The chief press secretary to Mr
Bankole, Idowu Bakare, however told journalists that the Speaker has no
problem whatsoever with Mr Akpan going to court.

“The only concern now is the
orchestrated blackmail targeted at the EFCC by these desperados, but
they will surely fail,” he said. Mr Akpan, in the sworn affidavit,
sought a declaration that the purchase of the cars to the tune
N2,359,486,500 by the House was riddled with corruption and unbridled
gratification and it was done without lawful authority, illegal, void
and fraudulent. He also sought a declaration that the transaction was
not only irresponsible, fraudulent and an abuse of power by Mr Bankole
but that a whopping N421,486,500.00 of tax payers money remains
unaccounted for.

He said that out of the contract sum, a
total of N117,974,325.00 was paid as Value Added Tax (VAT) on the
contract, and that the subsequent direct payment of a further sum of
N117,974,325.00 to FIRS by the House was fraudulent and unlawful.

Mr Akpan, therefore, sought an order of
mandamus directing Mr Bankole and the PAN management to refund
N421,486,500.00 being the difference in value from the said transaction
(with interests at the going market rate) to the coffers of the Federal
Government of Nigeria within 7 days).

He also sought for an order of mandamus
directing the Speaker, his deputy and the FIRS to account for the
N117,974,325 besides refunding the N421,486,500.00 to government’s
coffers.

The lawyer further contended that the
refusal or reluctance by the EFCC and the attorney general to prosecute
Mressrs Bankole and Nafada “for this fraudulent, sordid and
unprecedented abuse of power is unlawful.” According to him, there is
nothing in the EFCC Act, 2004 that requires the Commission to submit
investigation activities to the Presidency for “approval” as its
chairman, Farida Waziri recently claimed.

He also claimed that there is nothing
in the 1999 Constitution, the House of Representatives Rules and/or any
other law, for the time being, in force empowering the Mr Bankole as a
person, the Speaker and his deputy “to embark on this sordid and
fraudulent abuse of office, power and privilege.” He, therefore, sought
an order of mandamus directing the EFCC to, without delay, commence
legal proceedings based on its investigation report on the N2.3 billion
car scam.

Call for joint investigation

The legal practitioner also asked that
the Inspector General of Police, ICPC and the EFCC to jointly
investigate and possibly prosecute the Speaker, his deputy and the PAN
over the transaction.

Mr Akpan also demanded an apology, in a
form acceptable to him, to be published in 10 national newspapers by
Messrs Bankole and Nafada “for this massive and gross breach of duty,
fraud and abuse of power.” He claimed that, at the risk of sounding
immodest, he has been a patriotic and vociferous commentator on public
issues and a critic of national acclaim on matters affecting the peace,
order and good government of the country.

According to him, the disturbing media
reports on the vehicle transaction in the House galvanised him to
undertake some investigation and gathering of facts and documents.

The suit was instituted the same day Mr
Bankole denied any wrong doing in the N2.3 billion car deal. The
Speaker, who was on his way to Russia had told reporters that he
couldn’t have been involved in the scam having been aware that his
predecessor, Patricia Etteh was removed for allegedly inflating the
contract sum to renovate the official residence of the Speaker and her
deputy.

Mr Bankole also said he was not
bothered about the seven days ultimatum given to him by 10 members of
the House to resign from office or be disgraced out of office. He
challenged the lawmakers, who called themselves “progressive members”
to make public the documents they claimed to have relating to his
(Speakers) involvement in shady deals, including the car scandal.

Mr Akpan is the second lawyer to take
action over the N2.3 billion car transaction. On October 19, 2008,
Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo also wrote Mr Bankole asking him to explain
within 72 hours the alleged inflation in the cost of the 308 vehicles
to N539,46 million, out of which N117.97 million accounted for the
Value Added Tax (VAT). Mr Keyamo subsequently appeared before the
Ethics and Privileges Committee of the House, which probed the
allegation. The committee, in its report absolved the Speaker and the
House leadership of any blame.

Meanwhile, leader of the progressive members, Dino Melaye said the
group of 10 lawmakers will today address journalists on their quest to
have Mr Bankole resign from office. He refused to speak further on what
the group will do since the Speaker refused to quit, saying “wait till
tomorrow”

The
National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has reviewed the
curricula and course specification for several programmes at National
Diploma, Higher National Diploma and professional post-HND levels, the
board’s acting secretary, Ade Ojo Aimola, has said yesterday in Akure.

Mr Aimola, who
spoke at a workshop on technical education, said the board decided to
review course specification covering engineering, environmental
studies, business and related studies in the nation’s 278 polytechnics,
in order to keep abreast with modern day development in the fields. He,
however, said the board was worried about obsolete nature of curricula
in technical and vocational schools across the country, saying NBTE
would soon begin the review of curricula for technical schools and
colleges in the country as well.

“The review became
imperative because the last review of the curricula was last done in
2002,” he said, adding that the federal ministry of education, NBTE,
and African Development Bank also intended to evaluate and fill the
identified gaps in the selected curricula to meet national development
goals, as identified by Africa Development Fund in 2009. Some of the
courses to be affected, according to him, included Electrical
Installation, Radio and Television Work, Computer Studies, English,
Mathematics, Technical Drawing, Entrepreneurship, and Information and
Communication Technology.

The NBTE and other
stakeholders in technical education, including the federal government,
had invited experts to Akure, the Ondo State capital, to brainstorm on
what are those things to be put in the curricula that would bring them
up to date to meet the needs of more recent technologies.

The Director of
NBTE, James Aboi said the skills training and vocational education
institutions were created with the goal of poverty reduction and its
subsequent eradication in the country.

Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, has presented a
cheque of N20m to the Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, for the
reconstruction of her burnt dormitories.

The governor, who presented the cheque to the
college authorities during a visit to the school, said his
administration was working towards making the state reference point in
the country. He challenged the students to remain good citizens, and
asked them to always support and pray for the government. He stressed
his readiness to solve their pressing needs and commended them for
maintaining a clean environment.

Mr. Obi announced that the school had been
selected to host the state’s Microsoft Academy, and the government
would soon provide the school with laptop computers after training
teachers on their use. He also promised a utility bus to the school,
and mandated the commissioner for environment to visit the erosion site
threatening the college for urgent intervention.

The principal of the college, Ngozi Ekwenibe,
described the governor as education-friendly, and pointed out that the
school had benefited immensely from his government. She listed the
renovation of science laboratories, supply of science equipment, a
generator set, bore holes, computers, construction of toilets, and the
computer academy as some of the contributions of the governor to the
school. Mrs Ekwenibe thanked the governor for promising a school bus,
as well as provision of adequate personnel to enhance effective
teaching and learning in the school.

The National
Directorate of Employment (NDE), Oyo State branch, on Monday, urged
various establishments to stop the distribution of motorcycles to
youths.

Some establishments
distribute motorcycles to youths, as part of efforts to alleviate
poverty among Nigerians. But Martins Ola, the Oyo State Coordinator of
NDE, said such organisations should instead, encourage the youth to
learn a trade.

He said, during an
interview with journalists in Ibadan, that encouraging the youth to
learn a trade would make them to be self-employed, and enable them to
offer employment to others; rather than operate okada business as a
means of livelihood, as it is not a job that can last long.