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The federal
government yesterday reiterated its claim that the nation can achieve
the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with proper coordination.

Senior Adviser to
the President on MDGs, Amina Ibrahim, spoke following the presentation
of the 4th quarter 2009, and 1st quarter 2010 report on MDGs by the
Presidential Committee on Assessment and Monitoring of MDGs.

Mrs. Ibrahim said
the nation has improved in three main sectors, namely health, education
and water and that about N112 billion invested in the 2009 budget in
those areas have yielded fruit.

“Going by the
recorded success, we believe we can reach the MDGs by 2015 but the
three tiers of government have to come together,” she said, noting that
of the N112 billion budget expenditure, health took about 35%, 23% went
to education and 25% to water.

“These are all areas that are reflective of the challenges we have in the MDGs.”

Documentation problems

The country is
actually making progress in the nine MDGs, said Mrs. Ibrahim, but the
agencies are grappling with the issue of documentation.

To address the
situation, she said the acting president directed that all agencies
involved in the implementation of the MDGs should “harmonise and get a
dateline data this year.”

“Data is a huge
challenge to us. If you ask now for the data of the success recorded we
will find it difficult and it is a very big challenge to us,” the
presidential aide added.

She said the
country is making progress, but it is not enough. The nation, will
“have to triple and quadruple” its progress in the next five years. She
did note that some initiatives have been thriving.

“The most successful intervention that we had, I think, can be that
of the governors, the conditional grant scheme. In 2009, 31 states
benefited from that.”

Thousands of job
seekers yesterday besieged the Ogun State office of the Independent
National Electoral Commission {INEC} to fill vacancies for which their
numbers vastly outnumbered.

The applicants, who
had earlier applied online, are seeking for employment as Legal
Officers, Executive Officers, Data Operators and Store Officers.

On arrival at the
Oke-Mosan office of the Commission, the applicants, who were locked
outside the gate of the commission to prevent them from bombarding the
premises, had to embark on what was described as general registration,
whereby they {applicants} registered their identities before they were
called in a batch for interview.

The job seekers include graduates of National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Bsc. holders.

Some nursing
mothers were not left out, as they were seen with their babies under
the scorching sun, waiting for their turn for the interview.

Attempts to speak with the commission’s management proved abortive,
as they were said to be busy. But most of the applicants who spoke on
condition of anonymity said their fear was that the exercise may be
reduced to ‘who knows who.’ “Some of us just came to try our luck, we
don’t have any godfather except God, and with God all things are
possible, so we should not lose all hope,” one of the applicants said.
But talking seriously, one should not be 100 percent optimistic,
because those who will be employed may likely have had their names
pencilled down already.”

After several
minutes of recounting Nigeria’s political and economic travails, the
president of the Senate, David Mark, on his birthday, said he is
confident that “God will intervene in a positive way.”

Mr. Mark, who
turned 62 on Thursday, spoke in an early-morning prayer session at St.
Mulumba Catholic Chapel, Apo, Abuja. He said that regardless of the
challenges and difficulties Nigeria faces presently, “I am hopeful that
God will see us through”.

Prayer for leaders

Mr. Mark called on Nigerians to continue to pray for the nation and its leaders in order to overcome its challenges.

“There is no gift
that is bigger than the gift of prayers,” Mr. Mark said. “Politicians
go through a lot of temptations, countless in number, it is only
through our support, fasting and prayers that they can survive and
triumph.

“I am certain that
our prayers for the country and our leaders during the Easter
celebration will not go in vain to seeing Nigeria through.

“All we need as a nation is prayers that God in His infinite mercy should help our land”.

The Senate
president noted the temptations leaders in Nigeria face by the day and
concluded that only supplication to God could see them through.

Mr. Mark has often,
at most public religious events, requested for prayers from Nigerians
for either ailing President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua or the unsettled
political balance in Nigeria.

Guests pray

Scores of
politicians including Maurice Iwu, chairman of the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) and the newly-appointed ministers attended
the early-morning prayer session.

In the homily, Rev.
Jerome Bello urged Nigerians to have faith and believe in the country
as a way to invoke God’s intervention on every aspect of the nation’s
plight.

“God wants us to
demonstrate our faith for our miracles to happen,” said Mr. Bello. “We
should also believe in ourselves to overcome any obstacles on our ways.
Miracles are not automatic, it happens when we play our own part of
faith.”

Mr. Bello and guests offered prayers for a democratic stability in the country and for wisdom for leaders.

Staff and students
of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, on Thursday, again called
for the release of the report of the visitation panel set up by the
Lagos State government to look into the crisis in the university.

The report, which
would determine if the estranged Vice Chancellor (VC) of the school,
Lateef Hussain, would be retained, was due to be released by the end of
January, 2010. It is yet to be released two months after the deadline.

“We know that the
members of the panel are men and women of integrity, but the report is
taking too long. The delay is already affecting the institution in so
many ways. It is affecting so many people because nothing is moving in
the school again. So many things have been paralysed; even the signing
of certificates for graduating students has ceased. That is why the
report should come out on time. We are restive; we are agitating for
the result,” said the chairperson of the school’s chapter of Senior
Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Funmi Sessi.

The situation in
the school, as confirmed by a staff in the VC’s office, who wanted
anonymity, is that Mr. Hussain has stopped signing school cheques and
students’ certificates since he came under investigation.

“Everything has come to a standstill; even the Social Sciences building construction has stopped since,” said the official.

Following a crisis
that left the school closed for four months, the State Executive
Council appointed a visitation panel for the purpose of hearing the
issues in the dispute. Both the student and staff unions of the school
had called for the removal of Mr. Hussain as the Vice Chancellor.

He was accused of fraud, intimidation, victimisation of staff and students, and “blatant display of arrogance”, amongst others.

Some of the staff and students have also accused the state government of playing politics with the school crisis.

“We believe that
justice delayed is justice denied,” said Senapon Ajasa, the student
union parliament speaker. “If the visitation panel wants to be fair and
just, then the report should be released on time. If he (Mr. Hussain)
is going to be vindicated or if he is going to be found guilty, let us
know on time. It is important to us.

“Is it until the VC
completes his tenure that the result will be released that he is found
guilty? He asked. “If he is guilty, let us know now because a guilty
person should not continue to remain in the office.”

“The students are
now sure that there is political undertone to the issue, because the
report is taking too long to come out,” said Ibrahim Bello, a student
and former press secretary of LASU chapter of National Association of
Nigerian Students (NANS).

Attempts to reach any member of the visitation panel since its inauguration have been unsuccessful.

Nigerians need to
hold their leaders accountable if the nation is to develop, the
chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),
Farida Waziri, has said.

Mrs Waziri, who
received a delegation of the National Association of Nigerian Students
led by its president, Imagwe Jude Gabriel, at the commission’s office
yesterday, said it is the responsibility of citizens to ask relevant
questions and hold those that govern them accountable.

She attributed many of the problems the country is facing to corruption, which she said must be shunned by the youth.

While acknowledging
the role of young people in the anti- corruption war, Mrs. Waziri
lamented that the country still grapples with intractable problems such
as power outage and fuel shortage.

“Let me remind you
that as youths and future leaders, Nigeria’s hope of a better tomorrow
lies in you because quite a large number of our present leaders have
failed the nation,” she said.

She also called on
the student leaders to mobilise their peers to join the Anti-Corruption
Revolution Campaign, saying this would lend support to Acting President
Goodluck Jonathan’s commitment to the fight against graft.

The EFCC
chairperson berated those she called ‘arm-chair critics’, who, she
said, rather than contribute to nation building, find succour in
condemning those who do so.

She vowed to continue doing her job despite the recent spate of attacks on operatives of the commission.

“Even if they kill
all of us, the war shall continue. We shall continue to investigate and
prosecute corrupt elements in our midst; we shall continue to ask for
special court, asset forfeiture bill, anti- terrorism bill,” she said.

Mr. Imagwe, the
leader of the association, said it is unfortunate that Nigerians have
failed to identify with people who have excelled.

He called for a
closer relationship between students and the EFCC and demanded the
commission’s intervention in the education sector, which, he said, has
deteriorated badly.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal trying
Nuhu Ribadu, former chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), for asset declaration-related offences, has
postponed Mr. Ribadu’s official pardon by seven days.

The tribunal, in its resumed sitting in
Abuja on Thursday, said it will now sit on April 15, 2010, to deliver
its verdict on the federal government’s intention to discontinue the
case initiated against Mr. Ribadu. However, the conclusion of the
processes of documentation needed to get the suit properly terminated
is what the tribunal was supposed to initiate on Thursday.

The special assistant to the
Attorney-General of the Federation on Litigation, J.O. Olatoke, had on
March 31, revealed the intention of the federal government to withdraw
the four-count criminal charge against Mr. Ribadu. He had argued that
the 1999 Constitution gives the attorney general ‘Nolle Prosequi’ – the
power to discontinue such criminal prosecution – at any stage of the
case. He also told the court that it was within the prerogative of the
attorney general to decide the cases he wants to prosecute.

Minister’s involvement

According to court officials who sought
anonymity, the turn of events on Thursday may be connected with the
recent redeployment of ministers at the Justice Ministry. Adetokumbo
Kayode, the former attorney general of the federation, who suggested
that the case be withdrawn, was redeployed to the Ministry of Defence
in the recent reformation of the Executive Council of the Federation.
Mr. Kayode reviewed the case against Mr. Ribadu shortly after he
replaced Micheal Aaondoaka, and directed that it should be withdrawn
immediately.

Mohammed Bello Adoke, another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, replaced him as the new attorney general.

Ribadu’s Return

When asked for his reaction, counsel to
Mr. Ribadu, Femi Falana said, “I have no problem with it.” Mr. Ribadu
is being prosecuted at the Tribunal for allegedly refusing to disclose
his assets, according to constitutional provisions, while he was
chairman of the EFCC, in what many believe is a politically motivated
case to smear his name. Mr. Ribadu did not appear before the Tribunal
and this made it to declare him wanted on November 20, 2009. The former
anti-corruption boss however, denies the charges, saying he declared
his assets as at when due.

“I assert that there is no substance to
this case; that my assets were (not) declared. How could I have been
confirmed for my position in 2003 if I did not submit an asset
declaration form to the Senate, as all officers needing Senate
confirmation are obligated to do?” Mr. Ribadu had told NEXT.

The federal government had last week
indicated its willingness to drop the charges against Mr. Ribadu, as
exclusively reported by NEXT, and he has agreed to accept the position
of Special Adviser on anti-corruption and good governance to Acting
President, Goodluck Jonathan. His new designation will be to supervise
the nation’s anti-corruption agencies, which includes his former
agency, the EFCC; the Code of Conduct Tribunal; and the Independent
Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

Mr. Ribadu is at present concluding his fellowship at the Centre for Global Development in Washington, USA.

The Federal Civil
Service Commission (FCSC) has commenced interviews and examinations for
the promotion of civil servants to the level of directors.

An investigation by
NEXT reveals that the interviews are meant for officers due for
promotion to salary grade levels 15 to 17 in all sections of the Civil
Service as of January 1, 2009, to January 1, 2010.

The commission
issued a circular to the relevant officers, including the principal
secretary to the president and the acting president, the secretary to
the government of the federation, the head of the civil service of the
federation, all permanent secretaries, the auditor-general of the
federation, the accountant-general of the federation, the
surveyor-general of the federation, and all heads of extra- ministerial
departments, acquainting them of the promotion exercise.

Stringent requirements

The circular
directed that the eligible officers in the ministries, departments and
agencies (MDAs) have to submit separate briefs for each of the two
years in question.

Officers on salary
grade level 14 must have spent a minimum of three years at their
current grade level and must have had their last promotion on or before
January 1, 2006, for those who are due for promotion in 2009. Eligible
officers on salary grade level 15 and 16 must have spent a minimum of
four years at their current grade levels, and must have had their last
promotion on or before January 1, 2005, for 2009 and January 1, 2006,
for 2010.

The commission required that qualified candidates should submit an Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APERS).

“It should be
clearly noted that the suppression or non-disclosure of information in
respect of officers under disciplinary action or pending regularisation
will attract sanction from the FCSC.”

The circular
further warned all MDAs to comply with the guidelines and rules on
promotions and urged them to bring the content of the circulars, and
other related items, to the attention of their staff, including those
on duty posts outside the country.

All MDAs are also directed to submit their returns on vacancies for 2009 and 2010 separately to the commissions for action.

An enlarged stakeholders’ forum of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state on Thursday endorsed the
state governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, as candidate f the party in the
2011 governorship election.

The forum held a meeting at the Banquet
hall of the Government House Ibadan, but, for the umpteenth time, most
aggrieved members of the party were conspicuously absent at the meeting
and no formal reasons were given for their absence.

The likes of Lekan Balogun, Rashidi
ladoja, Yekeen Adeojo and Wole Oyelese, who have distanced themselves
from the state party hierarchy and keep agitating for a complete
departure from the legacies of the late Lamidi Adedibu within the
party, refused to show up at the meeting yesterday.

Loud silence

Unlike the one held last week, where it
was announced that all the absentees sent messages to explain the
reasons for not coming, the forum could not give any defence for the
absence of the main aggrieved members yesterday.

Their loud absence ignited open disagreement among the attendees of the meeting.

For instance, Victor Omololu Olunloyo,
former governor of the state, said the governor and his caucus have not
done enough to effectively woo the aggrieved members back to the fold,
urging more action in that direction.

But Richard Akinjide, former Minister
of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, disagreed with him
and said the governor had done more than enough to bring the aggrieved
members back, saying “there is limit to every patience”.

“The governor had bent backward to
accommodate them, we have begged them both in the open and in secret,
we have offered them money also in the secret and in the open, yet,
they have refused to be appeased. If I were the governor, I could not
have done what the governor did,” Akinjide offered as explanation of
the extent the governor has gone to win them back.

Unanimous adoption

The former chief legal officer of
Nigeria said the structure of the party empowers only the National
Vice-Chairmen of each geopolitical zone to look into issues within
their zones, and that in the case of the South-West, the leader so
empowered is based in Osogbo. He is to look into every issue concerning
the party in the zone, including Oyo State.

“If anybody feels he knows the Acting
Vice-President and runs to Abuja for issues to be handled in the zone,
we will let the people know that they don’t know him more than the rest
of us” he said.

Mr. Akinjide, who gave the welcome
address, told the gathering that the Elders’ Forum had summoned the
meeting to feed the people back on the decisions taken at the maiden
meeting of the forum held last week.

Gbenga Babalola, the senator
representing Oyo North Senatorial District at the National Assembly,
read out the communiqué of the closed door meeting. He informed that
the stakeholders unanimously adopted the candidature of the incumbent
for the 2011 governorship election.

Mr. Babalola, however, said the adoption is not ruling out the party
primary for interested candidates for the contest within the party. He
stressed the party will still make it open when the time comes, but
that the stakeholders, about 400 in number, would cast their votes for
Alao-Akala at the primary election.

As the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
prepares for the April 10 elections in its six area councils, the
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps yesterday said that it will
deploy 10,000 officers for an effective security coverage of the
election.

The agency’s boss, Ade Abolurin,
stressed the need for ensuring a violence-free election through the
provision of adequate security within and around various polling
centres. He said the deployment was part of his organisation’s
preparation for the coming polls and the protection of INEC officials
and voters.

He said that intelligence officers have
been informed of groups that are planning to cause chaos by hiring
thugs and hoodlums from neighbouring states to unleash terror on their
political opponents and truncate the electoral process.

Mr. Abolurin reiterated that machineries have been put in place to ensure that the political thugs and hoodlums are checkmated.

The official said officers have been
drafted from neighbouring states’ commands to beef up security within
the Federal Capital Territory.

He said that anyone found fomenting
violence would be brought to book under the full weight of the law to
serve as deterrence to others.

‘Do-or-die affair’

A statement by the corps’ public
relation officer, Emmanuel Okeh, advised politicians to embrace the
spirit of sportsmanship and not make the elections a “do-or-die affair”
where violence, arson, kidnapping, hijacking of ballot boxes, rigging
or assassination is the order of the day.

“There should be fair play and
transparency and a display of good conduct by the various party
supporters and the candidates, such that the election will be seen by
all and sundry, especially the internationals observers and other
election monitoring groups, as credible,” the statement read.

“Judging by the current political
climate in the country, the elections would be used as a model to judge
the expectation of Nigerians for the 2011 election. The country cannot
afford to entertain any political disaster at this critical period in
our nation’s history.”

The Independent
Corrupt Practices Commission announced Thursday that its operatives
have arrested the Chairman of Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun
State, Tele Ogunjobi, on allegations of fraud that is rocking the
council.

The commission said
the council boss, who is currently held in Abuja, allegedly took loans
totalling N45 million from Skye Bank on behalf of the council and
diverted same to personal use.

The council
chairman, according to the ICPC consultant on media and public affairs,
Folu Olamiti, also stand accused of using the loan to pay Christmas and
Sallah bonuses to fictitious personalities in the council.

In the course of
investigation, several officials of the council, namely Folarin E. O.
(Director Finance & Supplies), Ayo Olawole (Director, General
Service and Administration), O. A. Osiyale (Former Head of Works) and
K. O. Popoola (Present Head of Works) were arrested and interrogated.

Though the Chairman
is still being held in the commission’s custody, the other council
officials have been released on bail while investigation into the
matter is progressing.

The Commission also declared yesterday that its pursuit against corruption will be independent of government’s political will.

The ICPC and its
sister commission, the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),
have been accused of slowing the momentum of the nation’s
anti-corruption campaign in the past three years.

Collaboration with grassroots

But Emmanuel
Ayoola, who heads the ICPC, said on Thursday that the commission, in
the face of dwindling funding, will collaborate with civil society to
raise its campaign against corruption with or without the political
will of the government.

“The fight against
corruption can only be durable only if funding comes away from the
political sector and the government base,” he told dozens of
non-governmental organisations at a meeting yesterday. “We are
determined that whether there is political will or not, the fight
against corruption must continue.”

The NGOs, under the
National Anti-Corruption Coalition, have agreed to collaborate with the
ICPC in the corruption war. The cooperation, the ICPC says, is to reach
the grassroots and help focus attention on areas where the commission
cannot reach.

“There is no way
the ICPC can spread around the 36 states of the 774 local governments
across the country,” Mr. Ayoola told the groups. “You can assist the
commission with project monitoring, membership drive and capacity
building.”