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The minister of state for foreign
affairs, Idi Hong, said on Sunday that Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, currently
in a London hospital, was no longer “in grievous danger.” “With the
state in which I have seen him, not as a minister now, but also as
somebody with a background of medicine, I think he is stable. “He is
not in any serious or grievous danger because the care is up to
standard,” Mr. Hong told the Europe correspondent of the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) in London after visiting Mr. Ojukwu. “With the statistics
and figures I have seen so far, I think we will say that he is really
improving.

The vital statistics of the human person is within the
normal range and very soon he will recover,” he added. Mr. Hong,
accompanied by Nigeria’s acting High Commissioner to the UK, Dozie
Nwanna, had earlier delivered a special message from President Goodluck
Jonathan to Bianca, Ojukwu’s wife. Mr. Ojukwu was flown to London after
spending three days in the intensive care unit of the University of
Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, after he suffered a stroke.

Mrs.
Ojukwu, who described Mr. Jonathan as a great leader, expressed
gratitude for the message, saying: “It is a sign of a great leader with
a great deal of empathy not just for a single individual but for the
people he seeks to lead,” she said.

An emergency
meeting of security chiefs was held yesterday behind closed doors in
Abuja. The meeting, which was presided over by President Goodluck
Jonathan, was summoned to deliberate over the spate of bombings and
security breaches across the country.

A source said the
president ordered the security chiefs to discuss and find how to bring
the violence that has become common across the country under control.

It was gathered
that the president expressed concern that security has become a
challenge, thus leading to loss of lives and raising fears over the
elections coming up in April.

On the eve of
Christmas, series of bombs exploded in different areas of Jos leading
to the death of over 80 people, while another exploded at a People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) rally in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State. On December 31,
there was a bomb explosion at the Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja, killing
four persons while several others were injured.

Terrorism adviser to be named

At the end of the
emergency security meeting yesterday, it was announced that an adviser
to the president is to be named in the next one week. Although the name
of the adviser was not revealed, it was gathered that the announcement
was delayed because of the need to make some consultations and carry
out some security checks on the appointee.

The Federal Capital
Territory (FCT) had in 2008 installed CCTV in some strategic areas in
Abuja and its environs. However, the functionality of these gadgets has
come under question in view of recent events.

Briefing
journalists after the meeting, the special adviser to the president on
media and publicity, Ima Niboro, said, “The president convened an
emergency meeting of the National Security Council to address the state
of security in the country. The meeting also reviewed the bomb incident
of New Year’s eve and condemned them as an act of terror. Mr. President
in the next one week is to appoint a special adviser on terrorism.

“Mr. President will
work with the National Assembly to ensure the speedy passage of the
anti-terrorism bill. Government will also introduce CCTVs in public
places for access control. Regulations are also underway for the access
control for both public and private establishments.”

He disclosed that a
presidential committee on the control of explosive and other incendiary
materials will also be set up as well as a committee on public
enlightenment on general security awareness amongst citizens.

In the build up to
the elections, Mr. Niboro said “the police have been directed to ensure
the prompt arrest and prosecution or political thugs,” adding that “all
armouries licenced by the police are to be further inspected to
regulate how the materials are imported and used in Nigeria.”

Those present at
the emergency security meeting, which was chaired by the president
include: the minister of defence, Adetokunbo Kayode; the minister of
interior, Emmanuel Iheanacho; the minister of police affairs, Humphrey
Abba; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed;
Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadomhe; director general of State Security
Service, Ekpenyong Ita; National Security Adviser, Andrew Azazi; Chief
of Defence Staff, Oluseye Petirin; the Chief of Air Staff, Dikko Umar;
Chief of Naval Staff, Ola Ibrahim; Chief of Army Staff, Azubike
Ihejirika; and Hafiz Ringim, the Inspector General of Police.

The recently
reached truce between the two factions of the Enugu state People’s
Democratic Party will be put to test as the party will later today
elect its flag bearers for the Enugu State House of Assembly election
at a party primaries.

The deal was
reached between the two factions; Sullivan Chime’s, the governor and
Okwesilieze Nwodo’s, the party’s national chairman in Abuja,last week
Tuesday at a peace meeting mediated by President Goodluck Jonathan and
his Vice.Both factions reached a power sharing deal which gave Mr Nwodo
some level of influence in the state’s party executive while letting
the governor hold the major control. The one week old peace may,
however,collapse today as its foundation will be tested by the outcome
of the congress.

NEXT gathered that
though the governor’s faction retained the chairmanship of the party,it
also plans to ensure that most of the candidates emerge from its camp.
The governor’s faction controls most of the current political office
holders in the state including the deputy Senate President, Ike
Ekweremadu and the Senate spokesman, Ayogu Eze.

While the leading
faction favour a “return to office” (continuity) policy that guarantees
a return ticket for most members of the faction, Mr Nwodo’s faction
wants the primaries open to all interested aspirants,apparently to
inject new loyalists into the state power brokers’ cadre.“If any of the
factions accepts defeat, then there will be peace in the party, but
that will be difficult,” Clement Ogbonna, a neutral member of the party
said.

Controlled democracy

Mr Ogbonna said
although the governor has warmed himself into the hearts of the people
since 2007, he is still finding it difficult to hold sway with
emergence of Mr Nwodo as the party’s national chairman and his
subsequent increasing interest in the state’s party politics.

“You don’t expect to have a party national chairman from your state and he will not have any say in the party,” Mr Ogbonna said.

Patrick Eze, a
member of Make Your Votes Count, an NGO advocating for true democracy
in the state, however said the power tussle in the state is an
indication that the party is still very far from practicing internal
democracy and that PDP still practices godfatherism.

“If at all there is
voting in the congress, the delegates can only vote those either
faction have approved and that way, we still can’t get the best hands
in government,” Mr Eze said.

Preliminary analysis have shown that the
explosives used in October 1 twin bombings in Abuja are similar to those that
exploded in the Niger Delta, while the one that exploded at the Abacha Barracks
in Abuja yesterday is similar to the ones that exploded in Jos, President
Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday in Abuja.
Though investigations are still going on, the president noted that the Abuja
bombing had the characteristics of the ones that exploded in Jos last week.
“The preliminary analysis of the explosives so far used in Nigeria,the one
used in the 1st October explosion has the same characteristics with the ones
that happened in Port Harcourt, Warri and some parts of the Niger Delta, it has
been classified. The one that happened yesterday, from preliminary analysis, is
identical with the ones that happened in Jos. So there are two routes, so as
long as the security operatives know where the two routes are, we will get to
where these things are coming from,” Mr Jonathan said.
Speaking at the New Year service of the Evangelical Church of West Africa
(ECWA), Mr. Jonathan said Nigerians must learn to move their country forward
rather than destroy or stagnate it through terrorism.
He noted that there are two things which have become very important and
noticeable around the world today, technology and terrorism. He said countries
that are succeeding do not have their citizens indulging in terrorism.

“In terrorism, the instruments they use is that of technology butinstead of
using their scientific knowledge to climb, some people use it to drag their
nations backward. If you look at nations that are developing, you talk of
Brazil, those that were close to us during independence – India, Singapore,
Malaysia, China, those that are developed United States, their citizens are not
involved in terrorists attacks.
“They are moving their nations forward. But the demons who do not like good
things, if a country wants to move forward and they look for a way to push you
backwards and that is what we as a nation are experiencing,” he said.

He further urged Nigerians to be calm and see this as a challenge that will be
conquered.
“If you look at the journey of the Isrealites to go to the promised land, it
was tortuous, a number of them even died along the way. We must have
challenges. It was Bongos Ikwe who sang that ‘nothing good come easy, this I
know’.
“So nothing good will come so easily to us. For us to get where we want to
go as a nation, we will have our obstacles. These explosives and explosions are
part of the road bumps that are being placed but God will see us through. They
will never stop Nigeria from where we are going to. We must work and produce a
country for our children, a country where there will be no space for
terrorists, a country where there will no bombers and people with explosives to
deter us,” Mr. Jonathan said. “I urge Christians to continue to pray that
some of these people will even confess to Nigerians that at the appropriate
time they will tell us that they are behind this. But for now, the security
people are on it and they will get to the root of this matter. We will get to
the root of the car bombs that started in Niger Delta and crept into Abuja and
this one too that started in Jos and crept into Abuja.”

Sons of demons

Condemning Mogadishu Barracks bombings, Mr. Jonathan said he wondered what kind
of a person will plant bombs that will kill children.
“I saw on television, because I am yet to visit the victims, images of a very
young child. I’m sure most of you must have seen it. As I came into the church
and saw some of the young children, I wondered how somebody will plant an
explosive that will kill any of these children under 10. What kind of person do
you think that person is?

“Some people say they are politicians, some say they are religious
fanatics, but to me they are pure criminals. They are ones demons are using
these days not only in Nigeria. For those of you who have time to listen to
world news on Aljazeera or CNN, you will see that terrorism is criss-crossing
the whole world.”

What is the idea behind your campaign slogan, “Has Your Life Really Changed?”

After the 2007
elections, I completely withdrew from the public eye and embarked on a
personal quest that entailed traversing the length and breadth of the
great state of Lagos. In July 2010, I decided to put together a team of
young professionals to help collate data, conduct research, and analyse
the effect of the government’s policies on the everyday Lagosians. This
gave rise to the idea of asking Lagosians the most novel of questions:
“Has Your Life Really Changed?”

Interestingly, we
observed that the responses by Lagosians were relatively similar,
by-and-large. On a superficial level, they felt that the administration
was performing well, as it had beautified some parts of Lagos,
integrated the BRT buses, and fixed a number of high-brow roads.

However, when we
asked for success stories in their individual lives and local
communities – stories of how the state government had equipped,
empowered and impacted families in ways that led them to be more
prosperous – our inquires only drew blank stares and general platitudes.

We finally decided
to open the debate up online (on my website www.hasyourlifechanged.com
and on my personal Facebook page). We also put up billboards and
posters all across Lagos to pursue a more aggressive strategy in
getting Lagosians to open up about the challenges they faced on a daily
basis by uploading pictures, videos, and comments about the positive
and negative effects the administration has had on their lives to the
website.

Astonishingly, my
campaign team has collated up to 17,500 responses from Lagosians online
and offline, and the overriding view is that there is room for
improvement.

What, specifically, are the shortcomings you have identified in this present administration?

The administration
has had very little impact on the lives of average Lagosians in the
overall context of development and in improving the living condition of
majority of the people. The critical element to rate this government on
is the state’s Human Development Index (HDI), which is unfortunately
low.

While the
government has rehabilitated some roads, beautified the environment,
and given the state the closest semblance to tranquility, law and
order, the more pertinent questions are: Has my quality of life
improved since this administration came in? Has this government
impacted positively on my life in the areas of poverty reduction,
decent housing and sanitation system, quality education for my
children, good roads in and around where I live or work, good health
care system, among others?

As the BBC
documentaries recently exposed, there is still wide-spread poverty.
Very few areas have clean public water supply. Sanitation and proper
drainage are still lacking; local inner network of roads are still
generally bad; many Lagos schools remain sub-standard; the public
health care system is totally inadequate, particularly in low income
areas, and the standard and quality of life continue to deteriorate.

You may put all
this in proper perspective when you consider that the present state
government earns an average of N14 billion naira per-month and in 32
months has earned over N450 billion. This is more than my
administration earned in its 96 months in office. The current
administration earned over N209 billion in IGR (Internally Generated
Revenue) in 2009 and budgeted over N420 billion for this year. In
addition, in barely three years, it has borrowed heavily from the bond
market and drawn down on loans from the World Bank and others. The
question is: Where is all the money? The taxpayers deserve to know how
the huge revenue is being spent.

What are you promising Lagosians if elected?

I believe I can
create a Lagos environment where the possibilities are endless and the
power of ideas and ideals supersede the ‘powers that be’. If I am
elected as the governor of Lagos in 2011, a new culture of transparency
and accountability to the people will become the order of the day.

Lagosians will not
have to worry about their governor mortgaging their future away to some
dictate in a back alley somewhere. I will set up a website called the
Pedrometer (which) will give Lagosians the opportunity to track the
implementation of every single campaign promise I make, and to rate
whether or not a promised policy has been implemented.

There will also be
monthly publications of how every kobo of government money is expended.
This will eliminate the current culture of secrecy-shrouded spending in
its entirety.

Which sector of the electorate are you especially hoping to capture?

Although Lagos is
cosmopolitan and diverse, it is also interconnected. The middle-aged
teacher in Alimosho is invariably affected by the working conditions of
the market women in Tejuosho, and the statewide doctors’ strike
negatively affected the young LASU graduate from Epetedo. I think it is
difficult to focus on one particular group of voters without neglecting
another sector, so the most important thing is to have a consistent
message that can resonate with everyone.

What is your definition of a credible leader?

First and foremost,
a credible leader must have the legitimate mandate of the people, which
invariably means his emergence as a leader must be the end-product of
credible elections. Beyond this, I think a credible leader is one who
is willing to accept responsibility for his shortcomings and who
inspires people to be the best they can possibly be.

A credible leader
is one who submits himself to being held accountable for every single
proclamation or promise he makes. Honesty, integrity and humility are
some of the qualities of a credible leader in my opinion.

You were once in
AC, then Labour Party, and now PDP. Don’t you see yourself as a
politician who is more interested in power rather than building a
credible party base?

It is impossible to
live in isolation from other politicians, especially when many of you
share the same vision for a greater Lagos. After my debacle with AC,
the PDP welcomed me with open arms. There is no question that the
perception of the party may not be the greatest in the world, but I can
tell you, hand on heart, that there are many within the party who are
totally committed to a thriving and prosperous Lagos. This is what
informed my decision to join ranks with the party, and I have no
regrets whatsoever.

Unfortunately, our
politics has not matured to the point where parties are defined
ideologically. At the moment, our politicians (at all levels) are
either pro-current administration or anti-current administration. It is
as simple as that. There is enough blame to go around for this problem,
but I firmly believe that it starts and stops with our leaders being
held accountable by the electorate for the promises they make.

If you fail to capture the primaries in PDP, do we see you moving to another party?

I have been a
card-carrying member of the PDP for about three years. The party
welcomed me with open arms and has treated me cordially. I have no
reason to pitch my tent elsewhere, and I am committed to contributing
my little quota to the growth of the party in Lagos State, the south
west, and beyond.

Notwithstanding, I
am confident and hopeful that I will be given the opportunity to
represent this great party as its governorship candidate in the
upcoming general elections.

If you once again fail to capture the governorship seat in 2011, will you recontest in 2015?

After the last
elections in 2007, I honestly did not see myself running in 2011. Our
politics is very unpredictable and throws a lot of curveballs at you,
so I cannot look beyond the current elections. I will present my
manifesto and vision for a greater Lagos to the people, and I have no
doubt in my mind that our state will be better off for the debate I
will engage them in over the next few months.

How close are you to former president Olusegun Obasanjo?

I have a great
relationship with Olusegun Obasanjo. Unfortunately, the former
president does not get enough credit for his wisdom, foresight, and
honesty. He has been very supportive of my ambition, and he is
considered a father-figure by quite a number of people – politicians
and non-politicians alike.

Who has/have been your mentor(s) in life, especially politics?

Politically, I have
always admired the courage, vision, and integrity of the likes of the
late Awolowo, Enahoro, and Tafawa Balewa. Their contributions to a
united Nigeria cannot be over-emphasised. I continue to nourish and
mentor myself with their writings, speeches, and opines because many of
the ideals they propagated in the 40s, 50s, and 60s are still relevant
in our quest for the attainment of a more prosperous and united Nigeria
today.

I am also a big fan
of John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama because they represented change
agents in times of political uncertainty. They challenged all
stereotypes about their electability and impressively won against all
odds.

But for the
intervention of the Lagos State government, the third day of January
2011 was going to be historic, at least for residents of Lekki, Ajah
area. The day would have marked the commencement of the much contended
tolling on the Eti-Osa-Lekki Road. Or, put bluntly, the day would have
been chaotic, marred by protests by residents who are vehemently
opposed to the tolling.

With the suspension
of the tolling which was ordered on Wednesday by the state governor,
Babatunde Fashola, the drama continues with no end in sight.

Many residents of
the area say they will not pay any toll on the road which is currently
being reconstructed by the Lekki Concession Company, LCC, while
government insists that the project will go on according to the Public
Private Partnership agreement with LCC collecting toll from three
plazas on the reconstructed road for the 30-year period of the
concession.

According to the
announcement on LCC’s website, the road expansion/reconstruction has
gone beyond the Road Section 1, informing their decision to commence
tolling at the first Toll Plaza, also known as Admiralty Circle Plaza.
The announcement also stated that the decision is in line with the
terms of the Concession Mandate granted to LCC by the Lagos State
government.

However, Opuiyo
Oforiokuma, managing director/CEO of LCC, said the concession agreement
contemplated the present kind of situation.

“We believe that
Lagos State government’s statement about the suspension of tolling is
clear. We also believe that government remains committed to
infrastructure development in the state, leveraging private sector
resources.

“Project
implementation plans sometimes require adjustment. Our Concession
Agreement contemplates situations such as this and contains provisions
for dealing with them. Be assured of our best wishes for the New Year,”
he said.

The people want an end to it

Whereas the suspension has stalled a possible immediate uproar, many residents see it as postponing the evil day.

Sani Adewale, the
president of Eti-Osa Heritage Group and the Convener of the
Stakeholders Forum on Lekki-Epe Road Expansion, said there is no cause
for excitement.

“We are not excited
at all, given that the issue is still hanging there. They have been
postponing the issue. They postponed it in May. They postponed it in
August. They should be courageous enough to face it or cancel it
completely. There is a moral burden on the project. It’s a rip-off on
the people. If not, how can you explain N150 for a car at one toll
point. The concessionaire is not a partner for social development.

“I think government
made a mistake in the choice of concessionaire, because those LCC guys
are just businessmen; they are just after the money.

“You can imagine
for someone who goes to and fro through one toll plaza will be spending
N106,000 per annum. What if the household has up to three cars and they
have to pass all the three toll plazas? That means they will be
spending millions per annum on the road. We know they are just waiting
for the elections to come and go, then they will unleash the economic
terror on us,” he said.

Another resident of
Eti-Osa, Andrew Oretan, said they are not satisfied with a suspension
of the tolling. What they want is cancellation.

“The language is
suspension, not cancellation. What we want is for government to cancel
the whole thing. We cannot pay toll on a road that we have been using
for 29 years; a road the government gave to us as four lanes and
somebody is coming to add two lanes and is asking us to pay toll for 30
years.

“We are tax payers;
we pay a lot of levies in Eti-Osa, land use charge. What we want now is
for them to give final decision on this. We understand their antics.
They are just buying time, maybe after elections they bring the toll
thing back,” Mr. Oretan said.

Protest to continue

According to Mr.
Oretan, members of Eti-Osa communities will continue their protest, in
spite of the suspension, to maintain their “no-toll” stance.

According to a press statement signed by Ayo Gbeleyi, the director
general of the State Public-Private Partnership, the suspension became
expedient after public outcry concerning the toll and to allow for more
consultation on the issue. The statement added that the time will also
allow for the completion of the alternative routes by the government.

Major realignment
of forces and defections have hit the country’s political parties,
especially the big ones, only few weeks to the deadline for the
submission of candidates.

According to the
new timetable for the 2011 general elections released by the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last month, the
parties have up till January 15 to submit names of their candidates for
the elective positions to the commission. The parties are, therefore,
expected to organise their primaries (or adopt) to pick those that will
fly their flags before that day.

Consequently, some
of the politicians who are dissatisfied with their primaries or were
afraid that they would not be offered the tickets to run for the
elections have, in the last few weeks, defected to other parties to
realise their ambitions. Some of them are:

Timi Alaibe

Until last Friday,
Mr Alaibe was the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta
Affairs. Prior to that appointment, he was the managing director of the
Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Twice, he aspired to rule
Bayelsa State on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),
but did not succeed. The first was in 2003 when he wanted to challenge
a former governor of the state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. In 2007, he
moved to challenge the then governor, Goodluck Jonathan, but backed
out. That was before Mr Jonathan was nominated as the PDP vice
presidential candidate. An efficient mobiliser, Mr Alaibe last Thursday
defected to Labour Party (LP) where he hopes to realise his
governorship ambition. It, however, remains to be seen how he would win
the oil rich state, from which Mr Jonathan hails from for the
opposition Labour Party (LP).

Rasheed Ladoja

He is a former governor of Oyo State under the platform of the PDP. While in office,

he was impeached in
controversial circumstances but was reinstated by the court. Mr
Ladoja’s membership of the party became shaky after his reinstatement
as governor. In fact, the ruling party did not give him the ticket to
run for a second time but instead, gave it to his former deputy and
present governor,

Adebayo Alao-Akala,
thanks to the political force of the late Lamidi Adedibu. Recently, Mr
Ladoja, a billionaire businessman and a former senator, dumped the PDP
for the Accord Party (AP). Some say his defection was informed by the
protracted crisis in the Oyo State chapter of the PDP.

Achike Udenwa

He is a former
governor of Imo State and the immediate past Commerce and Industry
minister. Mr Udenwa came to limelight when, in 1999, he defeated the
more popular Ezekiel Izuogu in the gubernatorial contest in the state.
He ruled the state until 2007. Following the controversy that trailed
the governorship primaries in the state in 2001, Mr Udenwa supported
the emergence of the incumbent governor, Ikedi Ohakim of the
Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) against Ifeanyi Araraume of the PDP.
However, Mr Udenwa’s romance with Mr Ohakim was short-lived as both
battled to control the structure of the party in the state.

The governor has
since dumped the PPA for PDP. On his part, Mr Udenwa decamped to the
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) few weeks ago and has interestingly
joined forces with the hitherto political opponent, Mr Araraume to
fight the incumbent governor.

Ifeanyi Araraume

Mr Araraume was in
the Senate for eight years. He showed interest in running Imo State as
governor in 2007 and in fact was given the PDP ticket in controversial
circumstances.

But former
president Olusegun Obasanjo did not want him and mobilised the PDP
supporters to vote for Mr Ohakim who was of the PPA. The former
senator, who was about the most popular candidate, quit the PDP few
weeks ago. He has taken up membership of ACN.

Mohammed Abacha

He is the eldest
surviving son of the late military head of state, Sani Abacha. Mr
Abacha’s foray into politics came as a shock to many. He first took up
membership of the PDP where he had hoped to actualise his ambition to
rule Kano State as its governor. When it seemed like he would not
secure the ticket, the young man moved to the Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC). Yet, the CPC appeared hotter for him than the PDP. He was
reportedly thrown out of the CPC last week by a faction of the party
sympathetic to the national chairman, Rufai Hanga. Mr Abacha is said to
be on his way to the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

Dora Akunyili

The immediate past
information and communication minister was drafted into the federal
cabinet by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, whom she had campaigned
for in 2007. Mrs Akunyili dumped the PDP early last month for All
Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to contest election to represent
Anambra Central Senatorial District. Not a few describe her exit from
the ruling party as shocking.

However, those who
should know have maintained that there was a deal between her and the
APGA structure in Anambra State led by the national chairman, Victor
Umeh and the governor, Peter Obi. Unconfirmed reports indicated that it
was the major reason Mrs Akunyili did not support former CBN governor,
Chukwuma Soludo (her in-law) who ran the election under the banner of
the PDP.

Dele Momodu

This celebrated
journalist and publisher of Ovation Magazine wanted to vie for the
presidency on the ticket of LP. But a few weeks ago, in a statement he
authorised, Mr Momodu announced his withdrawal. He has now declared his
intention to run for president under the National Conscience Party
(NCP).

Mohammed Ali Ndume

Mr Ndume symbolised
opposition politics at the National Assembly where he is the minority
leader and leader of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). A two-time
member of the House of Representatives, Mr Ndume impressed many
Nigerians in the manner he confronted the majority PDP in the House on
issues. At the national secretariat of the ANPP, he was revered for his
role in the House. In fact, he was often described as “the face of
opposition in the party.” But Mr Ndume, last Monday, dumped the ANPP
for the PDP, which is in the opposition in his native Borno State. The
gist is that he wanted to go to the Senate to represent Borno South
Senatorial District, but that the governor refused him. Governor Modu
Sheriff is said to be backing his women affairs commissioner, Asabe
Vilita Bashir for the seat.

Garba Lado

Mr Lado, son of a
rich businessman in Katsina State, has been a senator since 2007 on the
ticket of the PDP. Before then, he was a member of the House of
Representatives.

He is reputed to be
a strong supporter of the late president, Umaru Yar’Adua and kicked
against the “Doctrine of Necessity” on which the upper legislative
chamber stood to declare Mr Jonathan acting president early last year.
Mr Lado, has dumped the PDP for the CPC from where he hopes to oust
Governor Ibrahim Shema from office. A few weeks ago, the senator was
reported to have been picked as the consensus candidate of the party.

However, a former
House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Bello Masari, who is eyeing the
same position, was said to have kicked against it, insisting that the
consensus project was fraudulently executed. The matter is yet to be
resolved even as Mr Masari is combing the nooks and crannies of the
state to canvass for votes.

Aminu Bello Masari

In 2007, he wanted
to succeed Mr Yar’Adua as Katsina State governor and had indeed been
assured that he would pick the ticket. But the unexpected happened and
he was shoved aside for Mr Shema, who was then a deputy national
chairman of the PDP.

He, expectedly,
fell out with the late president and even fought him till the end. He
decided to join the CPC alongside his associates like Sadiq Abubakar
Yar’Adua (not a relation of the late president), but he is not having
it easy in the quest to actualise his ambition as he faces stern
opposition from fellow party men.

Chimaroke Nnamani

He is a sitting
senator and former governor of Enugu State for eight years. Mr Nnamani
installed the incumbent governor, Sullivan Chime as governor, but the
two have parted ways. The 50-year-old former governor has floated a new
political party called People for Democratic Change (PDC).

Rochas Okorocha

He is a popular
philanthropists and businessman from Imo State. He contested the
presidential primaries variously in PDP and ANPP. But recently, he
defected to APGA, where he wants to contest the governorship election
of Imo State. Sadly, that state’s branch of the party has given him
quit notice. Reason: Mr Okorocha’s thugs invaded the APGA secretariat
in the state where they manhandled some party executives.

He may, therefore, be on his way to another party.

Early decampees

Muhammadu Buhari,
who had contested the presidential polls in 2003 and 2007 on the ticket
of ANPP, left the party to float the CPC. Abubakar Atiku, left the ACN
for the PDP. Governors, Mahmud Shinkafi of Zamfara left the ANPP for
PDP; Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State left the ANPP for the PDP; Ikedi Ohakim
of Imo State left the PPA for the PDP; and Theodore Orji of Abia State
dumped the PPA for PDP. All of them are currently jostling for various
positions in the 2011 elections.

About three hours before 10.27pm on
Christmas eve, bombs exploded in Jos North local government area of
Jos, Plateau State killing scores.

At about the same time,500km away in
Maiduguri, Borno state, North east Nigeria, another set of people
launched attacks on two churches, killing seven people. Four days after
the killings, a group (Jama’atu ahlus sunnah lid da’awati wal jihad)
known as Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the bombings in Jos. The
same group was identified by the Borno State police commissioner, and
the Borno State Governor as responsible for the killings in Maiduguri.

These two well coordinated incidents could however have been averted if security agencies had been effective in their duties.

The Borno governor, Ali Sheriff told
the media after the attacks that “prior to these attacks and killings,
I alerted the police and other security agencies in the state to take
no chances of any reprisals from the outlawed sect members. Yesterday’s
attacks and killings could have been prevented if the police had heeded
to my security advice.” A similar report was also before the security
forces before the Jos bombings.

All these were happening two months
after the independence day bombing in Abuja, for which the Movement of
the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has claimed responsibility.

After Christmas

Three days after Christmas, suspected
members of the Boko-Haram, eager to further show their strength in
Maiduguri, attacked a hospital; killing three people including a police
officer.

The post Christmas horror moved from
the northern part of Nigeria into the south four days after Christmas.
This time around, the perpetrators chose a different location; Bayelsa,
the home state of President Jonathan, over 600km from Jos. The
explosion occurred during a rally by a governorship aspirant on the
platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP.) While several people
were injured, no lives were lost. This was not the first time that
Bayelsa state would witness bomb explosions in 2010, previous ones
including the explosions at the home of a former deputy governor of the
state had happened. No group claimed responsibility for any of the
Bayelsa bombings and no one has been punished for them.

The ‘Boko Haram’ members however
continued their onslaught against security operatives on Wednesday,
December 29, killing more police officers and innocent residents while
setting police patrol vans ablaze. A day later, exchange of gunfire
between two factions of the PDP in Ibadan, Oyo State killed three
people,including two aides of a serving senator and senate leader,
Teslim Folarin; and a factional chairman of the transport union, Lateef
Salako (Eleweomo).

Political violence

While the crisis in Oyo and Bayelsa
States clearly had political undertones and could easily be likened to
political sponsorship, that of Jos and Maiduguri cannot be so easily
labeled.

Intelligence sources say although the
impact of the Jos attacks might have political implications,they were
not really a product of politics.

“It is really just another aspect of
what has been going on in the past,” a senior military intelligence
officer serving in Jos said at the weekend.

“Unless government is bold enough in
resolving the underlying issues, then things will continue like this
for a while more,” he said.

Another security officer said crises of
this kind will continue, and perhaps only get worse, as long as
security at airports and ports remained lax and borders remained
porous. He also called on government to work with religious leaders to
rid preachers of ignorance and intolerance.

The military officer, who said officers
are mostly professional in their response to the crisis, said there is
often times trouble securing the confidence of the locals because they
often believe that security officers are partial to either of the two
sides in a conflict situation. ‘

Bringing culprits to justice

Following the statement by the Borno
State governor that the perpetrators of the violence in this state will
be brought to book, Oluseyi Petinrin, Air Chief Marshall and Chief of
Defense Staff (CDS) promised that the federal government will make sure
that the perpetrators of the Jos crisis are brought to justice. Mr
Petinrin however called for restraint, saying the violence is being
promoted by rounds of tits-for-tats.

“The way you can help government to
quickly get to the bottom of this thing is to be calm, go about your
normal business and do not try to retaliate. When you retaliate, you
will be retaliating against innocent people. You do not know the people
who did this thing. It is possible they are not even from Jos, so let
us get to the bottom of it first and I know you can help,’’ he said.

Partial Troops

Some residents of Jos believe that the
reason the violence in Jos continues is the partial disposition of the
military task force.

However, the spokesperson for the special task force for Jos, Charles Nweocha defends the impartiality of the troops.

“A lot of sacrifice is involved in
keeping the peace. The security men are doing their utmost best; the
allegation of bias against them is most unfair,” he said.

“I have a wife and kids with whom I
should normally spend the Christmas, but I have been in this cold since
December 24. I should be in a hurry to see that the crisis is over and
not taking sides to worsen an already bad situation.”

He added that it was not possible for the soldiers to take sides in view of their training in the handling of such situations.

“At each of the military check points, you will have Christians and
Muslims; you have all Nigerian tribes mixed up. So, you cannot take any
side under such circumstance. Where you have an Igbo man as team
leader, for instance, you will find that the members of the team
comprise Hausa, Yoruba, Ijaw, or Tiv speaking soldiers; so, whose side
will they be taking?”

More states in the
south-south geopolitical zone of the country will be taken over by the
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), in the 2011 general elections. This
was the view of a Delta State executive of the party, Adego Eferakeya.
Mr Eferakeya said this while speaking to journalists after the
south-south zone caucus meeting of the party in Benin City yesterday.
Mr Eferakeya said all arrangements have been put in place to ensure
victory for the party in more states of the south-south, just as they
said the party will meet Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC)’s deadline for the submission of names of candidates for the
elections.

“We should work hard so that we can win more states because, as you know, ACN is the only party contending with PDP,” he said.

“We also spoke
about the primaries that are coming up, the dates will be fixed very
soon but tentatively, we expect that the primaries of the Action
Congress of Nigeria tentatively would be on the 6th for the state
houses of assembly, 8th, national assembly, on the 11th, the
governorship and on the 15th of January 2011 will be the presidential
primaries. We have all agreed that there will be a meeting of the
national body that will ratify and some of these dates may change. We
are also looking forward to collecting forms of expression of interest
and nomination forms which you know are very essential before primaries
can be conducted.” All together, Mr Eferakeya said all members present
at the meeting have said they are prepared to work hard for the success
of the party because they know that “divided we fall united we stand.
All of us are working in harmony to ensure that we win more states,” he
said.

The party official
also expressed optimism that security agencies will live up to
expectation of providing adequate security during its primaries and
meetings to avoid the series of explosions that have rocked some
political gatherings in the last few days.

The Edo State
Deputy Governor, Pius Odubu called on the party members to work hard to
achieve their set goal of winning more states in the region. He also
urged them to ensure that their followers do not disrupt the process.
Edo is the only state in the south-south that is being governed by the
Action Congress of Nigeria.

The Katsina State government has budgeted N99.9
billion for its services in the 2011 fiscal year. The budget, tagged
“Budget of Fulfilment,” is higher than that of 2010 by N7.3 billion.

Presenting the budget estimate to the state House
of Assembly in Katsina on Thursday, state Governor,

The Katsina State government has budgeted N99.9
billion for its services in the 2011 fiscal year. The budget, tagged
“Budget of Fulfilment,” is higher than that of 2010 by N7.3 billion.

Presenting the budget estimate to the state House
of Assembly in Katsina on Thursday, state Governor, Ibrahim Shema said
the money will be sourced from the N52 billion Federal Revenue
Allocation and VAT of N5 billion. Other sources are N6 billion Special
Funds, N12.7 billion internally generated revenue, Capital Receipts of
N4.2 billion and the opening balance of N20 billion.

Mr Shema said N68.1 billion (68 per cent) of the
estimate was earmarked for capital projects, while N31.7 billion (32
per cent) was set aside for recurrent expenditure. He also said the
increase in the 2011 budget by N7.3 billion was based on realistic
computation of government’s revenue profiles, both statutory and
internal, as well as other expectations.

Describing the estimates as a “balanced budget,”
Mr Shema said the government will in 2011 complete all ongoing projects
and embark on new ones. He commended members of the state Assembly for
their cooperation and understanding, which he said had assisted
government in the implementation of the 2010 budget, and urged them to
maintain the tempo.

The Speaker of the Katsina State House of
Assembly, Ya’u Gwajogwajo, promised that the House will give the
proposal speedy deliberations and passage.

said
the money will be sourced from the N52 billion Federal Revenue
Allocation and VAT of N5 billion. Other sources are N6 billion Special
Funds, N12.7 billion internally generated revenue, Capital Receipts of
N4.2 billion and the opening balance of N20 billion.

Mr Shema said N68.1 billion (68 per cent) of the
estimate was earmarked for capital projects, while N31.7 billion (32
per cent) was set aside for recurrent expenditure. He also said the
increase in the 2011 budget by N7.3 billion was based on realistic
computation of government’s revenue profiles, both statutory and
internal, as well as other expectations.

Describing the estimates as a “balanced budget,”
Mr Shema said the government will in 2011 complete all ongoing projects
and embark on new ones. He commended members of the state Assembly for
their cooperation and understanding, which he said had assisted
government in the implementation of the 2010 budget, and urged them to
maintain the tempo.

The Speaker of the Katsina State House of
Assembly, Ya’u Gwajogwajo, promised that the House will give the
proposal speedy deliberations and passage.