Nigeria Content Online

The Chairman of
Bendel Insurance Football Club, Igbinomwahia Ekhosuehi was at the
weekend abducted by two armed men at his residence in Idemudia Avenue
of Erediauwa Street, Ekehuan road, Benin City.

The Edo State
Director of the State Security Services (SSS), Francis Adeyemi Sonaike
confirmed the kidnap saying that investigations are ongoing.

A family source had
also said that the kidnappers of Mr Ekhosuehi were said to have
demanded for a ransom of N10m and N1m daily for the victim’s feeding
and upkeep.

Also, the State
Security Services, (SSS), paraded five suspects for various crimes
ranging from blackmailing, rape, extortion, threat to kill and
kidnapping.

According to Mr
Sonaike, over 50 kidnap cases are pending in various courts in the
state, but said they have asked the state prosecutors to push for
accelerated hearing and trial of all the suspects currently facing
trials for kidnap related cases.

Seven Years

A Benin City
magistrate court yesterday sentenced one Osamuyi Osunbor to seven years
imprisonment without an option of fine for extortion and threat to kill.

Mr Osunbor was
arrested on November 2, 2010 while attempting to collect a ransom of
N100,000 paid into his account by a victim he had threatened to kill.

The Magistrate, J.U Oyomire therefore sentenced him to seven years after he pleaded guilty to the crime.

The protracted
leadership tussle that has hitherto turned the Edo State House of
Assembly into a one-party assembly might soon end as the house
yesterday recalled four of its members who were suspended in February
this year.

The suspended
legislators including the erstwhile Speaker, Zakawanu Garuba (Etsako
West I) were suspended for allegedly using dangerous weapons in the
forceful change of the House’ leadership on February 22, 2010.

Mr Garuba alongside
his former deputy, Levis Aigbogun (Ovia North East I), former Majority
Leader, Frank Okiye (Esan North East I) and Blessing Agbebaku (Owan
West) were however asked to apologise to the assembly and withdraw
their cases from the court.

Spirit of the yuletide season

Majority Leader of
the House, Philip Shaibu who moved the motion for the recall of the
suspended members, explained that the decision to recall the members
was in line with the spirit of the yuletide season as well as the
spirit of unity to strengthen the nation’s democracy.

The motion which
was seconded by the Deputy Speaker, Paul Ohonbamu, however listed
conditions that must be met before they could be fully re-admitted into
the House.

According to him,
Mr Zakawanu and his colleagues “must withdraw all cases in court
instituted by them against the Edo State House of Assembly or any
member thereof.

“They must formally
apologize to the House in writing, for their roles in the fracas on the
floor of the House on Monday, February 22, 2010.

“They must sign an undertaking with the State Commissioner of police, to be of good behaviour thereafter.” He said.

Meanwhile, the
House in a plenary session on Monday, swore-in the member-elect
representing Igueben constituency, Steven Idehenre of Action Congress
of Nigeria (ACN) who was declared winner of the election held on April
14 by the Appeal Court last week.

The relevant oaths
were administered by the Clerk of the House, Egbe Evbuomwan under the
watchful eyes of the Speaker, Bright Omokhodion and other members.

The House also
cleared two commissioner nominees. They are Francis Osakpamwan
Evbuomwan and Ojeabu Ochei Callistus who were sent by the Governor of
the state, Adams Oshiomhole for screening and confirmation.

A federal high court in Abuja, yesterday, discharged
Uche Chukwumerije, a senator and a traditional ruler, Eze Gaius
Ihejiamaizu, as sureties for the former governor of Abia State, Orji
Uzor Kalu, because they claimed that they no longer had confidence in
him. Mr Chukwumerije and Mr Ihejiamaizu approached the court to vacate
their pledges over Mr Kalu. At the resumed hearing of the matter,
Kelvin Emeka Okoro, counsel to the senator, and Onyedika Offor, lawyer
to the traditional ruler, in their application, told the court that
section 134 of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), allows a surety to
withdraw at any stage.

“The surety at any time can apply to the court to
discharge the cognizance he entered as it affects him.” Adding, that
the court should discharge their clients as sureties.

Counsel to Mr Kalu, Awa Kalu, did not object to their
withdrawal, but said having regard to sections 122 of the CPA, the
judge may consider whether it is still desirable to retain traditional
ruler as surety in the matter. “Since the date of arraignment, the
first accused has been appearing before the court, his appearance today
is 32nd.” The lawyer said Mr. kalu has demonstrated unequivocally, his
wiliness to appear before the court and face his trial.” Having regard
to the fact that the accused has never fail to appear, the court may
bend the rules requiring a traditional ruler or senator and grant him
bail on self recognizance. He is a former governor of Abia state and
understand the consequences of failing to come to court.”

Rulings

Ruling on the application, Adamu Bello discharged
Messrs. Chukwumerije and Ihejiamaizu as sureties to Mr Kalu and asked
him to look for a surety to replace Mr. Chukwumerije while he waived
the requirement of the traditional ruler to be a surety in the matter,
and adjourned the matter to April 18, 2011 for mention.

Mr Ihajiamaize, in an affidavit, said: “…Sometime
in July 2007, I stood as surety to the first accused person [Orji Uzor
Kalu] in this charge. That part of the bail condition included the
deposit of my certificate of recognition as a traditional ruler [Eze]
in Abia State issued on November 16, 1998 by the state government. That
I entered as surety to the accused person because of the confidence I
had in him then. I no longer have confidence in the first accused
person and will not stand as surety for him anymore. That for now the
first accused and myself have not been associating with each other and
I can no longer vouch for him, being unaware of his movements and
actions. That it would be in the interest of justice to discharge me as
a surety to the first accused person and return my said certificate of
recognition to me.” The EFCC had slamed a 107-count charge of
money-laundering against Mr Kalu, including mismanaging over N5billion
belonging to the Abia State government.

Two other accused persons standing trial alongside Mr Kalu including Ude Jones Udeogu and Slok Nigeria Limited.

Leader of the
opposition coalition within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo
state, Lekan Balogun, has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of being
too weak to defend democracy.

He also issued
seven-day ultimatum to the national leadership of the party to act
right on the protracted crisis within the state chapter of the party or
force the aggrieved members to take action against them.

The Ibadan Chief
and a former Senator in the third republic, who briefed the press on
why none of the known members of the coalition showed up at a PDP
parley with Mr Jonathan in Ibadan last Sunday, said the president is
not demonstrating enough courage to portray himself as a true democrat.

The president was
in Ibadan for a stakeholders’ meeting of the PDP and to also seek the
support of delegates from the South West region for his ambition to
secure the presidential ticket of the party at the forthcoming
convention.

But Mr Balogun said
rather than invite the people of his camp properly, many of them only
got to know about the meeting through casual conversation with party
members.

“There is nothing
wrong in issuing a letter from the Presidency to us the aggrieved
members to invite us to the parley,” Mr Balogun said.

Party crisis

Tracing the crisis
of the party in the state and the consistent failure of the leadership
to right the wrongs responsible for the feud, the coalition leader
predicted that if things continue same way, the party may likely bite
the dust at the next elections.

“I do not know how
the President wants the PDP to win in a state where, for years, the
governor has frustrated the rule of democracy and the rule of law,” he
said.

According to Mr
Balogun, the state governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, in order to realise
his ambition at all cost, has frustrated all efforts to bring back
peace to the party.

Most frustrating, he noted, was the way the president has allowed himself to be fooled by the governor on the state of things.

He recalled how his
team was able to educate the president on many of the happenings within
the party in the state during a meeting with the stakeholders in Lagos
some last three weeks, but regretted that, despite that, the president
did not issue any official statement on the meeting and issues raised
there, and still held meeting with only a faction when he came to
Ibadan.

By that singular
act, the president, according to him, has already conceded votes of
members of the coalition who, by the provisions of the party’s
constitution, will participate at the party’s primaries next year.

“Obviously, the President has not addressed the stakeholders on Sunday.

He had only played to the gallery of the governor.

“That will mean a
lot to the president and the party for the 2011 election. The President
will lose the votes of our members who, by the virtue of being members
of the National Assembly and the state House of Assembly currently,
will vote at the primaries. This also means that the governor will not
return in 2011. For us, his second coming is not negotiable. He won’t
come.

We will not compromise anything on that.

“For aligning with the undemocratic elements in the state, the
President will have to work hard to show the people that he is truly a
democrat and he is truly committed to democratic principles,” he
submitted.

The Adamawa State governor, Murtala
Nyako, has told a gathering of party supporters that he will be running
for re-election. He said this at a meeting of the party convened by the
state chapter of the party under the leadership of Minjiyawa Kugama.
Also, Mr Nyako may presently be the sole candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party. The state party chairman Kugama Minjiyawa declared at
the end of a party meeting held in the state that Mr Nyako is the only
aspirant to have obtained a nomination form from the party secretariat.
Announcing his bid and urging party delegates to support him as he
would be seeking a second term in office, Mr Nyako said he was very
sure of a return to office after the 2011 election.

Mr Nyako who
however is joined in a consolidated suit involving five other state
governors who are contesting the decision of the electoral body to
conduct elections in their states, arguing that their tenure expires on
a later date other than the 2011 election date the electoral wants to
stick by. Mr Nyako told party members that whether the court ruled in
their favor or otherwise, they should be rest assured that he would be
seeking re-election under the party banner.

The state party meeting was
well attended by all the political office holders as well as elected
party members. The state party chairman Mr. Kugama reeled out figures
saying that 135 persons had indicated their interest in contesting for
seats into the state house of assembly, 41 persons for the house of
representative, 15 persons for the senate elections and only one person
for the governorship post.

Controversial aspirants

Mr. Kugama added that all those who got
nomination forms for the governorship race other than the incumbent
obviously did not get it from the state party secretariat and so only
had one aspirant for the office of the governor the incumbent. Among
those seen to have indicated interest for the Adamawa government house
are Aliyu Idi Hong the minister of state foreign affairs; Silas
Zwingina, a former party chairman of the PDP in the state; Joel Madaki
and Buba Marwa, former military governor of Lagos state. Others are Mr.
Nyako’s chief of staff Bello Tukur, and another Nyako aide, Abubakar
Madawaki, the state commissioner of local government and chieftainship
affairs.

The issue of zoning
within the People Democratic Party (PDP), may not yet be over as an
Abuja High Court yesterday, fixed January 4, 2011 to hear the
preliminary objection in a fresh suit filed by some members of the
party.

The suit is seeking
an order of the court to stop the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) from accepting President Goodluck Jonathan as PDP’s
presidential candidate for the 2011 presidential election.

Yahaya Kwande,
Dubem Onyia and Lawal Kaita, in an affidavit in support of their
motion, said they are card carrying and financial members of the party
and asked the court to restrain PDP and its national chairman,
Okwesileze Nwodo from presenting President Jonathan as their candidate
for the said election.

Defendants are PDP National Chairman, Okwesileze Nwodo, Mr. Jonathan and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Specifically, they
said according to sections 13 and 15(a), (c) and (f) of the 3rd
schedule of the country’s constitution of 1999, section 86(1) and (2)
and 67(9) and (10) of the Electoral Act, 2010, INEC is bound to compel
PDP to comply with the provisions of Article 7.2(c) of its
constitution, 2009 as recently amended.

They also want the
court to declare that by virtue of the provisions of sections 14(3) and
223(2)(b) of the 1999 constitution, section 87(9) and (10) of the
Electoral Act 2010 and Articles 2and 7.2 (c) of PDP’s constitution and
the resolution of the National Caucus of the party reached on December
2, 2002, President Jonathan, not being a northerner cannot contest the
2011 presidential election on PDP’s platform.

No to Jonathan

Furthermore, they
are asking the court to declare that PDP is bound to allow a candidate
from the Northern geo-political zone to contest for presidency in 2011
presidential election so as to complete the Zone’s eight years slot in
producing candidate for the election into the office of the president,
adding that the National Working Committee of the party cannot by its
decision override the resolution of the National Caucus which is a
superior organ to it, in the party’s hierarchy.

“The resolution of
the National Caucus of the 1st Defendant of December 2, 2002, the 4th
Defendant is bound to reject any candidate presented by the 1st
Defendant including the 3rd Defendant in contravention of and total
disregard to the provision of Article 7.2(c) of the 1st Defendant’s
Constitution”, the plaintiffs want the court to declare.

In a 35-paragraph
affidavit in support of the plaintiff’s amended charge and deposed to
by one of the plaintiffs, Dubem Onyia, the plaintiffs averred that late
President Yar’adua, from the North West geopolitical zone became
president in May 2007 on the platform of the PDP,

pursuant to a
binding zoning arrangement of the PDP which is consistent with the
federal character policy entrenched in sections 14(3) and 223(2)(b) of
the constitution.

They added that any attempt by Mr Jonathan to contest the position
of the president under the platform of the PDP will make nonsense of
the federal character principle, noting also that the president is
using the power of incumbency to subdue and influence party leaders to
upturn the resolution reached by the party on December 2, 2002.

A healthy
environment will reduce the high mortality rate in Nigeria, says
Augustine Ebisike, Registrar, Environmental Health Officers
Registration Council of Nigeria.

Mr. Ebisike said in
Abuja on Monday that “ environmental health is paramount because if you
get your environmental health right, so many preventable deaths will be
cut short.

“Our mortality
rate; infant mortality rate are all related to environmental health; so
these are the broad issues that are posing health challenges in the
society,” he said.

According to him,
70 per cent of the diseases that cause hospitalisation in Nigeria are
not only preventable but they are environmentally related.

“If 70 per cent of the diseases that are preventable in this country
go away, what we will be left with will definitely be 30 per cent. None
of the 30 per cent of the diseases will cause an epidemic and none will
have children dying the way they are dying,” he said.

The Mashi Local Government Council in Katsina State has donated a cow to the Igbo community in the area as Christmas gift.

Speaking while
presenting the gift to the community in Mashi on Monday, the Chairman,
Sirajo Mohammed who was represented on the occasion, by the Head of
Personnel, Ma’aruf Abubakar, said that the gesture was part of the
Council’s contribution towards ensuring the welfare of the Igbos living
in the area.

“The Igbos have co-existed peacefully with the people of the area
and do contribute to the socio-economic development of the area hence,
the need for the local government to appreciate their contributions.”
He said. He gave an assurance of the Council’s continued support to the
Igbo community, urging them to continue to live in peace in the area.

General data collection processes of the Nigeria
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) are to go live on
an automated platform in the new year, the executive secretary of the
agency, Zainab Ahmed, said in Abuja at the weekend. Mrs Ahmed, who was
reviewing the challenges and progress of the agency in the outgoing
year, said though it is gradually overcoming its challenges, NEITI is
looking forward to the best of times in 2011 as it remains positive
that enough has been achieved for Nigeria to be granted full Extractive
Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) Compliant status.

“This is part of the processes to ensure accurate
data collection and timely auditing as well as reporting of revenue
receipts and payments of the extractive industries,” she said, pointing
out that “this will aid the speed of dissemination of quality
information about the revenues in the extractive industry to the
Nigeria public.”

While acknowledging the support of various
stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society
organizations (CSOs) and international development partners, she
assured that NEITI is now on course to fully deliver on its assignment.

“NEITI has acquired a new suitable office complex it
plans to move in next year. We have already commenced comprehensive
plans on public communication, technical services and management
programmes to meet national and international expectations in the New
year and beyond,” the NEITI boss said.

Fighting resource-curse

NEITI chairman, Assisi Asobie, who noted measures by
the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) to strengthen the NEITI
secretariat, said the Board has responded positively towards meeting
the conditions set by the EITI Board for validation as full compliant
member-country.

Mr Asobie traced the high level of poverty associated
with natural resources-endowed countries to the common syndrome of
resource-curse, saying at the heart of the problem are issues of good
governance, transparency and accountability. He said because of the
nature of natural resources such as crude oil, the tendency for corrupt
practices and mis-governance is always high among countries endowed
with them, resulting in the paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty.

“The management of revenue accruing from the extractive sector in a
transparent, prudent and accountable manner is the panacea for resource
curse. But this has proved such a huge challenge in countries such as
Nigeria, though association with EITI has helped to provide the
technical know-how and the strategic direction to confront it,” he
said. Announcing that the 2006-2008 oil and gas industry audit report
is to be published early next year, Mr Asobie said the process to
commission the 2009 audit has already commenced, while that of 2010
would be commissioned in 2011 as NEITI moves into the solid minerals
sector.

About five months
to the end of his tenure as Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel at the
weekend challenged his predecessor, Olusegun Osoba to a public debate
on which of them performed better as governor of the state. Mr Daniel
threw the challenge at a public debate organized by the ruling People’s
Democratic Party {PDP} for all its aspirants ahead of 2011 polls held
at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta.

“I am ready to
engage Osoba in a public debate, whether partisan or not. I am ready
for the open debate to be conducted anywhere. We should put on the
scale our account of stewardship. Let’s appear and present ourselves to
public domain to weigh our performances,’ he said.

Mr Daniel defeated
Mr Osoba, then of the Alliance for Democracy {AD} now Action Congress
of Nigeria {ACN} in the 2003 governorship election. But there has been
increasing condemnation of the performance of his government by Mr
Osoba and the leadership of the Action Congress of Nigeria {ACN}. The
governor also defended himself against accusations of promoting
violence, accusing the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria {ACN} of
masterminding violence in the state.

He also said
allegations of corruption leveled against his government by the
opposition was unfair, saying, “In Nigeria, how many governors openly
declare their assets as I did on assumption of office? It shows we are
transparent and I challenge anybody to fault this claim.”