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The federal
government has set up a sub-committee to streamline and report on the
status of the Lekki Freezone Methanol Project, with a view to making it
more explicit, and to outline those areas needing immediate action for
implementation.

Vice president,
Namadi Sambo, stated this while meeting with a committee set up by the
federal executive council to look into the methanol project.

The VP noted the
need for a complete synchronisation and review of all contractual
claims including those of engineering and electro-mechanical works.

He charged the
Ministries of Finance and Justice to provide “detailed financial
commitment of government, and examine the existing legal agreement,”
with a view to bringing up a clear view of the project.

The committee,
which is to be chaired by the executive secretary of the Nigerian
Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Mr. Mustapha Bello, an engineer,
is expected to submit its report within three weeks.

The vice president
emphasised the need for a consultant to effectively supervise the
project and harped on the need to prioritise on “our economic issues
with a view to resolving them accordingly.”

He also enjoined
the committee to critically look at the concept, cost, and location in
terms of raw materials supply for the project. He directed that the
Ministry of Petroleum Resources should be the client ministry.

Earlier, the
meeting examined the directives of the Federal Executive Council, as
regards the need to proffer recommendations on the methanol project.
Mr. Mustapha briefed the committee on the concept and progress of the
project.

He said the project
was conceptualised on a debt conversation strategy and that the
promoters were to buy the Federal Government debt and use it to develop
the project. The concessions unavailable were in terms of loans and
grants but subsequently, government exited from the debt conversation
strategy and no money was appropriated for the project.

The account was maintained by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He urged that the project should not be dragged backwards as a result of the issues observed.

In attendance at the meeting were the Attorney General and Minister
of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, SAN, the Minister of National Planning,
Shamsuddeen Usman, and the Minister of State, Finance and Commerce,
amongst others.

The
fresh air breathed by residents of Edo State following a month-long
lull in the activities of kidnappers came to a sudden end yesterday
morning as a former Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of
Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Eugene Okpere was abducted in Benin
City.

This is certainly
not good news as it could trigger another health crisis as medical
workers have decided to down tools, compounding the near collapse of
healthcare system in Edo State.

Mr. Ukpere, a
professor of obstetrics and gynecology, was allegedly kidnapped on his
way to the early morning Sunday service at about 6.30 am.

According to family
sources, the former CMD was driving out of his house in BDPA Estate,
opposite UNIBEN, Ugbowo, Benin City when he was accosted by four armed
men who dragged him out of his car and took him away.

As at the time of
filing this report yesterday, it was gathered that his abductors have
opened contact with the family but were yet to name their ransom.

Thanks to Enahoro

The state chapter
of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) immediately embarked on an
indefinite strike to press for the unconditional release of their
colleague. State Chairman of the NMA, Philip Ugbodaga told newsmen
yesterday that doctors in all public hospitals would not admit new
patients but would only attend to those already on admission and those
with emergency cases.

“We are calling an
emergency meeting tomorrow (Monday) to discuss the way forward.
Meanwhile I have instructed doctors in the state to embark on an
indefinite strike, but during the strike, we will attend to those that
have already been admitted and emergency cases, we will no not go on
ward round. We are calling on emergency meeting of the exco and we are
demanding unconditional release of Professor Okpere,” he said.

Mr. Ugbodaga told
NEXT that doctors will attend to patients already in admission as a
sign of respect to elder statesman, Anthony Enahoro who is currently
undergoing medical care in the UBTH.

Edo State police
image maker, Peter Ogboi, could not be reached as his mobile line was
switched off. A senior police officer who pleaded anonymonity however
told NEXT yesterday that the state command was yet to be informed about
the abduction of Mr. Okpere.

The incumbent CMD of the hospital, Michael Ibadin was few months ago kidnapped in a similar manner in the same area.

A former governor
of Oyo State, Lam Adesina, has cautioned President Goodluck Jonathan
not to shield governors facing allegations of corruption from
investigation.

Mr. Adesina, who is
also the leader of the Action Party of Nigeria (ACN) in the state, at
the weekend, accused the president of preparing a soft-landing for some
governors allegedly implicated in cases before the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by preventing the commission from
pressing the cases to ensure that they do not return to office next
year.

The opposition
politician said many of the governors, who are members of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), are hiding under Mr Jonathan’s presidential
ambition to escape the law.

“We have it on a
good authority that President Jonathan recently called the chairman of
the commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri, to the Presidential Villa where he
ordered her to stop forthwith, further prosecution of the serving
corrupt governors while her attention should be focused on former
governors who were not well disposed to his ambition to return to Villa
in 2011,” Mr. Adesina said.

He said the
development could set a bumpy trap for the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), whose chairman, Attahiru Jega, has, at
different forums, reiterated their readiness to give credible elections
to the nation and its people next year.

“Apart from the
fact that such corrupt governors, mostly drawn from the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), came into office through the back door created
by the infamous do-or-die antic of former President Olusegun Obasanjo
in 2007, they have manifested total disaster in governance and allowing
them to repeat the fraud in 2011 would spell doom for the country and
the states they come from in particular,” said the former governor.

Making reference to
the current governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, whom he
described as one of the affected governors, Mr. Adesina said the
governor has shown lack of respect for the public purse.

“The incumbent, who
has numerous substantiated cases of official corruption and looting of
public funds hanging on his neck but could not be made to answer for
these cases at present owing to the immunity he enjoys as a sitting
governor. But the same man is busy creating panic in the state and
beyond in his preparation for another term in office,” he said.

“It is to the
common knowledge of the people that Mr Alao-Akala does not care a hoot
when it comes to siphoning public funds, going by his antecedents; but
he added another dimension recently when he purchased 1,000 brand new
buses and cars from the government funds to pursue his electioneering
campaigns ahead the 2011 elections while daring those who asked
questions about the matter to go to hell”.

Nigerian governors,
at the weekend, donated a sum of N62 million to the family of late Yobe
State governor, Mamman Ali, who died at a United States hospital in
January 2009 after a prolonged battle with leukaemia.

The governors,under
the umbrella of Nigeria Governors’ Forum ,according to a press
statement signed by its Director General, Assishana Okauru asked its
Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, to hand
over the money.

The money was
subsequently presented to the family of the late governor in a brief
ceremony at the Kwara State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.

Accompanied by a
member of the State House of Assembly, the brother to the late governor
and Yobe State Deputy Governor, Abubakar Ali, who represented both the
state and his brother’s family at the event, thanked the group and
promised that the money would be used for the upkeep of the family left
behind.

“Mr. Saraki prayed
for the repose of the soul of the late governor, who he described as a
committed member of the NGF and a patriotic Nigerian who served his
state and country well during the 51 (fifty-one) years he lived on
earth,” the NGF statement said.

“Immediately Ali
died, a decision was taken by the NGF to stand by his family and make
moral and financial contributions to them.” He explained that the
donation was made by every member of the NGF (excluding Yobe State) as
a token contribution to the welfare and upkeep of the family members
left behind.

The forums’ secretariat however states that the N62 million
represented the contribution from 31 states received to date, who each
contributed N2 million to the fund. Once the balance is received from
the remaining four states, their contributions would also be sent to
the late Governor’s estate, Mr Okauru said.

The race to decide
who will be the governorship candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party{PDP} has led to tension and discord among members of the Ogun
West Elders Forum, hitherto an apolitical group established to ensure
the emergence of a politician from the zone as the next governor of the
state.

The faceoff between
the leaders was brought into public glare at the weekend in Abeokuta,
as different factions, at separate press conferences, tackled each
other over candidates of their choice.

The two aspirants
at the centre of the hullabaloo are a former military governor, Tunji
Olurin, and Gboyega Isiaka, former managing director, Gateway Holdings.
Mr. Olurin is said to be the candidate of former president, Olusegun
Obasanjo, while Mr. Isiaka is said to be the choice of the state
governor, Gbenga Daniel.

Messrs Obasanjo and
Daniel are opposed to each other politically, hence the issue of
succession has became a power play between the duo.

A faction of the
Elders Consultative Forum, headed by Ishola Olateju, held a press
conference to declare their backing for Olurin, whom they claimed has
the credentials to represent the zone at the governorship election.

But reacting to the
position of the Olateju-led group, another factional leader, Olawale
Bankole, declared that the authentic choice of the zone is Mr. Isiaka,
whom he said they have agreed to pitch their tent with.

Mr. Bankole said
the endorsement of Olurin by the other group, “is a calculated attempt
to mislead and deceive the people of Ogun West.”

“We, therefore,
call on the good people of Ogun west and Nigerians at large to
disregard the purported views and activities of this group, as they do
not represent the position of the Ogun West Elders Consultative Forum,”
he said.

Not to be sidelined

The Olateju group,
at the press conference, however, said the other group carried out its
work without informing all members of the Forum.

“They went round and picked two of our members, but did not tell us to nominate them,” he said.

“We don’t know how
they arrived at their decision. Their decision was not totally
acceptable to others who were screened, but they said it was their
internal problem which they would solve,” Mr. Olateju said.

He said it was the forum which approached Mr. Olurin to contest and they are convinced about his quality.

“He is the candidate we have recommended. We believe we have not
made any mistake or error. Olurin is just 63 and still agile.
Experience is the best teacher, and his experience has outshined other
aspirants. We would not fold our arms and see Olurin being sidelined,”
he said.

The
Ooni of Ife, Okunade Sijuwade, at the weekend, called on Yoruba leaders
to be united, despite their different political affiliations, for the
purpose of accelerating the development of the region.

The monarch, who
made the call in Igbokoda, Ilaje local government area of Ondo State,
during the coronation of Obateru Akinruntan as the Olugbo of Ugboland,
said the region could not but remain relevant in the scheme of things
in the country.

Accompanied by
other 23 traditional rulers from across Yoruba land, Mr. Sijuwade said
the people of the southwest would maintain their leadership position in
the country if traditional rulers play their roles well to earn the
respect of the subjects.

“It is necessary
for traditional rulers and the people to be united and allow peace to
reign, so that the Yoruba race will continue to witness a robust human
and infrastructural development,” Mr. Sijuwade, who was the chairman of
the occasion, said.

While appealing to
the people of Ugboland to support the new monarch, the Ooni tasked Mr.
Akinrutan to make use of his wisdom and God given wealth to develop the
riverside community under his jurisdiction.

Ondo State
governor, Olusegun Mimiko, said the development of the oil-rich Ilaje
area of the state could only be achieved if all ethnic nationalities in
the area work in harmony.

Develop Ilaje communities

The governor also challenged the new monarch to ensure that all the communities in Ilaje live in peace and harmony.

“I want to urge Oba
Akinruntan to bring the Mahins, Aheris, Etikans, and the Ugbos in Ilaje
together for the collective benefit of the people,” he said.

He pledged that the
state government would continue to provide an enabling environment that
would encourage the people of the state contribute to the development
of their communities.

The head of Ojadele
ruling house, Roberts Nana, said the coronation was a celebration of
victory over some people that wanted to lord themselves over Ugboland.

Mr. Akinruntan said
his emergence as the monarch had been predicted 28 years ago by a
frontline prophet in the area, whom he said told him that he would be
inaugurated as a monarch with anointing oil, and not with the
traditional “Akoko” leaves.

Also in attendance
at the ceremony were the Oyo State deputy governor, Taofeek Arapaja;
his counterpart in Ondo, Ali Olanusi; Speaker of the state House of
Assembly, Samuel Adesina, and Folashade Bent, a senator, who was
conferred with a traditional title.

Following
the recent air mishap and “fraudulent” text messages from unknown
persons faulting the air worthiness of Aero Contractors,the Nigerian
Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over the weekend disclosed that the
airline is still qualified to carry on with its regular flight
operations.

Dispelling fears of
possible compromise in the safety of the carrier’s fleet, the
regulatory agency disclosed that it would not hesitate to ground the
airline should there be failing standards in the carrier’s flight
operations.

“That they are
flying should tell people that they are certified to do so; otherwise
their operations would have been grounded,” said Sam Adurogboye, media
head for the civil aviation authority.

Admitting that the
authority was aware of the recent incident involving the airline, Mr.
Adurogboye said that “Aero is fit to continue its operations.” Earlier,
Aero in a statement, disclosed that the regulatory agency gave it a
“clean bill” following a check on the carrier’s aircraft by engineers
from the authority.

Last week, a viral
text message condemning the air worthiness of two aircraft belonging to
Aero Contractors was sent to some passengers and media houses, alleging
that some officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)
are aware of the airline’s degenerating safety standards.

Deceitful texts

The development,
which came after the carrier’s Boeing 737 aircraft had a technical
fault resulting in the emission of smoke in the cabin that scared
passengers and saw some of the travellers sustaining injuries, is
criticized by the carrier as being “the handiwork of disgruntled
competitors who are threatened by the success of the airline over the
last few months.”

When contacted,
however, Akin Olukunle,spokesman for the Federal Airports Authority of
Nigeria (FAAN) disclosed that no official of the authority will speak
to anyone on issues pertaining the air worthiness of an airline, adding
that the text message was “deceitful.” “Whoever said he spoke to us is
not telling the truth,because it is not the duty of FAAN to comment on
matters affecting an airline,it is the regulatory agency that does
that,” he said.

On the issue of the air mishap, Aero disclosed that it is a globally
accepted rule in airline operations that no flight operation can be
conducted when a warning signal is detected, adding that it will not be
deterred by any blackmail from any source about its fleet airworthiness.

Leader of the
opposition within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state,
Lekan Balogun, has asserted that state governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala
lacks popularity in his hometown, Ogbomoso.

Mr.Balogun, one
time senator and Ibadan high chief, said in Ibadan on Sunday while
reviewing the last week’s anti-Akala rally in Ogbomoso that his lack of
appeal was one of the reasons why Mr Alao-Akala was opposed to the
rally staged by the opposition.

Describing the
rally as a success, Mr Balogun said it had put clouds to the governor’s
ambition to return to office next year as many people of the town are
equally aware of the governor’s bad performance and would not want him
to come back next year.

“Without the
meeting, we would not have known that the governor lacks strong
followership in Ogbomoso,” he said. “The experience made nonsense of
his often repeated allegation that the opposition to him is purely and
simply a localized Ibadan phenomenon; whereas, the governor is just
simply unpopular. In retrospect, it became obvious why the governor did
not want the meeting in Ogbomoso to hold at all.” Mr Balogun led other
party leaders,including former governor, Rashidi Ladoja; Senate Leader,
Teslim Kolawole Folarin; former Secretary to State Government (SSG) in
the state, Sarafadeen Alli and members of the PDP Implementation
Committee in the state led by their chairman, Yunus Akintunde, to the
rally.

Might is not right

Blaming the
government’s ‘might is right’ philosophy on the loss of lives reported
at the town before the rally, he said his group only got to know about
the incident through newspapers reports.

“Why should a
government bring out hoodlums to prevent the holding of a meeting
regardless the citizens constitutional right of association, freedom of
speech and movement, why? again, why should anybody be prevented from
using public places for lawful business? For instance, local government
halls, schools,these are public institutions that are collectively
owned and for which we should all have access for the purpose of lawful
transactions,” he said.

Mr.Balogun also
wondered why the governor would want to prevent those opposing his
second term ambition from holding rally in his town after doing same
for his own ambition at the homesteads of the said opposition.

“The governor had his so-called second term declaration a few weeks ago in Ibadan.

His faction is
known to have held meetings, rallies in Lagelu, my local government
area in not less than four or five times in the last one year and at no
time was there a threat to law and order,” he said.

Commending the
police for their response, the PDP leader noted that the state police
command ensured that the meeting was held peacefully and successfully.

The national
chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and former governor of
Abia State, Ogbonnaya Onu, has given reasons why Nigerians should
prevail on officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC), and members of the National Assembly to allow elections into
various elective positions to be conducted in one day.

Speaking in Benin
City at the weekend, at a rally organised by members of the party to
galvanise the state chapter of the party ahead of the 2011 elections,
Mr. Onu also expressed the readiness of his party to merge with any
other opposition parties to form a strong coalition.

“I am sure many of
you will remember that we have been in office just for six weeks, but
we are moving and I am very happy that many opposition parties are in
agreement that we have to pool our resources together in order to
ensure victory next year. For the sake of the country, this is very
important for our dear nation.

“We are working
with other opposition political parties to come up with a coalition of
opposition political parties that will make it easier for us to win in
next year’s elections. Discussions are still at very preliminary
levels, and we will notify you as soon as we make substantial
progress,” he said.

Reducing cost

He said the
challenges that go with the conduct of elections in Nigeria are such
that should be aimed at reducing the cost of conducting elections so
that more resources would be channeled to repairing decayed
infrastructure across the country.

“Our call for
election to be held in one day is because we want those who occupy
elective positions to be those who enjoy the will of their people. What
we now have is staggered election that would take place on three
different days. It is designed to have a bandwagon effect and once that
happens, then many things will come as a consequence. One is that some
may even lose interest and may not even want to vote again,” he said.

“If you want to
look at the cost element; if you hold elections on the same day it is
very cost effective. If you look at INEC, it will make a lot of saving
because they will be conducting one, instead of three different
elections. If you look at political parties, they will make a lot of
savings because they will now look after one polling agent as against
three,” he further said.

Mr. Onu said that there are so many things his leadership is doing to strengthen the party.

“We have set up
National Contact Committee at the national level; at the state level,
if they have not done so, they will soon do so. And the major
responsibility of that committee is to ensure that all those who left
our party come back. We are also asking you people to come and join the
party,” he said.

As
the leadership of the PDP moves to comply with the requirement by the
Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) that it
reconstitutes the party’s executive in several states, members of the
party in Adamawa state are left jostling over the fate of the state
executive.

The state chapter
of the party has been struck off the list of those to conduct fresh
congresses, even as it faces a boisterous faction.

The state chairman
of the party, Mijinyawa Kugama, has always maintained that allegations
about the illegitimacy of his chairmanship is all mudslinging by those
he said were filled with their own “parochial and selfish” interest.

Mr.Kugama, in his
submission over a petition brought before the Adamawa State High Court
submitted by a gubernatorial aspirant in the PDP, Umar Ardo, seeking
the dissolution of the state executive of the PDP, explained that the
state party executive was constituted through a properly conducted
congress supervised by INEC. The court ruled that the state exco was
properly constituted.

There are
contending forces angling to take control of the party platform, Mr.
Kugama said recently, “mostly because of its power capturing appeal and
you expect them to do hang on to anything that will offer them that
means.” Mr.

Kugama is accused
by aggrieved members of the party, of the state of providing the state
governor, Murtala Hamman Yero Nyako with the hold on the party
structure.

Bamanga Tukur,
former executive governor in the defunct Gongola state and one of the
supporters of President Jonathan’s presidency recently quipped that:
“it is unfortunate that the PDP in Adamawa state has been taken out of
the public place,” suggestive that Mr. Nyako has pocketed the party.

Mr Tukur is not the
only one disenchanted with the governor. Jubril Aminu, once Mr.Nyako’s
supporter, also has a strained relationship with the governor. The
fight between Aminu and Nyako is however not so much about who takes
control of the party than Aminu’s desire to be the one in charge.
Ordinarily,Nyako’s allegiances should be to Aminu for bringing him to
power.

Mr Nyako may have a
plethora of enemies, but the man has continued to wax stronger like the
proverbial cat with nine lives, surviving every war he has fought.

NEXT investigations
reveal that there are still hushed whispers about the possible
dissolutions of the party leadership, a possibility that is terrifying
the governor’s camp.

Mr.Nyako’s fears,
it seems, emerged by a shocking discovery that Mr Aminu had aligned
with Mr Tukur’s camp. The startling discovery occurred at a meeting
called by the PDP national chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo to reconcile the
party factions in the state.

The reason, though
is not far-fetched, Mr Aminu is angling to have his political protégé
and a serving minister, Idi Hong replace Nyako as governor. Already
there seems to be a political compromise between Mr. Aminu and former
vice president, Atiku Abubakar.

The rapprochement
set in motion by the national secretariat of the party has come under
knocks, as the reconciliation train has since failed to leave its
station. Incidentally, the trio of Tukur, Silas Zwingina and Hassan
Adamu diametrically, all opposed to Nyako’s continuation in power are
part of President Jonathan’s election team.

A PDP leader says
,the generally accepted wisdom is that despite Mr Nyako’s suspect
commitment to Jonathan’s presidency, a majority of party members in the
state are favourably disposed to a Jonathan presidency and there is no
reason to destabilize the party structure.

Head of the
Jonathan campaign team, Sarki Tafida himself admitted that the people
of the state, have “promised their support for president Jonathan and I
verily believe that to be true.” Mr.Kugama is an avowed supporter of Mr
Jonathan and the party secretary, Phineas P. Elisha also told NEXT he
is a supporter.

“When the time
comes, I know whom to vote for ,” he said. “Let’s not be deceived, we
all know what’s good for the country. When that time comes, we would do
the right thing.” Mr Nyako’s men are also demanding a demonstrable
support of the presidency for the governor, as he launches his bid to
retain his job.

Of the four members
of the Jonathan campaign team from the state, Zwingina, Tukur,Adamu and
Ali Gulak, only the latter two does not arouse concern from the
governor’s men.

Mr.Tukur is widely
perceived to be plotting Nyako’s fall to feather his own nest,his
actions being seen to be tilted towards making inroads for his son,
Awwal Tukur, a former member of the House of Representatives, to become
the next governor of the state.

Mr Zwingina on his
part has already indicated interest in contesting the PDP guber ticket
with the governor seat. This explained the uproar by supporters of Mr
Nyako’s aspiration at the forum when Goodluck Campaign team berthed in
Yola.

Felix Tangwami, Chairman of the association of local government chairmen and a candidate for the senate, said

“At the time we sat and choose to endorse Jonathan/Sambo, nobody
coerced us.We were also encouraged when the president declared
sometimes ago that he had no enemies to fight. Therefore, the president
should not be swayed by rumour mongers who would incite the presidency
into taking actions that would cause the party to implode.” Tafida
himself acknowledged the need to support the aspirations of the party’s
leadership in the state. After all, the former vice president, Atiku
Abubakar,who is also from the state, would be waiting for a slip so
that he could add the state to his column during the primaries.